What are the top 10 cities with the highest pay for Filmmaking?

We've identified 10 cities in the United States where Filmmaking jobs typically pay above the area average. Topping the list is Cupertino, CA (23.4% above average), followed by San Jose, CA and Mercer Island, WA. City Annual Salary Monthly Pay Weekly Pay Hourly Wage Cupertino, CA $152,431 $12,702 $2,931 $73.28 San Jose, CA $152,102 $12,675 $2,925 $73.13 Mercer Island, WA $151,318 $12,609 $2,909 $72.75 Sitka, AK $148,840 $12,403 $2,862 $71.56 Palo Alto, CA $145,604 $12,133 $2,800 $70.00 San Francisco, CA $145,565 $12,130 $2,799 $69.98 Santa Clara, CA $145,104 $12,092 $2,790 $69.76 El Cerrito, CA $143,634 $11,969 $2,762 $69.05 Campbell, CA $143,000 $11,916 $2,750 $68.75 Santa Cruz, CA $142,661 $11,888 $2,743 $68.59

Filmmaking

Filmmaking Salary

Q: How much does a Filmmaking make?

The average annual pay for a filmmaking in the United States is $123,552 a year — that works out to approximately $59.40 an hour. The middle 80% of Filmmakings earn between $124,000 (10th percentile) and $126,000 (90th percentile) per year, depending on experience and employer.

$61.5K

$127K

$123,552

/year

$59.40

/hour

Filmmaking Salary Comparison by Location

Nationwide

United States

$123,552

Columbus

Ohio

$119,339

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How much does a Filmmaking make?

As of Aug 4, 2026, the average annual pay for a Filmmaking in the United States is $123,552 a year.

Just in case you need a simple salary calculator, that works out to be approximately $59.40 an hour. This is the equivalent of $2,376/week or $10,296/month.

While ZipRecruiter is seeing annual salaries as high as $127,000 and as low as $61,500, the majority of Filmmaking salaries currently range between $124,000 (25th percentile) to $126,000 (75th percentile) with top earners (90th percentile) making $126,000 annually across the United States. The average pay range for a Filmmaking varies little (about 2000), which suggests that regardless of location, there are not many opportunities for increased pay or advancement, even with several years of experience.

A Filmmaking in your area makes on average $119,339 per year, or $4,213 (3.410%) less than the national average annual salary of $123,552. Ohio ranks number 31 out of 50 states nationwide for Filmmaking salaries.

To estimate the most accurate annual salary range for Filmmaking jobs, ZipRecruiter continuously scans its database of millions of active jobs published locally throughout America.

Find your next high paying job as a Filmmaking on ZipRecruiter today.

What are Top 10 Highest Paying Cities for Filmmaking Jobs

We've identified 10 cities where the typical salary for a Filmmaking job is above the national average. Topping the list is Cupertino, CA, , with San Jose, CA, and Mercer Island, WA, close behind in the second and third positions. Mercer Island, WA, beats the national average by $27,766 (22.5%), and Cupertino, CA, furthers that trend with another $28,879 (23.4%) above the $123,552 average.

With these 10 cities having average salaries higher than the national average, the opportunities for economic advancement by changing locations as a Filmmaking appears to be exceedingly fruitful.

Finally, another factor to consider is the average salary for these top 10 cities varies very little at 6% between Cupertino, CA, and Santa Cruz, CA, , reinforcing the limited potential for much wage advancement. The possibility of a lower cost of living may be the best factor to use when considering location and salary for a Filmmaking role.

City	Annual Salary	Monthly Pay	Weekly Pay	Hourly Wage
Cupertino, CA	$152,431	$12,702	$2,931	$73.28
San Jose, CA	$152,102	$12,675	$2,925	$73.13
Mercer Island, WA	$151,318	$12,609	$2,909	$72.75
Sitka, AK	$148,840	$12,403	$2,862	$71.56
Palo Alto, CA	$145,604	$12,133	$2,800	$70.00
San Francisco, CA	$145,565	$12,130	$2,799	$69.98
Santa Clara, CA	$145,104	$12,092	$2,790	$69.76
El Cerrito, CA	$143,634	$11,969	$2,762	$69.05
Campbell, CA	$143,000	$11,916	$2,750	$68.75
Santa Cruz, CA	$142,661	$11,888	$2,743	$68.59

What are Top 0 Best Paying Related Filmmaking Jobs in the U.S.

Analyzing some similar jobs related to the Filmmaking job category, we found that related job jobs have average salaries similar than Filmmaking jobs.

Job Title	Annual Salary	Monthly Pay	Weekly Pay	Hourly Wage

About Our Data

ZipRecruiter salary estimates, histograms, trends and comparisons are derived from both employer job postings and third party data sources.

Infographic detailing Filmmaking salary across the United States as of July 2026. Displays a bar chart with salary percentiles, a national average salary of $123,552 per year or $59.40 an hour, and a color-coded map showing state-by-state salary variations.

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