Film Career · Art
Assistant Art Director
Art · IATSE Local 800 and craft locals
- Union
- IATSE Local 800 and craft locals
- Day rate
- ~$50K–$450K+/yr
- Experience
- 1–4 yrs
What does an Assistant Art Director do?
A assistant art director is the supporting chair in the art department, executing the department head's plan and managing the details that shooting days depend on.
On union productions the position falls under IATSE Local 800 and craft locals, which sets the rates, hours, and conditions the role works within. Like every art role, the job is hired production by production, and repeat work comes from department heads who trust the name on the call sheet.
What does an Assistant Art Director make?
- This is an entry or assistant chair, toward the lower end of its department's range.
- Art crews are paid by the day or week: assistants and coordinators lower, and art directors and designers into weekly deals of $3,000-$18,000.
- Roughly $50K-$450K+ a year across the department (IATSE Local 800 and craft locals).
Film work is gig based, so crew are paid a day or weekly rate rather than a salary. These are realistic 2024-2025 ranges grounded in union rate cards and industry data; actual pay swings with budget tier, market, overtime, and reputation.
Sources & how we estimate pay
Union scale is the floor; the ranges above also reflect market day rates above scale. They are grounded in the following 2024–2025 sources:
Union rate cards & wage schedules
Official guild scale — the floor each craft is paid from.
- IATSE — 2024 Basic Agreement wage scales (PDF) ↗
- IATSE Local 600 (International Cinematographers Guild) — camera rate cards ↗
- DGA — minimum salary rate cards (director, unit production manager, assistant directors) ↗
- WGA — schedule of minimums (writers) ↗
- SAG-AFTRA — theatrical & background rate sheets (cast, stunts, background) ↗
- Teamsters Local 399 — basic feature wage rates, 2024–27 (transportation, locations, wranglers) (PDF) ↗
Government wage data
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, for the closest federal occupation.
You’ll like and be good at this job if:
Hard skills
- You can design and build sets with craft and budget discipline
Soft skills
- You have the energy for long days and a good attitude under pressure
- You are reliable, eager to learn, and happy to start at the bottom
The ladder
Related chairs in this craft family, ordered from entry toward leadership:
- 1Assistant Art Director (this role)
- 2Senior Art Director
- 3Art Director
- 4Chief Art Director
- 5Executive Art Director
- 6Principal Art Director
- 7Supervising Art Director
Career progression
Within this craft family the recognized progression runs from assistant art director toward supervising art director, with each step earned through set time and the trust of the chairs above. Where this role sits on that ladder is less important than how the art department works: people move up when the department already believes they can do the next job.
A typical path, from entry to the top of the craft. Times are rough and vary by market, luck, and how steadily the work comes.
- Assistant Art Directoryou are here
~$50K–$450K+/yr
~$120K–$300K/yr
~$120K–$300K/yr
~$120K–$300K/yr
~$120K–$300K/yr
~$120K–$300K/yr
~$120K–$300K/yr
How do you become an Assistant Art Director?
Entry runs through availability and attitude: departments fill this position from crew lists, referrals, and people already on set who asked for the chance. Day-playing on smaller productions is the fastest way to be seen doing the work.
On covered productions, rates, hours, and conditions for the role are set by IATSE Local 800 and craft locals contracts.
Covered by a union? The joining a film union guide explains how each one takes members.