Many people choose to pursue careers in the entertainment industry because they can get exciting work opportunities and the chance to be creative at work. There are several jobs in the entertainment industry, all of which operate at different levels of expertise. If you want to start working in entertainment, it might be helpful to investigate some entry-level jobs in the field, as these positions are typically for new professionals who still need to build experience in the industry. In this article, we consider what an entry-level job in entertainment is and explore a list of entry-level entertainment jobs.
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What is an entry-level entertainment job?
An entry-level entertainment job is a position that can be performed with limited expertise or experience in the industry. Many entry-level jobs in entertainment function as administrative or assistant positions, which can help new professionals learn about the entertainment industry by working closely with seasoned professionals and building skills that can help them succeed in their future entertainment careers, such as speaking with agents, scheduling meetings with production teams and hosting auditions. You can also find entry-level entertainment jobs in more creative areas, like as an actor, that allow you to develop your talent in small or background roles.
Entry-level entertainment jobs
Here are nine entry-level jobs you can find in the entertainment industry:
1. Entertainer
National average salary: $31,237 per year
Primary duties: An entertainer is a creative professional who specializes in a particular type of performance. Entertainers can have responsibilities like acting as characters for a theme park, singing in the lounge of a hotel, or performing in themed restaurants near tourist attractions. Many entertainers also find work on cruise ships as actors, singers, or dancers.
2. Intern
National average salary: $32,791 per year
Primary duties: An intern is a very new professional, sometimes still a student, who can use work opportunities to build expertise and potentially earn college credit. In the entertainment industry, interns can have responsibilities like reading and providing feedback on script submissions, picking up lunch orders, and performing administrative tasks like answering emails and phone calls. While some internships offer only experience in return for work, you can often find internships that pay a stipend or small salary.
3. Production Assistant
National average salary: $34,398 per year
Primary duties: A production assistant helps the director or producer while on set for a film or television project or live theater production. Production assistants can organize call sheets each day that inform actors about which scenes they’re filming, check in with actors to ensure they wear the correct costumes and makeup, and gather items that the director or producer asks for, like props for the shoot. A production assistant can also pay attention to all tasks being undertaken on a set so that they can respond to any unforeseen circumstances that might occur, like injured actors or damaged props.
4. Background actor
National average salary: $38,580 per year
Primary duties: A background actor, sometimes referred to as an extra, is an actor who performs in the background of a film or television show. Background actors can act silently behind the main action taking place in a scene to add movement to the setting, provide crowd noises for scenes that show large events, and perform small featured roles. Because background actors are typically meant to blend in with the setting of a film or television show, most roles for background actors do not require them to memorize or recite lines.
5. Personal assistant
National average salary: $40,589 per year
Primary duties: A personal assistant is an administrative professional who acts as an assistant to one specific person. Personal assistants can organize their clients’ calendars by scheduling their appointments, oversee their communications by answering emails and phone calls, and run general errands, such as picking up groceries or purchasing gifts. In the entertainment industry, a personal assistant might work for an actor, director, or another type of high-level professional in entertainment.
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6. Receptionist
National average salary: $41,038 per year
Primary duties: A receptionist works in administration and oversees the front desk at a particular organization or office building. Receptionists can answer phone calls and transfer callers to the departments they’re trying to reach, greet people who visit the office and direct them to the correct locations, and prepare documents and records to be filed or used in meetings. In the entertainment industry, you can typically find receptionist jobs at places like film studios, production companies, and talent agencies.
7. Agent assistant
National average salary: $47,097 per year
Primary duties: An agent assistant typically works for a talent agent or an executive at a talent agency. Their job can involve offering help with daily tasks in an office, maintaining client relations for their superiors, and finding new clients and talent whom their superiors might want to represent. Agent assistants can also complete tasks in media public relations, like writing press releases or casting announcements for upcoming film or television projects that feature their agency’s clients.
8. Public relations assistant
National average salary: $48,694 per year
Primary duties: A public relations assistant offers administrative help to public relations managers to build and maintain their clients’ public images. Public relations assistants can schedule meetings with clients to discuss public relations strategies, review press releases for accuracy before they’re published, and prepare materials for clients to read publicly like media announcements and speeches. In the entertainment industry, a public relations assistant might help with clients who are actors, models, or other types of creative professionals.
9. Runner
National average salary: $50,331 per year
Primary duties: A runner is an administrative professional who delivers items to people in different areas of the industry. Runners can pick up lunch orders for team members in their studio, deliver scripts to executives at their offices, and collect groceries or coffee to bring back to the studio. Because their job often involves driving to different locations, runners typically need a valid driver’s license in order to succeed in the position.
I hope you find this article helpful.
