Film Career · Production Manager
Assistant Unit Manager
Production Manager · Directors Guild of America
- Union
- Directors Guild of America
- Day rate
- ~$5,800–$6,600/wk
- Experience
- 1–4 yrs
What does an Assistant Unit Manager do?
A assistant unit manager is the supporting chair in the production manager department, executing the department head's plan and managing the details that shooting days depend on.
On union productions the position falls under Directors Guild of America, which sets the rates, hours, and conditions the role works within. The role is engaged show by show, and careers in production manager are built on the department heads and crews who hire the same trusted people back.
What does an Assistant Unit Manager make?
- This is an entry or assistant chair, toward the lower end of its department's range.
- Production management is DGA-covered on long-form: UPMs run roughly $5,800-$6,600 a week, with coordinators and assistants below.
- Roughly $90K-$300K a year across the department.
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 run budgets, schedules, and logistics
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 Unit Manager (this role)
- 2Unit Manager
Career progression
Within this craft family the recognized progression runs from assistant unit manager toward unit manager, 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 production manager 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 Unit Manageryou are here
~$90K–$300K/yr
~$60K–$250K+/yr
How do you become an Assistant Unit Manager?
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 Directors Guild of America contracts.
Covered by a union? The joining a film union guide explains how each one takes members.