Behind the Lens

Film Career · Locations

Location Manager

Locations · Teamsters Local 399 in Los Angeles; varies

Union
Teamsters Local 399 in Los Angeles
Day rate
~$3,500–$5,500+/wk
Experience
4–8 yrs
How to join your union View in the set org chart

What does a Location Manager do?

Location managers find, secure, and run every real-world place a production shoots. Scouting, permits, neighbor relations, parking plans, and restoration all land on them. Their assistant location managers hold the location itself while the manager preps the next one.

What does a Location Manager make?

  • About $3,500-$5,500+ a week (Local 399 has a dedicated Location Managers agreement), an effective day around $700-$1,100, roughly $130K-$250K+ a year.
  • Senior location managers on studio features negotiate well over scale and log heavy prep and overtime.

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:

On the job

  • Scout and photograph location options against the script's needs
  • Negotiate agreements with owners and secure filming permits
  • Plan logistics: parking, power, neighbors, and city relations
  • Run the location during shooting and return it restored

You’ll like and be good at this job if:

Hard skills

  • You can scout, secure permits, and manage locations
  • You can negotiate with owners and officials

Soft skills

  • You are resourceful and a strong problem-solver
  • You stay calm when a location falls through at the last minute

Career progression

The ladder runs location PA or scout, then assistant location manager, then location manager, then supervising locations across large productions. Managers with deep regional knowledge become the first call for every show landing in their market.

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.

  1. Location Scout· 2-4 yrs

    ~$60K–$250K+/yr

  2. Assistant Location Manager· 2-4 yrs

    ~$60K–$250K+/yr

  3. Location Manageryou are here· peak of the craft

    ~$130K–$250K+/yr

How do you become a Location Manager?

Know your city better than anyone: photograph it, map its permit offices, learn its film commission. Location PA jobs come through the department directly, and scouts who deliver options fast get promoted into the office. Note the Location Managers Guild International is a professional network, not a bargaining union — in LA that representation is Teamsters Local 399 (Local 817 in NY).

Covered by a union? The joining a film union guide explains how each one takes members.