New York City remains one of the largest employers of film production professionals in the US. In recent years, the city has increased its capacity for production by building more studio lots and soundstages, thus attracting more feature film projects, and bringing more film jobs to local residents. New York City attracts a fair share of mainstream films, but the city also has one of the strongest independent film communities in the world. In fact, nearly one of three independent films made in the US is filmed in New York City, according to the GIPEC.

According to Glassdoor, some of the highest-rated film industry companies in NYC include Picturehouse, Sundial Pictures, The Weinstein Company, Ghost Robot, IFC Films, Atlantic Pictures, and Magnolia Pictures.

The top ranked schools in NYC with programs and degrees in film industry are New York University (NYU, $49,962 per year, out-of-state), Colombia University ($49,300 per year, out-of-state), and Syracuse University ($41,794 per year, out-of-state), according to rankings published by the Hollywood Reporter and Hack College in 2016.

Some of the top cities for finding jobs in the film industry are Los Angeles, NYC, Chicago, San Francisco, and Miami. You could build a successful career in film industry in any one of these cities. However, out of those cities, NYC ranks second in terms of the total number of film industry jobs available and the average level of salaries in the field. Among those cities, about 17% of all film industry jobs are located in NYC.

The assistant position is seen as the standard entry-level position for those looking to break into the film industry. Ideally, you want to work as an assistant to someone who has the job you aspire for. For example, aspiring film agents should assist film agents in a talent agency. Aspiring directors and producers usually start out working as production assistants. Aspiring studio executives assist studio executives as administrative assistants. You might also use the assistant role to experience different careers and companies to find which one works for you.

In NYC, the most popular film industry jobs are Art Directors, Editors, Directors, Writers, Cinematographers, Production Assistants, and Set Designers.

The following are estimates of salaries and wages for film industry jobs in NYC, which were compiled from Salary.com, Glassdoor, and the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics:

Cinematographers and Photographers - $87,000 per year, or $41.83 per hour

Art Directors - $131,000 per year, or $62.98 per hour

Actor - $34,000 per year, or $16.35 per hour

Producer and Directors - $113,000 per year, or $54.33 per hour

Set Designers - $59,000 per year, or $28.37 per hour

Editors - $80,000 per year, or $38.46 per hour

Sound Engineers - $45,000 per year, or $21.63 per hour

Writers and Authors - $86,000 per year, or $41.35 per hour

Professionals working in the film industry in NYC also tend to work in the following industries, according to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics: Online and New Media, Advertising/Marketing, Feature Films, Design, Scripted Television, Blog or Vlog Production, Technology.