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Freelance Filmmaker Salary in the United States

How much does a Freelance Filmmaker make in the United States? The salary range for a Freelance Filmmaker job is from $52,182 to $70,139 per year in the United States. Click on the filter to check out Freelance Filmmaker job salaries by hourly, weekly, biweekly, semimonthly, monthly, and yearly.

Average base salary
updated at March 01, 2025
$61,163
Per Year
The average salary for a Freelance Filmmaker is $61,163
per Year in the United States.
Individually reported data submitted by users of our website

HOW SHOULD YOU USE THIS DATA?

Employees: Use this as a guide for salary expectations, but be aware that responsibilities can change across companies for the same job title, so there may be differences between this data, other free site and our subscription products bought by employers.

Employers: This data could be used as reference point in your market pricing, but not the only source, due to differences across jobs locations, and sizes of companies.Consider additional sources like our Employer reported data.

Base Salary
$52,182
$61,163
Medium
$70,139

Highest Paying Cities for Freelance Filmmaker in the United States

Freelance Filmmaker salaries in the United States will pay differently by cities. Below following are the eight cities with the highest income for Freelance Filmmaker jobs in the United States. The city with the highest salary is San Jose. Click on the Freelance Filmmaker salary in cities you are interested in to view detailed job salary information.

States with Higher Salaries for Freelance Filmmaker

The five states where Freelance Filmmaker jobs get higher salaries in the United States are: District of Columbia, California, New Jersey, Alaska, and Massachusetts. Compared with the average salary of a Freelance Filmmaker in the United States, the state of District of Columbia with the highest job income for this job. The second and third states are California and New Jersey respectively. The high or low salary paid to Freelance Filmmaker by the US has a greater relationship with the demand for jobs and the cost of living.

How Much Do Similar Professions Get Paid in the United States?

There are some different titles for Freelance Filmmaker jobs, and the job title of Freelance Filmmaker will vary in different companies. The job title has a lot to do with the department and responsibilities, and the same job title will vary in different departments. The following list is the salary of jobs similar to Freelance Filmmaker, start to view Freelance Filmmaker-related jobs you are interested in.
Filmmaker
Average salary
United States
$50,103
per Year
Documentary Filmmaker
Average salary
United States
$54,250
per Year
Independent Filmmaker
Average salary
United States
$52,920
per Year
Freelance Photographer
Average salary
United States
$78,160
per Year
Freelance Copywriter
Average salary
United States
$60,569
per Year
Freelance Editor
Average salary
United States
$67,172
per Year

How Much Should You Be Earning?

Get an estimated calculation of how much you should be earning and insight into your career options.

What Does a Freelance Filmmaker Do?

At the other end of the scale, smaller freelance filmmakers typically hire themselves out, along with their equipment and expertise, for a fixed daily rate, which can vary from market to market.

December 17, 2021

Many freelance filmmakers will have their own equipment, since, over the course of several projects, the equipment will eventually pay for itself.

December 16, 2021

Finally, another way for a freelance filmmaker to make a salary is to create and sell a film on "spec" (speculation).

December 14, 2021

If you're interested in pursuing a career as a freelance filmmaker, there a few things about the field you should know before taking your seat in the director's chair.

November 11, 2021

Freelance filmmakers enjoy the ability to work on a number of different film styles, all while sharpening their film making skills.

October 28, 2021

Most Common Benefits for Freelance Filmmaker

Social Security
Healthcare
401(k)
Pension
Disability
Time Off (days)

Frequently Asked Questions

Common questions about salaries for a Freelance Filmmaker
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At the other end of the scale, smaller freelance filmmakers typically hire themselves out, along with their equipment and expertise, for a fixed daily rate, which can vary from market to market.
Is this information useful?
Thank you!
Is this information useful?
Thank you!
Explore our personal salary report to know the Freelance Filmmaker market value in the United States. And find out if any places are having a higher Freelance Filmmaker salary.
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The highest Freelance Filmmaker salary is $70,139, while the lowest is $52,182 in the United States.
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