Insights from the 2025 Croner Entertainment Survey
The newly released 2025 Croner Entertainment Survey reveals steady, broad-based compensation growth across the entertainment industry. Covering roles in film, television, music, digital media, live entertainment, and theme parks, the survey remains the gold standard for understanding how organizations compete for talent in this highly specialized labor market.
Below are the key compensation insights from this year’s report.
STEADY COMPENSATION GROWTH ACROSS ENTERTAINMENT INDUSTRY JOB LEVELS
Growth Trends for Executives, Management, and Support Roles
Every organizational level – from support level to executives – experienced consistent compensation increases from 2024 to 2025.
Executive and middle-management roles saw notable gains in total compensation, reflecting continued demand for experienced leadership in entertainment organizations.
Base Salary Drivers for Individual Contributor Positions
For Operating Individual Contributor / Support roles, base salary increases were the primary driver of compensation growth. This trend indicates broader labor-market pressure for skilled workers in production, administrative and technical support functions.
YEAR-OVER-YEAR PAY TRENDS BY ENTERTAINMENT SECTOR
Film Industry Compensation Trends
Film executives experienced the strongest growth in both base salary and actual total cash compensation, outpacing gains reported in other entertainment industry segments.
Television and Music Sector Salary Insights
While compensation growth was steady across all industry segments, the Music industry’s middle management roles recorded the highest actual total direct compensation growth year over year. Film closely followed, reinforcing its position as a competitive talent market.
SHORT-TERM INCENTIVE PAYOUTS RISE FOR 2025
Executive and Middle Management Incentive Changes
Short-term incentive payouts as a percent of target increased in 2025 for executive and middle-management roles. This year’s payout levels exceeded 2024 and 2023 results.
How 2025 Compares to 2023 and 2022 Incentive Levels
Although incentive payouts rose above the prior two years, they did not reach the elevated levels seen in 2022, a year marked by aggressive post-pandemic performance recoveries.
JOB FAMILIES SHOWING THE HIGHEST BASE SALARY GROWTH
Creative and Production Roles
Several creative and production-oriented job families experienced material base salary increases, including:
- Physical Production
- Creative Development
- Digital Marketing
Corporate and Administrative Job Functions
Substantial year-over-year base salary growth was also observed in:
- Administrative Assistance
- Participation & Residuals
- Contracts Administration
These increases highlight strong market demand for both creative and corporate support roles.
WHAT THE CRONER ENTERTAINMENT SURVEY PROVIDES
Compensation Benchmarking by Percentile
The survey delivers extensive pay benchmarks – including base salary, total cash compensation, and total direct compensation – shown at multiple percentile levels, helping organizations design competitive compensation strategies.
Data for Remote Employees
With remote work continuing in parts of the entertainment industry, the report includes data cuts for permanent remote employees, allowing for more accurate comparisons of diverse workforce models.
Bonus and Equity Plan Design Insights
The survey also provides detailed insights into bonus structures and equity plan design, enabling organizations to evaluate how their incentive offerings stack up against the broader market.
ACCESS THE 2025 CRONER ENTERTAINMENT COMPENSATION REPORT
Organizations seeking the most reliable, up-to-date compensation intelligence for entertainment industry roles rely on the Croner Survey for its depth, accuracy, and relevance. To learn more about obtaining current market data for compensation strategies in entertainment om the U.S., click here. For international compensation trends and data, click here.
For more information about participation in a Croner survey, please contact Laurie Krashanoff, Manager, Account Relations, at +(415) 485-5521 or laurie@croner.com.
Follow this link to find out more about The Croner Company’s compensation surveys.
2025 Entertainment Compensation Trends: Insights from the Croner Entertainment Survey
The Croner Company’s surveys and consulting services are relied upon by organizations at all stages of growth to establish and modify pay practices and align compensation with mission, values and market.
To learn more about our consulting services, please contact Lisa Dyakovski, Senior Consultant at the Croner Company, at (415) 485-5516 or lisa@croner.com.
For more information about The Croner Company’s compensation surveys, please contact Laurie Krashanoff, Manager, Account Relations, at +(415) 485-5521 or laurie@croner.com.