Executive film producers oversee the work of producers, who make various business decisions for movies and films: Raising funds, managing film budgets and ensuring all films get completed on time. They also determine which movie projects are most marketable and help select scripts, cast members and shooting venues. If you want to become an executive film producer, you'll need a bachelor's degree. In return, you can expect to earn a salary averaging above $100,000 annually.

Salary and Qualifications

The average annual salary of a film executive producer was $104,000 as of 2013, according to the job site Indeed. Executive producers, as producers and directors, can also make a percentage of the profits from movies and films. To become a film executive producer, you'll likely need a bachelor's degree in business, arts management or a related major, and five or more years of experience as a producer. Other important qualifications include communication, leadership, management and negotiating skills.

Salary by Region

In 2013, average salaries for film executive producers varied considerably in all U.S. regions, according to Indeed. In the South region, they earned the highest salaries of $123,000 in Washington, D.C., and the lowest of $89,000 in Louisiana. Those in the West made $70,000 to $114,000 per year in Hawaii and California, respectively. If you were a film executive producer in Maine or New York, you'd earn $90,000 to $126,000, respectively, which represented the lowest and highest salaries in the Northeast region. In the Midwest, you'd make the most in Illinois and least in South Dakota at $113,000 and $79,000, respectively.

Contributing Factors

A film executive producer may earn more working independently. For example, independent producers and directors made average incomes of $123,310 as of May 2012, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, versus an industry average of $92,390 annually. In this job, you may also earn more working for a larger movie company, as bigger companies can better support your higher salary. You'd also earn more in New York and California because of higher housing and living costs. For example, if you earned $105,000 as a film executive producer in Dallas, you'd need to make $227,442 in New York City to maintain your living standard. In Los Angeles, you'd need to earn $138,045 annually, or about 31 percent more.

Job Outlook

The BLS projects an 11 percent increase in jobs for producers and directors from 2010 to 2020, which is statistically about average compared to the 14 percent growth rate for all jobs. Jobs for film executive producers may grow at a slower pace because fewer of these positions exist. As a film executive producer, you may have more opportunities to work for yourself, as jobs for self-employed producers will increase 16 percent during this decade.