Senior-Level

Property Master

A Property Master runs the props department on a film, TV, or theater production — sourcing, building, tracking, and handling every object an actor touches on set or stage.

Career Level
Junior
Mid
Senior
Director
VP
Executive
Work Personality
E
C
S
R
I
A
Enterprisingleading, persuading
Conventionalorganizing, detail-oriented
Based on Holland Code framework
Job markets for Property Masters
Employment concentration · ~393 areas
Based on employment in related occupations
Mapped SOC categories:
BLS Occupational Employment Statistics
What it's like

What it's like to be a Property Master

Days tend to be paced by the shooting or rehearsal schedule and the props it demands. You're prepping for upcoming scenes, staging continuity items, handling on-set adjustments, and managing the team of assistants. Pre-production is heavy with research, sourcing, and fabrication; production runs on hand-off accuracy.

The collaboration is constant. You're working with the director, production designer, cinematographer, costume, prop assistants, and actors themselves. Friction usually lives in the gap between creative vision, schedule pressure, and budget realities, and quick problem-solving on set is a daily craft.

People who tend to thrive enjoy detail-obsessed creative-industry work with high stakes per take and find satisfaction in props that disappear into the world the production is building. If you need predictable hours, distance from production-set intensity, or steady employment between shows, the freelance rhythm can wear thin.

SupportAbove avg
RelationshipsAbove avg
IndependenceAbove avg
Working ConditionsModerate
AchievementModerate
RecognitionModerate
O*NET Work Values survey
✦ Editorial — written by Truest from industry research and career patterns
Career Paths

Where this role sits in the broader career landscape — and where it can take you.

$239K$179K$119K$60K$0KLower paying387 metro areas, sorted by salary level
All experience levels1
This level's estimated range
INDUSTRIES PAYING ABOVE AVERAGE
1 BLS OEWS May 2024 covers all Property Masters (SOC 43-1011.00), not just this title · BEA RPP 2023
* Top salaries exceed this figure. BLS caps reported wages at ~$240K to protect individual privacy in high-earning roles.
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✦ Editorial — career progression and interview guidance based on industry patterns
The Broader Landscape

Roles like this one sit within a broader occupational category. The numbers below reflect that full landscape — helpful for context, but your specific experience will depend on level, specialty, and where you work.

$44K–$103K
Salary Range
10th – 90th percentile
1.5M
U.S. Employment
-0.3%
10yr Growth
145K
Annual Openings

How this category is changing

$64K$61K$59K$56K$53K201920202021202220232024$53K$64K
BLS OEWS May 2024 · BLS Employment Projections 2024–2034

Skills & Requirements

Social PerceptivenessMonitoringReading ComprehensionActive ListeningSpeakingCoordinationCritical ThinkingInstructingJudgment and Decision MakingWriting
O*NET OnLine · Bureau of Labor Statistics
43-1011.00

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Federal data: BLS Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics (May 2024) · BLS Employment Projections · O*NET OnLine
Truest editorial: Fit check, role profile, things that vary, advancement analysis, lateral moves, interview questions.