AI exposure by occupation, O*NET 27-2012.05
Will AI replace Media Technical Directors/Managers?
Media Technical Directors/Managers: AI can already handle 12 of 15 tasks; the work mostly needs a frontier-tier model.
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Every task, scored
The 15 tasks O*NET 30.3 lists for Media Technical Directors/Managers, from most to least exposed. 12 reach 60 or more, the level at which AI already handles a task.
| Task | AI exposure | Evidence | Model tier |
|---|---|---|---|
| Direct technical aspects of newscasts and other productions, checking and switching between video sources and taking responsibility for the on-air product, including camera shots and graphics. | Estimated | Frontier | |
| Switch between video sources in a studio or on multi-camera remotes, using equipment such as switchers, video slide projectors, and video effects generators. | Estimated | Efficient | |
| Observe pictures through monitors and direct camera and video staff concerning shading and composition. | Estimated | Frontier | |
| Follow instructions from production managers and directors during productions, such as commands for camera cuts, effects, graphics, and takes. | Estimated | Efficient | |
| Supervise and assign duties to workers engaged in technical control and production of radio and television programs. | Estimated | Frontier | |
| Set up and execute video transitions and special effects, such as fades, dissolves, cuts, keys, and supers, using computers to manipulate pictures as necessary. | Estimated | Frontier | |
| Monitor broadcasts to ensure that programs conform to station or network policies and regulations. | Estimated | Standard | |
| Test equipment to ensure proper operation. | Estimated | Standard | |
| Act as liaisons between engineering and production departments. | Estimated | Frontier | |
| Discuss filter options, lens choices, and the visual effects of objects being filmed with photography directors and video operators. | Estimated | Standard | |
| Collaborate with promotions directors to produce on-air station promotions. | Estimated | Frontier | |
| Schedule use of studio and editing facilities for producers and engineering and maintenance staff. | Estimated | Frontier | |
| Train workers in use of equipment, such as switchers, cameras, monitors, microphones, and lights. | Estimated | Efficient | |
| Operate equipment to produce programs or broadcast live programs from remote locations. | Estimated | Efficient | |
| Confer with operations directors to formulate and maintain fair and attainable technical policies for programs. | Estimated | Efficient |
Observed: scored from AI use recorded in the Anthropic Economic Index (June 2026 release), 0 of 15 tasks. Estimated: scored from the task's O*NET 30.3 work activity, 15 of 15. Importance is O*NET's 1 to 5 rating of how central the task is. Model tier is the lowest tier that can do the task under the published rubric; "No tier" marks hands-on work.
The model tier this role needs
A frontier-tier model or lower covers 100% of the role's importance-weighted task work. 100% of the work is something AI can address at some tier.
Efficient, standard and frontier tiers come from the JobRoute model tier reference. The recommended tier is the lowest one that covers 80% of the work AI can address. How the method works.
Wages, employment and outlook
- US employment
- 143,120
- Median annual wage
- $90,360
- Middle half of earners
- $62,670 to $134,800
- Projected change, 2024 to 2034
- +4.9%
Employment and wages: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, national. Projection: BLS Employment Projections 2024 to 2034. BLS publishes these figures by SOC code, so O*NET occupations that share a SOC code show the same figures.
Adjacent roles
The occupations that reuse the most of this role's skills, with the usual time to move. These are the first places to look when you plan to redeploy or retrain people in this role.
- Media Programming Directors 80% skill overlap, about 7 months to move Exposure59
- Broadcast Technicians 70% skill overlap, about 11 months to move Exposure48
- Producers and Directors 70% skill overlap, about 11 months to move Exposure44
- Art Directors 62% skill overlap, about 14 months to move Exposure46
- Talent Directors 60% skill overlap, about 14 months to move Exposure61
Skill overlap and transition time from the JobRoute role adjacency graph on O*NET 30.3 skills.
Questions about Media Technical Directors/Managers and AI
Will AI replace Media Technical Directors/Managers?
AI already handles 12 of the 15 tasks O*NET lists for this occupation, at a task exposure of 60 or more, and the role's importance-weighted exposure is 66 out of 100. JobRoute scores tasks, not whole jobs, so the score shows how much of the work changes rather than whether the job disappears. BLS projects employment to change by +4.9% from 2024 to 2034.
What is the AI exposure of Media Technical Directors/Managers?
66 out of 100 on JobRoute's task exposure measure, the importance-weighted average of the role's O*NET task scores. Higher means more of the work is AI-doable today. 0 of the 15 task scores are observed in the Anthropic Economic Index (June 2026 release), and the other 15 are estimated from each task's O*NET work activity.
Which Media Technical Directors/Managers tasks can AI already do?
The tasks with the highest exposure are: Direct technical aspects of newscasts and other productions, checking and switching between video sources and taking responsibility for the on-air product, including camera shots and graphics; Switch between video sources in a studio or on multi-camera remotes, using equipment such as switchers, video slide projectors, and video effects generators; Observe pictures through monitors and direct camera and video staff concerning shading and composition. They are three of the 12 tasks that reach 60 or more.
What AI model tier does this role need?
A frontier-tier model or lower covers 100% of the role's importance-weighted task work. JobRoute assigns each task the lowest tier that can do it under a published rubric and recommends the lowest tier that covers 80% of the work AI can address.
How many people work as Media Technical Directors/Managers, and what do they earn?
143,120 people in the United States, with a median annual wage of $90,360 (BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025). BLS Employment Projections expect a change of +4.9% from 2024 to 2034.
How to cite
Data version 2026-11-02, JobRoute method v1.0.0. Download all occupations or this occupation as JSON. Methodology.
JobRoute (2026). AI exposure: Media Technical Directors/Managers. Data version 2026-11-02, method v1.0.0. Built on O*NET 30.3, BLS OEWS May 2025 and the Anthropic Economic Index (June 2026). CC BY 4.0. https://www.jobroute.ai/jobs/media-technical-directors-managers
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