Annual Salary
Variable
Average UK salary in 2023 was £34,963
(source Office for National Statistics)
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Prop makers create objects for use on set in films, TV programmes and the theatre.
Average UK salary in 2023 was £34,963
(source Office for National Statistics)
You could work: freelance / self-employed; managing your own hours
There will be
0.1% more Prop maker jobs in 2029.
As a prop maker, you would:
You could work in a workshop, at a TV studio, at a film studio or in a theatre.
Your working environment may be cramped and dusty.
You can get into this job through:
You could take a foundation degree or degree in:
The Federation of Drama Schools has information on performance-based higher education courses in UK conservatoires that include production arts.
You'll usually need:
You can do a college course that can give you some of the practical skills needed to get a trainee job.
Courses include:
You could apply to do a Props Technician Level 3 Advanced Apprenticeship.
The apprenticeship takes between a year and a half and 2 years to complete. It is a mix of workplace learning and time spent with a training provider.
You might apply to do a Model Maker Level 6 Degree Apprenticeship. Training includes skills in physical and digital model making, building prototypes and creating mock-ups.
You'll usually need:
You may start by working in a theatre as a props assistant or stage technician, then move into prop making through training and promotion. In film and TV you would start as an art department trainee.
Volunteering for student productions, festivals and amateur theatre is a good way to get experience and make contact with people working in the industry. This could help when searching for jobs.
Look out for work experience opportunities with theatres and production companies. Sometimes these are advertised under their vacancies section or on social media. They may also run workshops and short schemes for people to learn more about working in the creative arts.
You may be able to apply directly for jobs if you have training and experience in related areas like graphic design, furniture making or model making.
You'll need to:
Your creative talent and model making skills. along with experience, can often be as important as formal qualifications.
You can create a portfolio of your work to show employers your range of skills.
You can find out more about working in props from Get Into Theatre and ScreenSkills.
You can also get more information on working in the creative industries from Discover Creative Careers.
With experience, you could become a prop master and run a props department.
You might also move into set design, production design or stage management.
You'll need: