According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median annual salary of all producers and directors was $68,440 as of May 2010. The top 10 percent, however, earned more than $166,400. (A movie, though, often takes more than a year to make.) Many directors are paid a percentage of ticket sales. Notable directors such as Steven Spielberg, Christopher Nolan and James Cameron earn extraordinarily high amounts due to merchandising, past film residuals and sales.