Actors: salary, outlook & degrees
Play parts in stage, television, radio, video, or film productions, or other settings for entertainment, information, or instruction. Interpret serious or comic role by speech, gesture, and body movement to entertain or inform audience. May dance and sing.
Middle half —–—. 55,000 jobs.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025
69% hold a bachelor's or higher. Those with one: $33,516.
Census ACS 2020-2024 microdata, workers with at least a high school diploma; EducationGuide calculation
About 6,300 openings a year, including replacements.
BLS Employment Projections 2025-35
Some preparation.
BLS; O*NET 31.0 job zone
Degrees that lead to this career
What workers ages 25-34 in this job studied, among those with a bachelor's or higher. This is what people actually did, not a requirement.
| Field of bachelor's degree | Share | Degree pages |
|---|---|---|
| Drama And Theater Arts | 30% | Theatre · Arts and Entertainment Management |
| Music | 5% | Music |
| Liberal Arts | 5% | Liberal Arts / General Studies |
| Communications | 4% | Communications · Communication, Journalism, and Related Programs, Other |
| Psychology | 3% | Psychology |
| Mass Media | 3% | Broadcasting / Digital Media |
| English Language And Literature | 3% | English |
| General Business | 3% | Business |
| Area Ethnic And Civilization Studies | 3% | Ethnic / Gender Studies · Area Studies |
| Visual And Performing Arts | 3% | Visual and Performing Arts · Dance |
Census ACS 2020-2024 microdata (ages 25-34, employed, bachelor's or higher; top 10 fields); EducationGuide calculation.
Pay by state
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025: median annual wage, all workers in the job. Metro areas: the largest by employment.
What the work takes
Top skills
- Reading Comprehension
- Speaking
- Active Listening
- Critical Thinking
- Active Learning
Knowledge used
- English Language
- Fine Arts
- Communications and Media
- Psychology
- Sociology and Anthropology
Work styles
- Adaptability
- Self-Confidence
- Innovation
- Social Orientation
- Cooperation
People in this job tend to have Artistic (creative), Social (helping), Enterprising (leading) interests.
O*NET 31.0 (U.S. Department of Labor, CC BY 4.0): skills and knowledge by importance; work styles; interest high points.
Actors: questions
How much do actors make?
Actors earn a U.S. median — a year; the middle half earn — to — (BLS, May 2025). Workers ages 25-34 in this job earn a median $33,516 (Census ACS 2020-2024).
Is actors a growing field?
BLS projects growth of 0.0% from 2025 to 2035, with about 6,300 openings a year, including replacements.
What degree do you need to be an actor?
BLS lists the typical entry education as some college, no degree. Among workers ages 25-34 with a bachelor's, the most common field of degree is drama And Theater Arts (30%).
Sources: Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35); O*NET 31.0 (U.S. Department of Labor, CC BY 4.0); U.S. Census Bureau ACS microdata. SOC 27-2011. Method
Data: JSON · Markdown · all careers
Cite this: “Actors: salary, outlook and degrees,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/careers/actors.