Dance degree: salary, jobs & colleges
Bachelor's graduates in dance earn a median $40,844 four years after finishing, across 58 U.S. colleges. At ages 25-34, people whose degree is in visual and performing arts earn $45,232, $16,817 less than all bachelor's holders. The most common job is other teachers and instructors (9%).
Median across 58 colleges; middle half $36,515–$48,069.
College Scorecard field of study (graduates who received federal aid)
Middle half $28,106–$72,099. 1,171 survey respondents.
Census ACS 2020-2024 microdata; field "Visual And Performing Arts"; EducationGuide calculation
- All bachelor's, 25-34$62,049
- High school, 25-34$35,638
- This degree vs high school+$9,594/yr
Census ACS 2020-2024 microdata, workers not in school
Median across colleges reporting.
College Scorecard field of study
Jobs dance graduates hold
What employed 25-34-year-olds whose bachelor's is in visual and performing arts actually do, with U.S. wages and the outlook for each job. The first column comes from the Census survey; wages and growth from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
| Job | Share of graduates | U.S. median wage | Jobs growth 2025-35 | Typical entry | Interests |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Other Teachers And Instructors | 9% | — | — | — | — |
| Exercise Trainers And Group Fitness Instructors | 4% | $47,160 | +7.3% | High school diploma or equivalent | SR |
| Dancers And Choreographers | 4% | $52,830 | +2.4% | — | — |
| Elementary And Middle School Teachers | 3% | $64,170 | -0.4% | — | — |
| Other Managers | 3% | — | — | — | — |
| Producers And Directors | 2% | $90,360 | +4.0% | Bachelor's degree | AE |
| Waiters And Waitresses | 2% | $35,230 | +2.0% | No formal educational credential | CSR |
| Artists And Related Workers | 2% | $99,760 | +2.2% | — | — |
These 8 jobs account for 30% of employed graduates: people with this degree spread across many kinds of work.
Census ACS 2020-2024 microdata (ages 25-34, bachelor's as highest degree, employed); BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics May 2025; BLS Employment Projections 2025-35; O*NET 31.0 interest codes (R realistic, I investigative, A artistic, S social, E enterprising, C conventional).
Dance earnings by state
Two views of pay: recent graduates of the state's colleges four years out (College Scorecard), and everyone ages 25-34 living in the state with this field of degree (Census). States show a figure only with at least 3 colleges or 100 survey respondents.
| State | Graduates, 4 yrs (colleges) | Ages 25-34 (respondents) |
|---|---|---|
| California | $44,742 (8) | $54,991 (197) |
| Florida | $40,892 (3) | — |
| New York | $39,576 (11) | $48,881 (179) |
| North Carolina | $43,934 (4) | — |
| Pennsylvania | $39,001 (6) | — |
| Texas | $53,057 (5) | — |
College Scorecard field of study (median of each college's graduates); Census ACS 2020-2024 microdata; EducationGuide calculations.
Colleges where dance graduates earn the most
In the states we cover so far (Florida, Virginia, California): 8 in Florida, 8 in Virginia, 27 in California offer this major. Open a college to see cost to finish and payback for your income.
| # | College | Earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Chapman UniversityCA | $50,612 | $23,624 |
| 2 | California State University-Long BeachCA | $46,387 | $20,500 |
| 3 | University of California-RiversideCA | $45,804 | — |
| 4 | University of California-Santa BarbaraCA | $44,858 | — |
| 5 | San Francisco State UniversityCA | $44,627 | — |
| 6 | University of FloridaFL | $42,624 | $16,500 |
| 7 | Florida State UniversityFL | $40,892 | $21,706 |
| 8 | University of California-IrvineCA | $40,466 | $20,080 |
| 9 | George Mason UniversityVA | $36,901 | $25,975 |
| 10 | University of California-Los AngelesCA | $36,277 | $19,309 |
| 11 | Loyola Marymount UniversityCA | $35,288 | $24,250 |
| 12 | University of South FloridaFL | $33,269 | $24,545 |
College Scorecard field of study. Colleges meeting our core-data standard; online campuses left out.
Related degrees
Dance degree questions
How much do Dance graduates make?
Dance graduates earn a median $40,844 four years after finishing, across 58 U.S. colleges that report it (the middle half of colleges: $36,515 to $48,069; College Scorecard, graduates who received federal aid). Among all workers ages 25-34 whose bachelor's degree is in visual and performing arts, the median is $45,232 (Census ACS 2020-2024).
Is a Dance degree worth it?
At ages 25-34, people with a bachelor's in visual and performing arts earn a median $45,232: $16,817 less than all bachelor's degree holders ($62,049) and $9,594 more than high school graduates ($35,638). EducationGuide calculation from Census ACS 2020-2024 microdata, workers not in school.
What jobs do Dance graduates get?
Among employed 25-34-year-olds whose bachelor's is in visual and performing arts, the most common jobs are other teachers and instructors (9%), exercise trainers and group fitness instructors (4%), dancers and choreographers (4%).
How much do Dance graduates earn in Florida?
Across 3 Florida colleges reporting, Dance graduates earn a median $40,892 four years after graduating.
Sources: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard; U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey microdata; Bureau of Labor Statistics; O*NET 31.0 (U.S. Department of Labor, CC BY 4.0). Method
Data: JSON · Markdown · all degrees
Cite this: “Dance degree: salary, jobs and colleges,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/degrees/dance.