Theatre degree: salary, jobs & colleges
Bachelor's graduates in theatre earn a median $40,085 four years after finishing, across 251 U.S. colleges. At ages 25-34, people whose degree is in drama and theater arts earn $42,640, $19,409 less than all bachelor's holders. The most common job is other managers (4%).
Median across 251 colleges; middle half $36,389–$44,045.
College Scorecard field of study (graduates who received federal aid)
Middle half $25,584–$62,968. 3,341 survey respondents.
Census ACS 2020-2024 microdata; field "Drama And Theater Arts"; EducationGuide calculation
- All bachelor's, 25-34$62,049
- High school, 25-34$35,638
- This degree vs high school+$7,002/yr
Census ACS 2020-2024 microdata, workers not in school
Median across colleges reporting.
College Scorecard field of study
Jobs theatre graduates hold
What employed 25-34-year-olds whose bachelor's is in drama and theater 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 Managers | 4% | — | — | — | — |
| Elementary And Middle School Teachers | 3% | $64,170 | -0.4% | — | — |
| Customer Service Representatives | 3% | $44,770 | -5.3% | High school diploma or equivalent | CES |
| Producers And Directors | 3% | $90,360 | +4.0% | Bachelor's degree | AE |
| Waiters And Waitresses | 3% | $35,230 | +2.0% | No formal educational credential | CSR |
| Actors | 3% | — | +0.0% | Some college, no degree | ASE |
| Retail Salespersons | 2% | $35,410 | -0.3% | No formal educational credential | EC |
| Other Teachers And Instructors | 2% | — | — | — | — |
These 8 jobs account for 24% 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).
Theatre 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) |
|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $38,370 (4) | — |
| Arizona | $41,745 (3) | — |
| California | $41,389 (23) | $42,640 (670) |
| Colorado | $44,480 (4) | — |
| Florida | $39,106 (10) | $41,979 (154) |
| Georgia | $36,910 (7) | $44,688 (107) |
| Illinois | $39,956 (14) | $44,688 (254) |
| Indiana | $43,082 (5) | — |
| Iowa | $39,816 (3) | — |
| Kentucky | $35,624 (3) | — |
| Louisiana | $36,229 (3) | — |
| Maryland | $37,266 (4) | — |
| Massachusetts | $43,553 (5) | — |
| Michigan | $42,820 (7) | — |
| Minnesota | $42,746 (4) | — |
| Missouri | $39,604 (5) | — |
| New Jersey | $38,922 (10) | — |
| New York | $39,974 (29) | $45,805 (632) |
| North Carolina | $41,235 (8) | — |
| Ohio | $37,445 (19) | — |
| Oklahoma | $41,540 (3) | — |
| Oregon | $38,487 (3) | — |
| Pennsylvania | $40,121 (13) | — |
| South Carolina | $38,910 (4) | — |
| Tennessee | $35,810 (4) | — |
| Texas | $42,037 (16) | $46,437 (179) |
| Utah | $40,314 (4) | — |
| Virginia | $44,591 (6) | — |
| Washington | $42,538 (4) | — |
| Wisconsin | $37,507 (5) | — |
College Scorecard field of study (median of each college's graduates); Census ACS 2020-2024 microdata; EducationGuide calculations.
Colleges where theatre graduates earn the most
In the states we cover so far (Florida, Virginia, California): 24 in Florida, 33 in Virginia, 57 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 | University of California-DavisCA | $56,823 | $13,000 |
| 2 | University of California-BerkeleyCA | $55,555 | $15,112 |
| 3 | Florida Southern CollegeFL | $51,925 | $27,000 |
| 4 | Chapman UniversityCA | $51,611 | $22,500 |
| 5 | Pepperdine UniversityCA | $50,594 | $19,500 |
| 6 | Loyola Marymount UniversityCA | $49,135 | $23,250 |
| 7 | California State University-SacramentoCA | $47,676 | $16,221 |
| 8 | Radford UniversityVA | $46,725 | $25,000 |
| 9 | University of South FloridaFL | $45,671 | $26,849 |
| 10 | George Mason UniversityVA | $45,656 | $27,000 |
| 11 | James Madison UniversityVA | $45,225 | $18,500 |
| 12 | San Francisco State UniversityCA | $44,848 | $16,250 |
College Scorecard field of study. Colleges meeting our core-data standard; online campuses left out.
Related degrees
Theatre degree questions
How much do Theatre graduates make?
Theatre graduates earn a median $40,085 four years after finishing, across 251 U.S. colleges that report it (the middle half of colleges: $36,389 to $44,045; College Scorecard, graduates who received federal aid). Among all workers ages 25-34 whose bachelor's degree is in drama and theater arts, the median is $42,640 (Census ACS 2020-2024).
Is a Theatre degree worth it?
At ages 25-34, people with a bachelor's in drama and theater arts earn a median $42,640: $19,409 less than all bachelor's degree holders ($62,049) and $7,002 more than high school graduates ($35,638). EducationGuide calculation from Census ACS 2020-2024 microdata, workers not in school.
What jobs do Theatre graduates get?
Among employed 25-34-year-olds whose bachelor's is in drama and theater arts, the most common jobs are other managers (4%), elementary and middle school teachers (3%), customer service representatives (3%).
How much do Theatre graduates earn in Florida?
Across 10 Florida colleges reporting, Theatre graduates earn a median $39,106 four years after graduating; at ages 25-34, Floridians with this field of degree earn $41,979.
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: “Theatre degree: salary, jobs and colleges,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/degrees/theatre.