Actors

Median salary

Not available

Average salary

Not available

Employment

55,000

Projected growth

0.3% growth

Annual openings

6,300

Typical entry education

Some college, no degree

What Actors Do

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.

See full salary breakdown & percentiles →

Career Outlook

National employment outlook, 2024–2034.

Related work experience: None
On-the-job training: Long-term on-the-job training
Self-employed: 27.9%

Source: BLS Employment Projections — 2024-2034.

How Much Preparation Does This Take?

Job Zone 2 of 5

Job Zone 1-2: Very Little to Some Preparation Needed

Experience: Some occupations may need little or no previous experience; others require several months to a year of experience.
Education: Usually requires a high school diploma or GED, though some occupations may not.
Job training: Ranges from a few days to one year of on-the-job training.

Source: O*NET Job Zones.

Key Knowledge Areas

Subject-matter areas this occupation draws on most, per O*NET.

Fine Artsimportance 4.7/5
English Languageimportance 4.3/5
Communications and Mediaimportance 4.1/5
Sociology and Anthropologyimportance 3.4/5
Psychologyimportance 3.3/5
Customer and Personal Serviceimportance 3.1/5
Sales and Marketingimportance 2.9/5
Education and Trainingimportance 2.7/5

Work Environment

What the day-to-day work setting is like, per O*NET.

Work With or Contribute to a Work Group or Team5.0/5
Physical Proximity4.8/5
Contact With Others4.7/5
E-Mail4.7/5
Time Pressure4.6/5
Indoors, Environmentally Controlled4.6/5

Careers With Similar Skills

Occupations whose Transferable Skills profile most closely matches this one — a mathematical comparison, not observed data about people actually moving between these careers.

Substitute Teachers, Short-Term97% skill match
Human Resources Assistants, Except Payroll and Timekeeping97% skill match
Historians96% skill match
Dancers96% skill match
Umpires, Referees, and Other Sports Officials96% skill match
School Psychologists96% skill match
Choreographers96% skill match
English Language and Literature Teachers, Postsecondary96% skill match

Transferable Skills

Cross-functional skills this occupation draws on most, per O*NET — the kind that carry over to other careers.

Social Perceptivenessimportance 3.8/5
Time Managementimportance 3.0/5
Coordinationimportance 2.9/5
Complex Problem Solvingimportance 2.9/5
Judgment and Decision Makingimportance 2.9/5
Instructingimportance 2.8/5
Persuasionimportance 2.5/5
Negotiationimportance 2.5/5

Software & Technologies

Tools and software used in this occupation, per O*NET.

Hot Technologies

Other Software Used

Work Style

Personal work characteristics that matter most for this occupation, per O*NET.

Adaptability
Self-Confidence
Innovation
Social Orientation
Cooperation
Optimism
Stress Tolerance

Career Interests

This occupation’s RIASEC interest profile, per O*NET — how strongly it fits each of the six Holland interest types.

ArtisticHigh
SocialMedium
EnterprisingMedium
RealisticLow
InvestigativeLow
ConventionalLow

This page includes information from the O*NET 30.3 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.