Arts, Design, Media, and Sports · Career brief

Actors

Is it a good career to pursue?

The 30-second read

Actors at a glance

Six signals to look at before you spend time on the full guide.

1Pay

—

National pay benchmark

2025 national median. ChooseField percentile unavailable.

2Demand

Slow projected growth

Projected employment growth for 2025–2035. Below the middle of ChooseField careers for growth.

3Openings

6,300

Moderate opening volume

Average openings per year in 2025–2035, including replacement hiring. Near the middle of ChooseField careers for openings.

4Route in

Some college

A four-year degree is not the typical entry route

Some college, no degree. Prior related work is not typically required.

5The work

Creative

Original ideas and creative judgment matter

Collaborate with other actors as part of an ensemble.

6The catch

Know this first

What could make this a poor fit

BLS projects essentially flat employment (0%) through 2035. Annual openings mostly reflect replacement, not a rapidly expanding field.

ChooseField take

The national benchmarks are mixed, so the work itself and the route in matter more than any standout pay or demand signal. It makes the most sense if creative work appeals to you and you are comfortable with some college before entry. Main tradeoff: BLS projects essentially flat employment (0%) through 2035. Annual openings mostly reflect replacement, not a rapidly expanding field.

Before choosing, compare:Musicians and Singers Dancers Graphic Designers

National labor-market measures: BLS 2025 wages and 2025–2035 projections. Work-profile signals: O*NET. See sources and caveats.

Compare Actors with another field Explore rankings in Arts, Design, Media, and Sports Open shareable infographic

Want the evidence behind the snapshot?

Market and path

Pay, outlook, and the route in

2025–2035 outlook

0%employment growth6,300openings per year

Openings include replacement hiring, not only newly created jobs.

Typical entry route

Some college, no degree; More than 12 months of on-the-job training, in addition to any qualifying education or licensing

BLS reports the usual education, related experience, and on-the-job training, not a guaranteed minimum for every employer.

2025 employment

67,500

Estimated workers in this occupation across the United States.

Source: BLS 2025 wages and 2025–2035 occupational projections ↗ · Actors (27-2011).

Actual responsibilities

What you would be trusted to own

Selected O*NET task statements, not a list of traits that applies to almost every career.

Collaborate with other actors as part of an ensemble.
Portray and interpret roles, using speech, gestures, and body movements, to entertain, inform, or instruct radio, film, television, or live audiences.
Work closely with directors, other actors, and playwrights to find the interpretation most suited to the role.
Learn about characters in scripts and their relationships to each other to develop role interpretations.

Decision-changing realities

What could make this a poor fit

BLS projects essentially flat employment (0%) through 2035. Annual openings mostly reflect replacement, not a rapidly expanding field.
The work routinely happens in close physical proximity to other people; personal space is limited.
Deadline pressure is a recurring condition rather than an occasional emergency.

Work profile

What the work emphasizes

O*NET importance scores. Bars are relative to the highest score shown within this chart.

Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships4.6
Thinking Creatively4.4
Performing for or Working Directly with the Public4.2
Performing General Physical Activities4.0
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates4.0

Interest profile

Career interests

O*NET interest scores describe work someone may enjoy, not personality requirements. Bars are relative to the highest score shown within this chart.

Relative mix of the interest scores below, not percentages of your workday.

Artistic7.0
Social4.1
Enterprising4.0
Realistic2.3
Investigative2.2
Conventional1.8

Preparation

What the training must make you competent at

Subject matter

Fine Arts Communications and Media Sociology and Anthropology Psychology

Before choosing the major or training

Run a cheaper test first

Complete a creative brief for someone else, meet the deadline, invite blunt criticism, and revise the work once.
Ask an early-career worker which beginner task consumes the most time, what makes new hires quit, and what school or training failed to simulate.

The fuller career guide

How the evidence fits together

Pay and demand: reading the benchmark

The pay and outlook figures describe Actors nationally. They do not establish the salary or number of vacancies available in your area.

Median pay is the middle wage across workers, not a starting offer. Projected openings include replacements as well as growth; neither measure predicts an individual worker's job security.

Before choosing a program

O*NET lists Reading Comprehension, Speaking, Active Listening among this occupation's skills. Ask a program to show the assignments, supervised practice, and assessment that develop these skills. Compare those examples with local job descriptions.

Common questions

Questions people ask about this career

Can I enter this occupation without related work experience?

BLS does not assign a related-experience requirement to the occupation. Employers may still ask for placements, supervised practice, a portfolio, or experience with particular tools. Check entry-level vacancies separately from experienced roles.

What should I check before paying for training?

Get the full prerequisite and completion timeline, total cost, placement arrangements, and any licensing eligibility in writing. Ask local employers whether they hire graduates from the route you are considering and whether paid training is available.

Adjacent options

Compare before committing

The useful question is not whether one field wins overall, but what changes when you choose a nearby path. Explore the full career guides for Musicians and Singers, Dancers, Graphic Designers, Craft Artists.