Actors vs Dancers: 0% vs 2.2% Job Growth

Actors vs Dancers: what changes?

Consider Actors if you want to play parts in stage, television, radio, video, or film productions, or other settings for entertainment, information, or instruction. Consider Dancers if you would rather perform dances. Entry credentials differ: Actors, some college, no degree; Dancers, no formal educational credential.

Try this next: Compare three local entry-level postings for Actors and Dancers. List the duties, credentials, prior experience, and paid training each employer actually asks for. Try a supervised class or sample project from each field before choosing a program.

BLS 2025 wages and 2025–2035 projections. National medians are not starting offers. Occupation size is not a count of vacancies. View the BLS data.

Compare the practical differences

Actors

National median pay (2025): —
Route into the job: Some college, no degree; More than 12 months of on-the-job training, in addition to any qualifying education or licensing
Prior related experience: No prior related occupation is typically required; employer requirements vary.
Training and licensing: More than 12 months of on-the-job training, in addition to any qualifying education or licensing.
Work to investigate: Collaborate with other actors as part of an ensemble.
Annual openings (2025–2035): 6,300

Know before you choose

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

See the full Actors brief

Dancers

National median pay (2025): —
Route into the job: No formal educational credential; More than 12 months of on-the-job training, in addition to any qualifying education or licensing
Prior related experience: No prior related occupation is typically required; employer requirements vary.
Training and licensing: More than 12 months of on-the-job training, in addition to any qualifying education or licensing.
Work to investigate: Study and practice dance moves required in roles.
Annual openings (2025–2035): 1,600

Know before you choose

This is a small national occupation (13,800 jobs in 2025), so location and employer concentration can matter more than the national median suggests.

See the full Dancers brief

How the national numbers differ

Actors has the edge on annual openings

Actors is at 6,300 annual openings, compared with 1,600 annual openings for Dancers.

Typical preparation differs.

Actors: Some college, no degree; More than 12 months of on-the-job training, in addition to any qualifying education or licensing Dancers: No formal educational credential; More than 12 months of on-the-job training, in addition to any qualifying education or licensing Preparation categories do not establish admission difficulty, calendar time, tuition, time without earnings, or licensing difficulty.

Dancers has the edge on projected growth

Dancers is at 2.2% projected growth, compared with 0% projected growth for Actors.

51.3/ 100

Actors

37.8/ 100

Dancers

Each available metric is ranked from 0 to 100 against the careers on ChooseField. The weighted average uses this profile: pay 30%, growth 25%, openings 30%, preparation level 15%. Missing values are not scored as zero; their weights are redistributed across available metrics. Occupation size has zero weight: employment is not accessible vacancies. Preparation categories do not measure admission difficulty or years without earnings. The score summarizes national measures; local opportunities and personal fit still need separate consideration.

Detailed evidence