Actors vs Graphic Designers: 0% vs -1.7% Job Growth

Actors vs Graphic Designers: 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 Graphic Designers if you would rather design or create graphics to meet specific commercial or promotional needs, such as packaging, displays, or logos. Entry credentials differ: Actors, some college, no degree; Graphic Designers, bachelor's degree.

Try this next: Compare three local entry-level postings for Actors and Graphic Designers. 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

Graphic Designers

National median pay (2025): $62,960
Route into the job: Bachelor's degree
Prior related experience: No prior related occupation is typically required; employer requirements vary.
Training and licensing: BLS does not list a separate on-the-job training requirement. Employers may still provide orientation and role-specific training.
Work to investigate: Key information into computer equipment to create layouts for client or supervisor.
Annual openings (2025–2035): 16,000

Know before you choose

BLS projects employment to shrink 1.7% from 2025 to 2035. Openings can still occur when existing workers leave.

See the full Graphic Designers brief

How the national numbers differ

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 Graphic Designers: Bachelor's degree Preparation categories do not establish admission difficulty, calendar time, tuition, time without earnings, or licensing difficulty.

Graphic Designers has the edge on annual openings

Graphic Designers is at 16,000 annual openings, compared with 6,300 annual openings for Actors.

Actors has the edge on projected growth

Actors is at 0% projected growth, compared with -1.7% projected growth for Graphic Designers.

51.3/ 100

Actors

47.8/ 100

Graphic Designers

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