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Actors: Job Description

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.

The Daily Work of Actors Perform?

The day-to-day responsibilities of actors cover:

• 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.
• Perform humorous and serious interpretations of emotions, actions, and situations, using body movements, facial expressions, and gestures.
• Study and rehearse roles from scripts to interpret, learn and memorize lines, stunts, and cues as directed.
• Learn about characters in scripts and their relationships to each other to develop role interpretations.
• Attend auditions and casting calls to audition for roles.
• Sing or dance during dramatic or comedic performances.

Skills and Knowledge

Effective actors combine a mix of skills and domain knowledge.

Key Skills

The competencies most central to this role, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:

Core Knowledge

Other Actors Job Titles

This career also goes by job titles like:

• Actor
• Actor Understudy
• Actress
• Background Actor
• Character Artist
• Character Performer
• Comedian
• Comic

Employment and Demand

There are about 48,840 actors working in the United States today. This occupation is expected to grow by +6.5% over the projection horizon.

Salary for Actors

Statistic	Value
Annual median	$45,006
Hourly median	$21.64
10th percentile	$29,923
25th percentile	$37,465
75th percentile	$52,547
90th percentile	$60,089

Compensation varies based on experience, location, and industry.

Top Industries Employing Actors

Most actors are concentrated in the following sectors:

Industry	Employment	Median annual wage
Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation	16,460	n/a
Information	8,980	n/a
Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services	7,670	n/a
Educational Services	2,720	n/a
Transportation and Warehousing	300	n/a
Health Care and Social Assistance	180	n/a

The table below shows some of the most common industries where those employed in this career field work.

Tech Stack

• Web page creation and editing software: Facebook (hot technology)
• Operating system software: Linux (hot technology)
• Spreadsheet software: Microsoft Excel (hot technology)
• Office suite software: Microsoft Office software (hot technology)
• Electronic mail software: Microsoft Outlook (hot technology)
• Presentation software: Microsoft PowerPoint (hot technology)
• Word processing software: Microsoft Word (hot technology)
• Video creation and editing software: TikTok (hot technology)
• Video conferencing software: Zoom (hot technology)

Work Environment

Daily working conditions for actors tends to involve the following characteristics:

• Work With or Contribute to a Work Group or Team
• Physical Proximity
• Contact With Others
• E-Mail
• Time Pressure

How to Become Actors

Typical actors positions require less than a high school diploma as the typical entry-level education. This occupation sits in Some Preparation Needed (Job Zone 2), reflecting the level of preparation typically expected.

Other Careers to Consider

Similar Occupations

• Agents and Business Managers of Artists, Performers, and Athletes (Supplemental)
• Art, Drama, and Music Teachers, Postsecondary (Primary-Long)
• Self-Enrichment Teachers (Supplemental)
• Art Directors (Supplemental)
• Fine Artists, Including Painters, Sculptors, and Illustrators (Supplemental)
• Special Effects Artists and Animators (Supplemental)
• Producers and Directors (Primary-Long)
• Talent Directors (Primary-Short)

Degree Programs

Students preparing for actors often complete programs in:

Visual and Performing Arts

7 programs across 1 majors

• Drama & Theater Arts

Sources

Data on this page comes from the following authoritative sources:

• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) for employment and wage data by state and industry.
• BLS Employment Projections for total employment and growth forecasts.
• O*NET (Occupational Information Network) for skills, knowledge, tasks, work activities, work context, technology, and education-zone data.

SOC code: 27-2011.00 (Actors).