Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media Occupations
BLS May 2025 wages O*NET task lead SOC 27-2031

Dancers

O*NET task statements lead this Dancers card before OEWS pay; neighboring titles include Special Effects Artists and Animators, Court Reporters and Simultaneous Captioners, Commercial and Industrial Designers, Technical Writers.

Same-major-group titles next to Dancers: Special Effects Artists and Animators ($102K) , Court Reporters and Simultaneous Captioners ($72K) , Commercial and Industrial Designers ($84K) , Technical Writers ($90K) . Hash-ordered per card so residual SOC siblings do not share an identical peer sentence.

What Dancers publish as work

O*NET task statements for SOC 27-2031 - occupation-level descriptions, not every employer's posting. Sibling cards diverge here because the task set is entity-keyed.

  1. 1. Prepare pointe shoes, by sewing or other means, for use in rehearsals and performance
  2. 2. Study and practice dance moves required in roles
  3. 3. Harmonize body movements to rhythm of musical accompaniment
  4. 4. Train, exercise, and attend dance classes to maintain high levels of technical proficiency, physical ability, and physical fitness
  5. 5. Perform in productions, singing or acting in addition to dancing, if required
  6. 6. Coordinate dancing with that of partners or dance ensembles
  7. 7. Develop self-understanding of physical capabilities and limitations, and choose dance styles accordingly
  8. 8. Perform classical, modern, or acrobatic dances in productions, expressing stories, rhythm, and sound with their bodies
  9. 9. Collaborate with choreographers to refine or modify dance steps
  10. 10. Audition for dance roles or for membership in dance companies
  11. 11. Attend costume fittings, photography sessions, and makeup calls associated with dance performances
  12. 12. Monitor the field of dance to remain aware of current trends and innovations

Dancers: O*NET ranks Active Listening first

Importance-ranked O*NET profile for SOC 27-2031 - lead skill Active Listening at 3.3 ; lead knowledge Fine Arts. Sibling cards diverge here even when peer titles overlap.

Top skills

  1. 1. Active Listening 3.3
  2. 2. Critical Thinking 3.0
  3. 3. Coordination 3.0
  4. 4. Speaking 2.9
  5. 5. Monitoring 2.9
  6. 6. Social Perceptiveness 2.9
  7. 7. Time Management 2.9
  8. 8. Reading Comprehension 2.8

Knowledge areas

  1. 1. Fine Arts 4.5
  2. 2. English Language 3.5
  3. 3. Customer and Personal Service 2.9
  4. 4. Mathematics 2.6
  5. 5. Transportation 2.5
  6. 6. Sales and Marketing 2.5
National median after O*NET task lead
N/A
/year · 12 published task lines above
Lead task: Prepare pointe shoes, by sewing or other means, for use in rehearsals and performance
N/A
National median
↑ +5%
Growth 2024-2034
1,800
Annual openings
8,130
Estimated US jobs
Special Effects Artists and Animators
Highest-pay peer · $102K

Typical Entry and Preparation Assignments

Entry education No formal educational credential

O*NET publishes 12 leading task statements for Dancers (SOC 27-2031). The national OEWS median is N/A inside Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media Occupations. Same-group neighbors: Special Effects Artists and Animators, Court Reporters and Simultaneous Captioners, Commercial and Industrial Designers, Technical Writers. Lead published task: Prepare pointe shoes, by sewing or other means, for use in rehearsals and performance.

Employment Projections expect +5% change between 2024 and 2034 (about as fast as average vs baseline 3.1%). About 1,800 annual openings are projected. BLS assigns No formal educational credential as typical education needed for entry. These are occupation-level assignments, not universal requirements. BLS does not publish a separate occupation-specific safety rate for this role; its broad SOC-group rate is excluded from this career card's grade.

State-level wage rows vary; see the full salary details page for the complete state breakdown. Highest-pay peer shown here: Special Effects Artists and Animators at $102,030. Compare the same statistic in the relevant local wage area before treating the national median as a personal benchmark; OEWS excludes employer benefits.

Data from U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025. Projections from BLS Employment Projections program, 2024-2034.

Frequently Asked Questions

What do dancers do day to day? ▼
O*NET lists published task statements for Dancers. Leading ones include: Prepare pointe shoes, by sewing or other means, for use in rehearsals and performance; Study and practice dance moves required in roles; Harmonize body movements to rhythm of musical accompaniment; Train, exercise, and attend dance classes to maintain high levels of technical proficiency, physical ability, and physical fitness. These are occupation-level task descriptions, not every employer's job description.
Which O*NET skills rank highest for dancers? ▼
For SOC 27-2031, O*NET importance scores lead with Active Listening (3.3), Critical Thinking (3.0), Coordination (3.0), Speaking (2.9). Knowledge areas emphasize Fine Arts, English Language, Customer and Personal Service. These are occupation-level profiles, not a hiring checklist for every employer.
What is the OEWS national median for Dancers? ▼
May 2025 OEWS reports N/A as the national median for Dancers. Beside Special Effects Artists and Animators ($102,030), this is the occupation-level national figure, not a local offer.
What employment change does BLS publish for Dancers? ▼
The 2024-2034 projection for Dancers is +5%. Projected annual openings: about 1,800. Relative to the current all-occupations baseline of 3.1%: about as fast as average.
What typical entry education does BLS assign to Dancers? ▼
BLS assigns No formal educational credential as the typical-education-needed-for-entry category for Dancers. These are occupation-level labels, not every employer's hiring rule.
Is state-level OEWS pay published for Dancers? ▼
This card does not list a state ranking for Dancers. The full salary details page is the state and metro breakdown.

Source data and WageDex calculations are identified in context on this page. Wage and state figures use BLS OEWS May 2025; growth and education use BLS Employment Projections for 2024-2034; safety fields cite BLS CFOI/SOII; task statements cite O*NET where shown. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.

Disclaimer: Wage and outlook figures on this page are provided for informational purposes only and do not constitute career, financial, or salary-negotiation advice. Actual pay varies by employer, experience, and local conditions; consult a career counselor or the hiring employer for guidance specific to your situation.

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OES Occupational wage estimates by area and industry · 2025

Federal sources on this Dancers card
  • BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS / OES) - national median and percentiles for SOC 27-2031. bls.gov/oes
  • O*NET OnLine - task and skill statements for Dancers. onetcenter.org
  • BLS Employment Projections - 2024-2034 change and openings for this occupation. bls.gov/emp
  • U.S. Census Bureau ACS - demographic and labor-force context for state and metro geography. census.gov/programs-surveys/acs
  • IRS Statistics of Income (SOI) - payroll-tax aggregate context for wage comparisons. irs.gov/statistics