Actor Job Outlook
The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects little or no change in employment of actors from 2025 to 2035 (0%, near 67,500 jobs), with about 6,300 openings a year, and the May 2025 median pay is $29.05 an hour.
- Little or no change
- 0%
- Openings a year
- 6,300
- Median pay
- $29.05/hr
- Pay rank
- not published
Is employment of actors growing or shrinking?
Little or no change: BLS projects 0% employment change for actors from 2025 to 2035, near 67,500 jobs, slower than the 3.5% projected across all occupations. That is slower than the +1.5% summed from BLS's employment levels across the 41 arts, design, entertainment, sports, and media occupations with a projection. That change ranks 592nd of 830 projected occupations.
| Measure | Figure |
|---|---|
| Employment, 2025 | 67,500 |
| Employment, 2035 | 67,500 |
| Projected change | 0% (little or no change) |
| Openings a year | 6,300 |
Source: BLS Employment Projections, 2025 to 2035. A projection is a BLS estimate, not a count. The 67,500 jobs here differ from the 55,000 on the salary page because Employment Projections also counts the self-employed and a wider set of workers, while OEWS counts wage and salary jobs in May 2025. BLS published these projections on August 27, 2026; checked November 10, 2026. Confirm any figure in the BLS Employment Projections tables.
BLS's reasons for this projection are at the Occupational Outlook Handbook. State projections are at Projections Central; projections by industry are left to BLS. Education, licensing and work context at O*NET.
How many job openings are there each year?
About 6,300 openings a year, from job growth and from workers leaving the occupation, the 342nd most of 830 occupations. All of them replace workers who change occupations or leave the labor force, since BLS projects no net new jobs.
Source: BLS Employment Projections, 2025 to 2035.
How does pay for actors rank?
BLS publishes pay for actors hourly, at a median of $29.05 an hour, so there is no annual rank.
Source: BLS OEWS national file, May 2025. Wage and salary jobs only; the self-employed are not counted. OEWS pay excludes overtime, shift differentials and non-production bonuses. Ranks count only the occupations with that published figure: 830 for projected change, 830 for openings, 825 for median pay, which is why the totals differ.
What does it take to start?
- Typical entry-level education: some college, no degree.
- Typical on-the-job training: long-term on-the-job training.
Source: BLS Employment Projections, 2025 to 2035, education and training assignments.
How do related jobs compare on outlook?
| Occupation | Change | Openings a year | Median pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Musicians and Singers | +0.3% | 17,400 | $47.80/hr |
| Producers and Directors | +4.0% | 12,100 | $90,360 |
| Choreographers | +3.1% | 600 | $55,310 |
| Music Directors and Composers | +1.2% | 4,200 | $73,710 |
| Writers and Authors | -0.3% | 11,900 | $76,910 |
| Dancers | +2.2% | 1,600 | $24.80/hr |
| Broadcast Announcers and Radio Disc Jockeys | -7.6% | 2,000 | $47,340 |
| Fine Artists, Including Painters, Sculptors, and Illustrators | -2.9% | 2,200 | $55,490 |
Related occupations from O*NET; projections from BLS Employment Projections, 2025 to 2035; pay from BLS OEWS, May 2025.