OverviewSalaryAboutEducationWhere are the jobsEmploymentGenderRace/Origin
Overview
Perform dances. May perform on stage, for broadcasting, or for video recording.
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Titles for this career often contain these words
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Responsibilities and activities
Dancers typically do the following:
- Audition for a part in a show or for a job within a dance company
- Learn complex dance movements that entertain an audience
- Rehearse several hours each day to prepare for their performance
- Study new and emerging types of dance
- Work closely with instructors, choreographers, or other dancers to interpret or modify their routines
- Attend promotional events, such as photography sessions, for the production in which they are appearing
Dancers spend years learning dances and perfecting their skills. They usually perform as part of a group and know a variety of dance styles, including ballet, tap, and modern dance. In addition to traditional performances in front of a live audience, many perform on TV, in videos on the Internet, and in music videos, in which they also may sing or act. Many dancers perform in shows at casinos, in theme parks, and on cruise ships.
Choreographers typically do the following:
- Put together moves in a sequence to create new dances or interpretations of existing dances
- Choose the music that will accompany a dance routine
- Audition dancers for a role in a show or within a dance company
- Assist with costume design, lighting, and other artistic aspects of a show
- Teach complex dance movements
- Study new and emerging types of dance to design more creative dance routines
- Help with the administrative duties of a dance company, such as budgeting
Choreographers create original dances and develop new interpretations of existing dances. They work in dance schools, theaters, dance companies, and movie studios. During rehearsals, they typically demonstrate dance moves, to instruct dancers in the proper technique. Many choreographers also perform the dance routines they create. Some choreographers work with performers who are not trained dancers. For example, the complex martial arts scenes performed by actors in movies are arranged by choreographers who specialize in martial arts.
Some dancers and choreographers hold other jobs between roles to make a living.
Salary
Median salary: annually
Half of those employed in this career earn between and .
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Salary growth for dancers and choreographers
Is this job likely to reward you for sticking with it through pay raises and promotions? The higher a job’s “experience quotient,” the more you are likely to get as you stay there.
Experience quotient percentile
Take a minute to look at how much you might expect your salary to increase with each five years' experience, as well as how the numbers working at each age change. Does this seem to be a job for the young or the old, or could it be a career offering steady salary growth for many years?
Salary distribution
Number employed
About Dancers
How do benefits for this career compare to other jobs? The availability of health care, especially employer provided health care, and pension plans can add significantly to the value of compensation you receive in a career. These charts compare how this career compares to other careers with regard to health care and pension plans.
Employee has health insurance
Employer is providing health insurance
Employer-provided pension plan is available
Worker concerns
Some jobs are more stressful than others, and some are just plain dangerous. The following list gives the percentages of dancers who report hazardous or difficult situations typically occurring at least once a week.
- Unpleasant or Angry People (49%)
- Time Pressure (43%)
- High Conflict Frequency (41%)
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Personality and skills
Can you see yourself in the ranks of Dancers? Here are the skills and traits that could lead to success.
Athleticism
Successful dancers must have excellent balance, physical strength, and physical dexterity so that they can move their bodies without falling or losing their sense of rhythm.
Creativity
Dancers need artistic ability and creativity to express ideas through movement. Choreographers also must have artistic ability and innovative ideas, to create new and interesting dance routines.
Leadership skills
Choreographers must be able to direct a group of dancers to perform the routines that they have created.
Persistence
Dancers must commit to years of intense practice. They need to be able to accept rejection after auditions and to continue to practice for future performances. Choreographers must keep studying and creating new routines.
Physical stamina
Dancers are often physically active for long periods, so they must be able to rehearse for many hours without getting tired.
Teamwork
Most dance routines involve a group or pairs, so dancers must be able to work together to be successful.
Injury and Illness
About 404 dancers become injured or ill for every 10,000 workers, making this job more dangerous than 99% of other careers. The most common specific illnesses or injuries are detailed following.
Soreness and pain
Sprains, strains, tears
Fractures
Education pathways to this career
Education attained by dancers
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), dancers typically hold no formal educational credential.
Sometimes the typical education identified by the BLS differs a bit from the reality of the how much education current workers actually have. The donut shows the education level held by people currently working as dancers and choreographers as reported in responses to the American Community Survey.
Education level of Dancers and Choreographers
Only 26% of dancers and choreographers have a bachelor's degree or higher.
Education attained by dancers and choreographers
None
High School
Some College
Associate's Degree
Bachelor's Degree
Master's Degree
Professional Degree
Doctorate
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Programs recommended by the Department of Education
The Department of Education recommends the following college degree programs as preparation for this career. You can click a program row to learn more about the program and explore a list of schools that offer the program.
Where are the jobs
State-by-state employment numbers
Some careers tend to be centered in specific parts of the country. For example, most jobs in fashion are in New York or California. Let's see if your dream job is easy to find in your dream location! We have a few choices for viewing the data that can help you get a full employment picture.
Select a state to see local area details
Number of Dancers and Choreographers per 1,000 workers (ACS)
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Job density versus job count
Which states hire the most dancers? We wonder if that's a fair question since states come in all sizes, so instead let's start with the question of which states have the highest density of people working as dancers. You can choose to view the number of jobs per state if you prefer.
Salaries by state
Let's get a feel for where dancers earn the highest salaries. There are several choices for which data we consider and how we view that data, and each can lead to different conclusions, so please read on...
Median salary versus state ratio
We use two methods to compare salaries across states:
- In-state comparisons: the ratio of median (middle) salaries for dancers and choreographers compared to the median salary for all people working in each state, or
- Median salary: the unaltered median salaries for dancers and choreographers.
The darkest shading corresponds to states in which dancers and choreographers earn the highest salary when compared to other jobs in the state. We think this figure might be a better indicator than the actual salary for your buying power as a state resident.
Select a state to see local area details
Location-adjusted median salary for Dancers and Choreographers (ACS for all specialties)
Employment
50% of Dancers and choreographers are working part time.
We’ve found that some jobs have a huge number of part-time workers, and typically that is because they are unable to find full-time work or the job itself can’t provide full-time hours. With 50% part-time workers, this occupation has a higher percentage of part-time workers than 94% of careers.
Employer types
This donut shares the break-down of workers by employer type, giving us a picture of what employers most typically hire for this career.
Employers of undefined (ACS)
Private for-profit
Private not-for-profit
Local government
State government
Federal government
Self-employed incorporated
Self-employed not incorporated
Working without pay
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Distribution: Salaries of dancers and choreographers by type of employer
Here are the salary distributions based on employer type.
Gender
Dancers and choreographers and gender
With 77% women, this occupation has a higher percentage of women than 87% of careers.
Gender of Dancers and choreographers
Men (23%)
Women (77%)
Distribution: salaries by gender
Does gender greatly influence your salary in this career? The closer the bars are, the less discrepancy there is.
We only include salary data when the survey error is less than 20%, so you may see only partial information for some categories.
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Context: Women in the workforce
How does this career compare to other careers with regard to the percentage of women in the career.
Race/Origin
Race and origin of Dancers and choreographers
This donut shows the distribution of race and origin among those employed as Dancers and choreographers.
Race/origin of dancers and choreographers
White (69% )
Black (16% )
Multiracial (7% )
Other (3% )
Asian (3% )
Hispanic (1% )
American Indian (1% )
Pacific Islander (1% )
Distribution: salaries by race/origin
Some careers might have a pay disparity based on race or origin, the closer the below bars are the less of a discrepancy is present.
We only include salary data when the survey error is less than 20%, so you may see only partial information for some categories.
