# Actors

> 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.

- Edition: Data verified Nov 2026 · CollegesRef 2026–27 edition
- Page: https://www.collegesref.com/careers/actors
- SOC code: 27-2011.00
- Career family: Arts, design and media
- Median annual pay: not reported
- Projected growth: Little or no change, 0.0%
- Openings a year: 6,300
- Typical entry education: Some college
- Bright outlook: no
- Data years: BLS 2025 wages · 2025–35 projections

## Interest profile (code ASE)

| Interest area | Score (0–100) |
| --- | ---: |
| Realistic (R) | 22 |
| Investigative (I) | 19 |
| Artistic (A) | 100 |
| Social (S) | 51 |
| Enterprising (E) | 50 |
| Conventional (C) | 14 |

## What you'd do

- Thinking Creatively (importance 91/100)
- Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships (importance 85/100)
- Getting Information (importance 77/100)
- Performing for or Working Directly with the Public (importance 67/100)
- Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates (importance 65/100)
- Performing General Physical Activities (importance 62/100)
- Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge (importance 57/100)
- Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work (importance 54/100)
- Making Decisions and Solving Problems (importance 54/100)
- Interpreting the Meaning of Information for Others (importance 51/100)

## Skills

Reading Comprehension, Speaking, Active Listening, Social Perceptiveness, Critical Thinking, Coordination, Time Management, Active Learning, Judgment and Decision Making, Monitoring

## Knowledge

English Language, Fine Arts, Communications and Media, Psychology, Sociology and Anthropology, Sales and Marketing, Customer and Personal Service, Computers and Electronics, Education and Training, Philosophy and Theology

## Also called

Actor Understudy, Actress, Background Actor, Character Performer, Comedian, Community Theater Actor, Entertainer, Film Actor, Impersonator, Motion Capture Actor

## Majors that lead here (NCES CIP–SOC crosswalk, 4-digit CIP)

- [Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft](https://www.collegesref.com/programs/5005) (CIP 5005, 1,130 colleges)

## Colleges with strong outcomes (College Scorecard, 2025)

| College | Program | Earnings 1 yr | Earnings 4 yrs | Median debt |
| --- | --- | ---: | ---: | ---: |
| [University of Notre Dame-South Bend IN](https://www.collegesref.com/college/university-of-notre-dame-south-bend-in-3005) | Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft | $62,573 | $64,880 | $19,000 |
| [University of California-Davis](https://www.collegesref.com/college/university-of-california-davis-2882) | Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft | $31,185 | $56,823 | not reported |
| [University of California-Berkeley CAL](https://www.collegesref.com/college/university-of-california-berkeley-cal-2881) | Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft | $43,297 | $55,555 | $9,273 |
| [Drake University](https://www.collegesref.com/college/drake-university-832) | Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft | $27,600 | $54,950 | $24,250 |
| [Miami University-Oxford](https://www.collegesref.com/college/miami-university-oxford-1675) | Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft | not reported | $54,215 | not reported |
| [University of Cincinnati-Main Campus](https://www.collegesref.com/college/university-of-cincinnati-main-campus-2898) | Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft | $37,117 | $54,000 | $22,331 |
| [Florida Southern College](https://www.collegesref.com/college/florida-southern-college-982) | Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft | $24,244 | $51,925 | $27,000 |
| [University of Pittsburgh-Pittsburgh Campus](https://www.collegesref.com/college/university-of-pittsburgh-pittsburgh-campus-3019) | Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft | not reported | $51,775 | not reported |

## Related careers

- [Musicians and Singers](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/musicians-and-singers)
- [Talent Directors](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/talent-directors): $90,360 median pay
- [Choreographers](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/choreographers): $55,310 median pay
- [Music Directors and Composers](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/music-directors-and-composers): $73,710 median pay
- [Poets, Lyricists and Creative Writers](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/poets-lyricists-and-creative-writers): $76,910 median pay
- [Producers and Directors](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/producers-and-directors): $90,360 median pay

## Sources

- [O*NET Database](https://www.onetcenter.org/database.html), version 31.0 (CC BY 4.0)
- [BLS Employment Projections](https://www.bls.gov/emp/tables.htm), version 2025-35, data year 2025 (Public domain (U.S. government work))
- [BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics](https://www.bls.gov/oes/tables.htm), version 2025, data year 2025 (Public domain (U.S. government work))
- [NCES CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 crosswalk](https://nces.ed.gov/ipeds/cipcode/resources.aspx?y=56), version 2020, data year 2020 (Public domain (U.S. government work))

O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. CollegesRef has modified all or some of this information.