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Job outlook for ballet dancers in the United States
Are ballet dancer jobs in demand?
Ballet dancer job and salary trends over time
Ballet dancer jobs over time
Ballet dancer job growth rate over time
| Year | # of jobs | % of population |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 142 | 0.00% |
| 2020 | 273 | 0.00% |
| 2019 | 359 | 0.00% |
| 2018 | 360 | 0.00% |
| 2017 | 368 | 0.00% |
Average ballet dancer salary over time
Ballet dancer salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $51,557 | $24.79 | +4.0% |
| 2024 | $49,553 | $23.82 | +5.4% |
| 2023 | $47,024 | $22.61 | +2.2% |
| 2022 | $46,005 | $22.12 | +2.8% |
| 2021 | $44,757 | $21.52 | +2.1% |
Ballet dancer jobs by state
Most common states for ballet dancers
| Rank | State | Population | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | New York | 19,849,399 | 4 | 0% |
| 2 | Michigan | 9,962,311 | 4 | 0% |
| 3 | Massachusetts | 6,859,819 | 2 | 0% |
| 4 | Maryland | 6,052,177 | 2 | 0% |
| 5 | Ohio | 11,658,609 | 2 | 0% |
| 6 | Louisiana | 4,684,333 | 2 | 0% |
| 7 | Pennsylvania | 12,805,537 | 2 | 0% |
| 8 | Nevada | 2,998,039 | 2 | 0% |
| 9 | New Jersey | 9,005,644 | 2 | 0% |
| 10 | South Carolina | 5,024,369 | 2 | 0% |
| 11 | Alaska | 739,795 | 0 | 0% |
| 12 | Connecticut | 3,588,184 | 0 | 0% |
| 13 | New Hampshire | 1,342,795 | 0 | 0% |
| 14 | Rhode Island | 1,059,639 | 0 | 0% |
| 15 | West Virginia | 1,815,857 | 0 | 0% |
| 16 | Vermont | 623,657 | 0 | 0% |
| 17 | Delaware | 961,939 | 0 | 0% |
| 18 | California | 39,536,653 | 0 | 0% |
| 19 | Kentucky | 4,454,189 | 0 | 0% |
| 20 | District of Columbia | 693,972 | 0 | 0% |
Ballet Dancer job outlook: Expert opinions
Our panel of ballet dancer experts
Bard College at Simon's Rock: The Early College
Butler University
Tara Lorenzen
Visiting Associate Professor of DanceBard College at Simon's Rock: The Early College
Dance
What general advice would you give to a Ballet Dancer?
Tara Lorenzen: Take classes in all different forms of dance: Ballet, Modern, Hip Hop, etc... Never assume that devoting your study to one style of dance will set you up for a particular company or job. Most choreographers and repertory companies expect dancers to be well versed in multiple dance aesthetics. Take class everyday.
What Ballet Dancer skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Tara Lorenzen: Acquire as many administrative tools as possible! Respond to emails quickly and have a personal writing practice. Show up for everything and never say how exhausted you are. People respond to others who are engaged citizens but are delightful to work with.
What will help Ballet Dancers increase their earning potential?
Tara Lorenzen: I predict more multidisciplinary collaboration (text, AI, film, theater) in Dance being an important skill to consider when entering the field. This approach is a return to a multi-authorship model and community resource sharing. And fun!
Ramón Flowers MFA, ACUE
Associate ProfessorButler University
Dance
What general advice would you give to a Ballet Dancer?
Ramón Flowers MFA, ACUE: You can maximize your salary potential by adhering to all of the advice I mentioned in my previous responses.
What Ballet Dancer skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Ramón Flowers MFA, ACUE: My advice would be to continue to work hard in ballet classes and remain relevant in the field by continuing to do research that would enable you to keep your tools sharpened.
What will help Ballet Dancers increase their earning potential?
Ramón Flowers MFA, ACUE: The skills I think will become more important and prevalent in the near future are the ones that will keep you on your toes, literally and figuratively. Those being the tools that will keep you well-rounded with the ability to adapt quickly to any style of dance that might be expected of you in any given company's repertory, or at auditions.