Choreographer vs dance instructor

The differences between choreographers and dance instructors can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 2-4 years to become a choreographer, becoming a dance instructor takes usually requires 1-2 years. Additionally, a choreographer has an average salary of $60,957, which is higher than the $34,931 average annual salary of a dance instructor.

The top three skills for a choreographer include stage presence, musical theater and dance classes. The most important skills for a dance instructor are dance classes, role model, and hip hop dance.

Choreographer vs dance instructor overview

	Choreographer	Dance Instructor
Yearly salary	$60,957	$34,931
Hourly rate	$29.31	$16.79
Growth rate	27%	12%
Number of jobs	496	36,095
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 70%	Bachelor's Degree, 65%
Average age	27	43
Years of experience	4	2

Choreographer vs dance instructor salary

Choreographers and dance instructors have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Choreographer	Dance Instructor
Average salary	$60,957	$34,931
Salary range	Between $32,000 And $115,000	Between $23,000 And $52,000
Highest paying City	Hoboken, NJ	Waltham, MA
Highest paying state	Alaska	Massachusetts
Best paying company	Louisville Ballet	Kern Community College District
Best paying industry	-	Education

Differences between choreographer and dance instructor education

There are a few differences between a choreographer and a dance instructor in terms of educational background:

	Choreographer	Dance Instructor
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 70%	Bachelor's Degree, 65%
Most common major	Dance	Dance
Most common college	Duke University	University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

Choreographer vs dance instructor demographics

Here are the differences between choreographers' and dance instructors' demographics:

	Choreographer	Dance Instructor
Average age	27	43
Gender ratio	Male, 24.0% Female, 76.0%	Male, 19.0% Female, 81.0%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 5.5% Unknown, 10.7% Hispanic or Latino, 29.7% Asian, 8.7% White, 44.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.9%	Black or African American, 11.1% Unknown, 5.7% Hispanic or Latino, 15.5% Asian, 6.0% White, 61.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5%
LGBT Percentage	24%	12%

Differences between choreographer and dance instructor duties and responsibilities

Choreographer example responsibilities.

Start up and manage social media; Facebook, Instagram.
Perform as lead dancer in semi-annual mainstage concerts.
Perform in mainstage, blackbox and academic productions.
Perform in script shows including children's theater, choreograph stage combat, and choreograph dance performances.
Create, execute and perform an original musical production: including plot, music, costumes, choreography and staging
Design culturally authentic costumes for performances.

Dance instructor example responsibilities.

Promote for demonstrate leadership skills and competence in managing students.
Choreograph beginner, intermediate and advance dance repertoire in the areas of ballet, pointe and modern dance.
Teach classical ballet, contemporary dance, and Pointe work to children, teens, and adults.
Dance instruction include skills such as Zumba workouts, ballet, tap, jazz, and Hawaiian dance.
Earn the title of Sensei.
Administer first aid when need and hold CPR certification.

Choreographer vs dance instructor skills

Common choreographer skills

Stage Presence, 29%
Musical Theater, 15%
Dance Classes, 10%
Dance Routines, 8%
JR, 4%
Hip Hop, 4%

Common dance instructor skills

Dance Classes, 16%
Role Model, 9%
Hip Hop Dance, 8%
Dance Program, 7%
Fine Arts, 5%
Front Desk, 5%

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Choreographer
Choreographer vs Dance Instructor

Updated January 8, 2025

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