Comedian demographics and statistics in the US
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Comedian demographics by:
Comedian gender statistics
26.7% of comedians are women and 73.3% of comedians are men.
- Male, 73.3%
- Female, 26.7%
Comedian gender ratio
| Gender | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Male | 73.3% |
| Female | 26.7% |
Comedian gender pay gap
Women earn 90¢ for every $1 earned by men
Male income
$54,561
Female income
$49,300
Comedian gender ratio over time
This data breaks down the percentage of men and women in comedian positions over time. Currently, 26.7% of comedians are female.
Comedian gender ratio by year
| Year | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 62.36% | 37.64% |
| 2011 | 71.19% | 28.81% |
| 2012 | 63.21% | 36.79% |
| 2013 | 61.96% | 38.04% |
| 2014 | 59.00% | 41.00% |
| 2015 | 63.97% | 36.03% |
| 2016 | 61.19% | 38.81% |
| 2017 | 60.59% | 39.41% |
| 2018 | 68.01% | 31.99% |
| 2019 | 67.51% | 32.49% |
| 2020 | 73.54% | 26.46% |
| 2021 | 73.26% | 26.74% |
Comedian related jobs gender ratio
We compared comedians with similar job titles to see how gender ratios vary. As you can see, 19d cavalry scout and baseball player have the biggest gender ratio gaps.
| Job title | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| Harpist | 8% | 92% |
| Actress | 8% | 92% |
| Modern Dancer | 8% | 92% |
| Comedian | 73% | 27% |
| Assistant Varsity Football Coach | 98% | 2% |
| Baseball Player | 98% | 2% |
| 19D Cavalry Scout | 99% | 1% |
Male
Female
100%
75%
50%
25%
0%
0%
25%
50%
75%
100%
Comedian demographics by race
The most common ethnicity among comedians is White, which makes up 57.4% of all comedians. Comparatively, 20.5% of comedians are Hispanic or Latino and 10.3% of comedians are Black or African American.
- White, 57.4%
- Hispanic or Latino, 20.5%
- Black or African American, 10.3%
- Unknown, 5.8%
- Asian, 5.3%
- American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%
Comedian race
| Comedian race | Percentages |
|---|---|
| White | 57.4% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 20.5% |
| Black or African American | 10.3% |
| Unknown | 5.8% |
| Asian | 5.3% |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 0.7% |
Comedian race and ethnicity over time
See how comedian racial and ethnic diversity trended since 2010 according to the United States Census Bureau data.
Comedian race and ethnicity by year
| Year | White | Black or African American | Asian | Hispanic or Latino |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 62.97% | 12.95% | 5.34% | 16.52% |
| 2011 | 65.33% | 11.60% | 4.01% | 15.35% |
| 2012 | 65.40% | 10.28% | 3.93% | 16.41% |
| 2013 | 67.14% | 8.02% | 3.88% | 16.14% |
| 2014 | 63.16% | 8.92% | 5.65% | 16.56% |
| 2015 | 66.19% | 9.82% | 4.17% | 16.37% |
| 2016 | 64.74% | 11.24% | 4.53% | 15.68% |
| 2017 | 68.23% | 9.15% | 5.42% | 15.00% |
| 2018 | 64.06% | 10.94% | 4.95% | 17.67% |
| 2019 | 61.76% | 10.43% | 6.83% | 17.94% |
| 2020 | 54.24% | 14.01% | 4.95% | 18.98% |
| 2021 | 57.38% | 10.31% | 5.25% | 20.46% |
Comedian wage gap by race
According to our data, asian comedians have the highest average salary compared to other ethnicities. Unknown comedians have the lowest average salary at $52,436.
| Ethnicity | Salary |
|---|---|
| Unknown | $52,436 |
| White | $55,707 |
| Black or African American | $54,523 |
| Asian | $56,636 |
| Hispanic or Latino | $53,602 |
Average comedian age
See how the average age of comedians varies based on ethnicity and gender.
Male
Female
Comedian age by race and gender
| Race | Male age | Female age |
|---|---|---|
| White | 36 | 34.5 |
| Black or African American | 38.5 | |
| Hispanic or Latino | 35.5 |
Comedian age breakdown
The average age of comedians is 40+ years years old, representing 36% of the comedian population.
Comedian age breakdown
| Comedian Years | Percentages |
|---|---|
| 40+ years | 36% |
| 30-40 years | 32% |
| 20-30 years | 30% |
Comedian educational attainment
The most common degree for comedians is bachelor's degree, with 77% of comedians earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are associate degree degree at 10% and associate degree degree at 5%.
- Bachelor's, 77%
- Associate, 10%
- Master's, 5%
- High School Diploma, 5%
- Other Degrees, 3%
Comedians by degree level
| Comedian degree | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Bachelor's | 77% |
| Associate | 10% |
| Master's | 5% |
| High School Diploma | 5% |
| Other Degrees | 3% |
Comedian jobs you might like
Comedian turnover and employment statistics
Comedian unemployment rate over time
The unemployment rate for comedians between 2008 and the most recent data has varied, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Comedian unemployment rate by year
| Year | Comedian unemployment rate |
|---|---|
| 2010 | 14.42% |
| 2011 | 14.93% |
| 2012 | 13.54% |
| 2013 | 13.53% |
| 2014 | 11.82% |
| 2015 | 8.25% |
| 2016 | 6.91% |
| 2017 | 8.42% |
| 2018 | 8.41% |
| 2019 | 6.73% |
| 2020 | 21.24% |
| 2021 | 22.67% |
Average comedian tenure
The average comedian stays at their job for 1-2 years, based on the 310 comedians resumes in Zippia's database.
Comedian tenure statistics
| Number of years | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Less than 1 year | 8% |
| 1-2 years | 17% |
| 3-4 years | 9% |
| 5-7 years | 16% |
| 8-10 years | 10% |
| 11+ years | 41% |
Comedian LGBT ratio compared to similar jobs
Review the percent of comedians that are members of the LGBT community. You can see how this compares to similar jobs in the chart below.
| Job title | LGBT | Job openings |
|---|---|---|
| Softball Umpire | 5.42% | 308 |
| Jockey | 6.54% | 2,211 |
| Coach & Mentor | 7.62% | 15,189 |
| Accompanist | 8.54% | 197 |
| Comedian | 13.74% | - |
| Director Of Content And Programming | 14.31% | 21,306 |
| Orchestra Leader | 30.45% | 30,861 |
Similar comedian jobs LGBT demographics
| Profession | Percentages of LGBT | Job openings |
|---|---|---|
| Softball Umpire | 5.42% | 308 |
| Jockey | 6.54% | 2,211 |
| Coach & Mentor | 7.62% | 15,189 |
| Accompanist | 8.54% | 197 |
| Director Of Content And Programming | 14.31% | 21,306 |
| Orchestra Leader | 30.45% | 30,861 |
Foreign languages spoken by comedians
The most common foreign language among comedians is Spanish at 41.7%. The second-most popular foreign language spoken is French at 16.7% and Portuguese is the third-most popular at 8.3%.
- Spanish, 41.7%
- French, 16.7%
- Portuguese, 8.3%
- German, 8.3%
- Japanese, 8.3%
- Other, 16.7%
Comedian languages spoken
| Foreign language | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Spanish | 41.7% |
| French | 16.7% |
| Portuguese | 8.3% |
| German | 8.3% |
| Japanese | 8.3% |
| Other | 16.7% |