Performing artist demographics and statistics in the US
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Performing artist demographics by:
Performing artist gender statistics
53.1% of performing artists are women and 46.9% of performing artists are men.
- Female, 53.1%
- Male, 46.9%
Performing artist gender ratio
| Gender | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Female | 53.1% |
| Male | 46.9% |
Performing artist gender pay gap
Women earn 92¢ for every $1 earned by men
Male income
$42,845
Female income
$39,488
Performing artist gender ratio over time
This data breaks down the percentage of men and women in performing artist positions over time. Currently, 53.1% of performing artists are female.
Performing artist gender ratio by year
| Year | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 47.53% | 52.47% |
| 2011 | 48.06% | 51.94% |
| 2012 | 47.73% | 52.27% |
| 2013 | 47.29% | 52.71% |
| 2014 | 46.17% | 53.83% |
| 2015 | 47.01% | 52.99% |
| 2016 | 46.67% | 53.33% |
| 2017 | 47.27% | 52.73% |
| 2018 | 46.68% | 53.32% |
| 2019 | 46.26% | 53.74% |
| 2020 | 45.61% | 54.39% |
| 2021 | 46.90% | 53.10% |
Performing artist related jobs gender ratio
We compared performing artists with similar job titles to see how gender ratios vary. As you can see, hvac/r instructor and assistant professor of air conditioning and refrigeration have the biggest gender ratio gaps.
| Job title | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| Aesthetics Instructor | 8% | 92% |
| Cosmetology Instructor | 9% | 91% |
| Adjunct Nursing Faculty | 9% | 91% |
| Performing Artist | 47% | 53% |
| Diesel Technology Instructor | 97% | 3% |
| Assistant Professor Of Air Conditioning And Refrigeration | 97% | 3% |
| Hvac/R Instructor | 97% | 3% |
Male
Female
100%
75%
50%
25%
0%
0%
25%
50%
75%
100%
Performing artist demographics by race
The most common ethnicity among performing artists is White, which makes up 65.9% of all performing artists. Comparatively, 11.2% of performing artists are Asian and 10.4% of performing artists are Hispanic or Latino.
- White, 65.9%
- Asian, 11.2%
- Hispanic or Latino, 10.4%
- Black or African American, 7.3%
- Unknown, 5.0%
- American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2%
Performing artist race
| Performing artist race | Percentages |
|---|---|
| White | 65.9% |
| Asian | 11.2% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 10.4% |
| Black or African American | 7.3% |
| Unknown | 5.0% |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 0.2% |
Performing artist race and ethnicity over time
See how performing artist racial and ethnic diversity trended since 2010 according to the United States Census Bureau data.
Performing artist race and ethnicity by year
| Year | White | Black or African American | Asian | Hispanic or Latino |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 72.33% | 7.42% | 9.13% | 8.49% |
| 2011 | 72.02% | 7.27% | 9.86% | 8.25% |
| 2012 | 71.61% | 7.56% | 9.73% | 8.49% |
| 2013 | 70.75% | 7.92% | 10.02% | 8.74% |
| 2014 | 70.84% | 7.55% | 9.69% | 9.13% |
| 2015 | 69.29% | 7.77% | 10.63% | 9.42% |
| 2016 | 69.78% | 7.70% | 10.36% | 9.31% |
| 2017 | 68.86% | 7.45% | 11.52% | 9.36% |
| 2018 | 70.64% | 7.19% | 9.85% | 9.56% |
| 2019 | 68.98% | 7.45% | 10.79% | 10.08% |
| 2020 | 67.05% | 7.16% | 10.43% | 10.24% |
| 2021 | 65.90% | 7.28% | 11.22% | 10.36% |
Performing artist wage gap by race
According to our data, asian performing artists have the highest average salary compared to other ethnicities. Black or african american performing artists have the lowest average salary at $41,463.
| Ethnicity | Salary |
|---|---|
| Unknown | $42,412 |
| White | $42,518 |
| Black or African American | $41,463 |
| Asian | $45,028 |
| Hispanic or Latino | $42,883 |
Average performing artist age
See how the average age of performing artists varies based on ethnicity and gender.
Male
Female
Performing artist age by race and gender
| Race | Male age | Female age |
|---|---|---|
| Black or African American | 49 | 45 |
| Unknown | 44.5 | 44 |
| Asian | 41 | 41 |
| Hispanic or Latino | 43 | 41 |
| White | 48 | 46 |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 54 | 48 |
Performing artist age breakdown
The average age of performing artists is 40+ years years old, representing 67% of the performing artist population.
Performing artist age breakdown
| Performing Artist Years | Percentages |
|---|---|
| 40+ years | 67% |
| 30-40 years | 21% |
| 20-30 years | 11% |
Performing artist educational attainment
The most common degree for performing artists is bachelor's degree, with 63% of performing artists earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are master's degree degree at 15% and master's degree degree at 12%.
- Bachelor's, 63%
- Master's, 15%
- Associate, 12%
- High School Diploma, 7%
- Other Degrees, 3%
Performing artists by degree level
| Performing artist degree | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Bachelor's | 63% |
| Master's | 15% |
| Associate | 12% |
| High School Diploma | 7% |
| Other Degrees | 3% |
Performing artist jobs you might like
Performing artist wage gap by degree level
| Education | Salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $44,755 |
| Doctorate Degree | $66,196 |
Performing artist employment statistics
Most performing artists work for a private in the media industry.
Company size where performing artists work
Below, you can see the size of companies where performing artists work.
Performing artist jobs by employer size
| Company size | Percentages |
|---|---|
| < 50 employees | 16% |
| 50 - 100 employees | 13% |
| 100 - 500 employees | 24% |
| 500 - 1,000 employees | 14% |
| 1,000 - 10,000 employees | 22% |
| > 10,000 employees | 10% |
Performing artist jobs by company type
Employees with the performing artist job title have their preferences when it comes to working for a company. For instance, most performing artists prefer to work at private companies over education companies.
Performing artist jobs by sector
| Company type | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Education | 20% |
| Public | 15% |
| Private | 57% |
| Government | 8% |
Performing artist jobs by industry
The most common industries for performing artists are media, education and non profits.
Performing artist industry statistics
| Industry | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Media | 19% |
| Education | 13% |
| Non Profits | 11% |
| Retail | 8% |
| Government | 6% |
| Hospitality | 6% |
| Professional | 6% |
| Manufacturing | 5% |
| Start-up | 4% |
| Health Care | 4% |
| Finance | 3% |
| Fortune 500 | 3% |
| Real Estate | 2% |
| Construction | 2% |
| Technology | 2% |
| Transportation | 1% |
| Internet | 1% |
| Utilities | 1% |
| Automotive | 1% |
| Energy | 1% |
Performing artist turnover and employment statistics
Performing artist unemployment rate over time
The unemployment rate for performing artists between 2008 and the most recent data has varied, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Performing artist unemployment rate by year
| Year | Performing artist unemployment rate |
|---|---|
| 2010 | 3.13% |
| 2011 | 3.11% |
| 2012 | 3.14% |
| 2013 | 3.31% |
| 2014 | 2.86% |
| 2015 | 2.61% |
| 2016 | 2.42% |
| 2017 | 2.51% |
| 2018 | 2.40% |
| 2019 | 2.23% |
| 2020 | 2.58% |
| 2021 | 2.98% |
Average performing artist tenure
The average performing artist stays at their job for 1-2 years, based on the 735 performing artists resumes in Zippia's database.
Performing artist tenure statistics
| Number of years | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Less than 1 year | 11% |
| 1-2 years | 18% |
| 3-4 years | 13% |
| 5-7 years | 16% |
| 8-10 years | 9% |
| 11+ years | 33% |
Performing artist LGBT ratio compared to similar jobs
Review the percent of performing artists 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Teaching Internship | 6.04% | 70,507 |
| Head Teacher | 9.52% | 73,756 |
| Reference Librarian | 10.75% | 1,058 |
| Special Educator | 11.12% | 62,545 |
| Library Technician | 13.69% | 24,941 |
| Performing Artist | 15.52% | - |
| Education Coordinator | 16.25% | 33,367 |
Similar performing artist jobs LGBT demographics
| Profession | Percentages of LGBT | Job openings |
|---|---|---|
| Teaching Internship | 6.04% | 70,507 |
| Head Teacher | 9.52% | 73,756 |
| Reference Librarian | 10.75% | 1,058 |
| Special Educator | 11.12% | 62,545 |
| Library Technician | 13.69% | 24,941 |
| Education Coordinator | 16.25% | 33,367 |
Foreign languages spoken by performing artists
The most common foreign language among performing artists is Spanish at 32.8%. The second-most popular foreign language spoken is French at 19.7% and German is the third-most popular at 14.8%.
- Spanish, 32.8%
- French, 19.7%
- German, 14.8%
- Italian, 11.5%
- Chinese, 4.9%
- Other, 16.3%
Performing artist languages spoken
| Foreign language | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Spanish | 32.8% |
| French | 19.7% |
| German | 14.8% |
| Italian | 11.5% |
| Chinese | 4.9% |
| Other | 16.3% |