How To Become A Theater Manager: What It Is and Career Path

What is a theater manager and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

2 min read

Quoted expert

R. Scott Hengen

There is more than meets the eye when it comes to being a theater manager. For example, did you know that they make an average of $21.83 an hour? That's $45,398 a year! Between 2018 and 2028, the career is expected to grow 6% and produce 189,200 job opportunities across the U.S.

What general advice would you give to a theater manager?

R. Scott Hengen

Technical Theatre Faculty/Production Coordinator, Montgomery College

Your studies and time in school are a good base and support for your production in the industry. As you begin, please consider that you will still be learning and, even though you have learned the essentials, you will be asked to apply your skills and experience in new ways and in a more competitive and practical atmosphere. Deadlines must be met, and the economy of time and effort will be crucial. Work hard, but try to keep a balance between time in the industry and your home life.

ScoreTheater ManagerUS Average

Salary

3.5

Avg. Salary $45,398

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

9.6

Growth rate 6%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

3.5

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.47%

Asian 6.32%

Black or African American 6.14%

Hispanic or Latino 15.04%

Unknown 4.33%

White 67.70%

Gender

female 31.90%

male 68.10%

Age - 44

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 44

Stress level

9.6

Stress level is very high

7.1 - high

Complexity level

9.2

Complexity level is advanced

7 - challenging

Work life balance

3.6

Work life balance is poor

6.4 - fair

Key steps to become a theater manager

Explore theater manager education requirements

Most common theater manager degrees

Bachelor's

62.9 %

Associate

16.2 %

High School Diploma

11.9 %

Start to develop specific theater manager skills

Skills	Percentages
Cleanliness	12.24%
Building Maintenance	9.32%
Movie Theater	9.15%
Safety Procedures	9.05%
Projection	9.01%

Complete relevant theater manager training and internships

Accountants spend an average of 6-12 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New theater managers learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a theater manager based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real theater manager resumes.

Research theater manager duties and responsibilities

Manage all brewery operations including special project management, raw material ordering and handling, production scheduling, and client interfacing.
Organize studio run fundraisers, collecting order forms and money and distributing product.
Promote show and stars, also run ticket office, consession stand and perform comedy, mc.
Set up and train production staff to utilize QuickBooks for assembly company inventory system for accurate information provide to commercial customers.

Apply for theater manager jobs

Now it's time to start searching for a theater manager job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

Browse job boards for relevant postings
Consult your professional network
Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
Watch out for job scams

How do theater managers rate their job?

-/5

5 stars

4 stars

3 stars

2 stars

1 star

Theater manager reviews

A zippia user wrote a review on Jun 2019

Pros

People Busy Money Busy and variety in a job Solving problems