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| Year | # of jobs | % of population |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 516 | 0.00% |
| 2020 | 497 | 0.00% |
| 2019 | 513 | 0.00% |
| 2018 | 514 | 0.00% |
| 2017 | 518 | 0.00% |
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | $42,658 | $20.51 | +0.2% |
| 2025 | $42,560 | $20.46 | --0.6% |
| 2024 | $42,823 | $20.59 | +4.5% |
| 2023 | $40,968 | $19.70 | --2.5% |
| 2022 | $42,021 | $20.20 | +5.1% |
| Rank | State | Population | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Colorado | 5,607,154 | 490 | 9% |
| 2 | Wyoming | 579,315 | 50 | 9% |
| 3 | South Carolina | 5,024,369 | 378 | 8% |
| 4 | Montana | 1,050,493 | 79 | 8% |
| 5 | Virginia | 8,470,020 | 604 | 7% |
| 6 | Oregon | 4,142,776 | 277 | 7% |
| 7 | Delaware | 961,939 | 66 | 7% |
| 8 | Alaska | 739,795 | 51 | 7% |
| 9 | North Carolina | 10,273,419 | 661 | 6% |
| 10 | Georgia | 10,429,379 | 655 | 6% |
| 11 | New Jersey | 9,005,644 | 467 | 5% |
| 12 | Massachusetts | 6,859,819 | 311 | 5% |
| 13 | Maryland | 6,052,177 | 281 | 5% |
| 14 | Iowa | 3,145,711 | 162 | 5% |
| 15 | North Dakota | 755,393 | 37 | 5% |
| 16 | Vermont | 623,657 | 30 | 5% |
| 17 | California | 39,536,653 | 1,671 | 4% |
| 18 | Michigan | 9,962,311 | 418 | 4% |
| 19 | Minnesota | 5,576,606 | 241 | 4% |
| 20 | Rhode Island | 1,059,639 | 46 | 4% |
| Rank | City | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl | Avg. salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bowling Green | 1 | 2% | $32,768 |

University of New Hampshire

Southeastern Oklahoma State University

School of the Art Institute of Chicag
Flagler College
Wake Forest University

Murray State University

University of Kansas

California State Polytechnic University, Pomona
Boise State University
Belmont University

Arkansas State University

Eastern Illinois University
Montgomery College
SUNY Oneonta
Nebraska Wesleyan University
Catawba College
Meredith College

University of Northern Colorado
Columbus State University
University of Louisiana at Lafayette

University of New Hampshire
Department of Theatre and Dance
Tom Alsip: I think the most important skills are the ones that are specific to your job area while still showing that you have a range of things that you can provide to be helpful.
If I am hiring a technical theatre instructor, I want to see that you have specific skills in one specific area (lighting, sound, technical direction) but perhaps a general knowledge of the other areas as well.
The other things that stand out are a balance of skills. I want to see that you have had training in the academic side of your area but also have hands-on skills that you learned in the professional world.
Tom Alsip: I think the most important soft skills are problem-solving and organizational skills. With most theatre departments being understaffed, having someone who can take care of themselves and does not need assistance to do their job is key. We always want self-starters who can solve problems as they arise and have the organizational skills to oversee the vast array of projects, classes, and students they will have to advise.
Tom Alsip: Generally, a degree in theatre would be important (I would call that a hard skill). Also, specific industry certifications or organizational memberships stand out. Are you a member of Actor’s Equity, IATSE, SDC, etc.? And, are you trained in unique skills for theatre such as Laban, Contact Improv, Meisner, Linklater, Alexander Technique, Feldenkrais, etc.
Tom Alsip: I think the skills that help the most are the skills that are specific to your area. While theatre instructors are tasked with taking on more and more diverse jobs in a department, we still want to know you have mastery in ONE area and the ability to help out in others.

Southeastern Oklahoma State University
Department of Art, Communication and Theatre
Riley Risso Coker: Professional experience where a wide variety of skills and talents are used within the scope of traditional theatrical training.
Riley Risso Coker: I look for company members that I can send to PR performances without me supervising them. They need to be able to talk to groups of people in a way that laymen can appreciate and ultimately be interested enough to purchase a ticket to a production.
Riley Risso Coker: In my opinion, all theatre majors should have a general understanding of most jobs within a theatre. If a student is a performance major and never spends any time in the technical areas gaining insight into other areas of the theatre, they aren't really getting an entire education. Every theatre major should have at least one other area in the theatre in which they could be employed. In order to be marketable, every actor should be able to work in the box office, or costume shop, or AD/PR office. Coming out of a pandemic, theatres are looking for versatile company members.
Riley Risso Coker: Just looking at different job sites, the majority of open positions are in TECHNICAL theatre with DESIGN components to them. Since they are more in demand, they come with a bigger price tag.

School of the Art Institute of Chicag
Department of Painting and Drawing
Andrew Falkowski: The ability to make people comfortable is incredibly helpful. Also, being enthusiastic about what one is teaching is necessary. You shouldn't teach if you aren't interested in sharing your enthusiasm for the material. Compartmentalizing larger ideas into manageable parts helps students assimilate information more easily. Being able to speak authentically about course narratives goes a long way in creating a consistent class engagement. Lastly, being open and curious about what students are bringing to the class creates a more open class environment and can activate students' energy.
Andrew Falkowski: Again, skill is a nebulous term, and there isn't one set of skills that apply to all courses, with perhaps the exceptions of being well organized and being a clear and consistent communicator.
Flagler College
Department of Visual and Performing Arts (in the School of Creative Arts and Letters)
Andrea McCook: I think it depends on the institution. Some schools are looking for people with extensive professional credits, especially if the program is a BFA or MFA. Their primary focus tends to be on auditioning and bringing in the highest talent they can in their student body, then showcasing their work at the end of their studies for professionals in the industry. Therefore, faculty who are working professionals have strong connections in the industry and can best share their own experiences.
Other schools, like ours, which is a BA, are more interested in teaching experience, including innovations in types of classes, being student-centered, helping the student grow and develop. We don't audition students and take in whoever is accepted into our program. Therefore, we seek faculty who are committed to helping students discover and develop new skills, preparing them for a wide range of career paths. Of course, someone who also has professional experience combined with teaching is a wonderful candidate. We also want educators who understand and have experience in the industry to help provide connections and opportunities for students.
Andrea McCook: Understanding how the industry works administratively. Having familiarity with how a theatre company operates and is run, knowing how to fund raise and network, how to do marketing (whether as an artist selling one's own talents or as a company marketing to an audience). Basics of accounting couldn't hurt either.
For performers, we also advocate for teaching artistry. Many theatres have an educational wing, and teaching artists can often find positions working in theatre for young audiences.
Andrea McCook: Having some experience in technical theatre for everyone is critical. Probably lighting, although set construction is also desirable. However, with lighting, graduates will always be able to find work if they can hang and focus light, as well as program a light board. Those skills are needed in diverse industries, for example, for convention centers, rock concerts, fashion shows, etc.
Andrea McCook: Probably the business skills, especially fundraising. Arts Administration is where the money is in entertainment. Artistic Directors, Executive Directors, Production Managers tend to be the highest-paid members of a company. If you can start your own company or produce your own event, you can be in charge of your career.
Sharon Andrews: -Ability to analyze complex structural and psychological circumstances.
-Ability to collectively create and problem solve.
-Enhanced ability to empathize.
-Strong communication skills
-Strong research skills
Sharon Andrews: -Ability to empathize.
-Ability to listen
-Ability to work as a team
Sharon Andrews: Research skills are vital, and in this computer age, one must be able to access research information on a much deeper level than Wikipedia.
A great deal of casting is done online today, so an actor will be well served to create an engaging website and be proficient at online auditioning.

Murray State University
Department of Global Languages and Theatre Arts
Brent Menchinger: Flexibility - faculty do more than what is in their training - service, research and creative activity, mentoring, teaching, paperwork. It is important to understand what I was trained to do is probably less than 25% of my job as a teacher/administrator.
Brent Menchinger: Besides Work Ethic - In theatre and in the academic worlds, both teamwork and collaboration, I think, are most important. However, in academia - thinking outside the box (giving up on the "we have always done it this way" mentality) is important as academia is changing fast.
Brent Menchinger: What you are trained to do - computer literacy - writing (tons of writing).
Brent Menchinger: Flexibility and the ability to do more than one thing - however that only helps you get jobs - I have never heard of someone earning more in theatre because they know more unless it is through the process of getting a new job.

University of Kansas
Department of Theatre & Dance
Laura Kirk: Specialties that fit the area we are trying to fill, and more than one/ so specialized training in more than one area.
Laura Kirk: Communication, organization, planning - abilities to plan and assess semester arcs of training
Laura Kirk: Use of software such as Canvas and associated rubrics.
Laura Kirk: Most jobs can train skills but can't teach character, so evidence of community work, commitment to DEI in a tangible describable way.

California State Polytechnic University, Pomona
Department of Art, College of Environmental Design
Anthony Acock: Ability to navigate whatever burdensome content management system the University requires you to use. Other than that, the technical skill requirement will range dramatically depending on the discipline and will be impossible to quantify here.
Boise State University
Department of Theatre, Film, and Creative Writing
Richard Klautsch Ph.D.: Knowledge, experience, awareness of the changing landscape of theatre and its allied arts in the digital age, and a vision for connecting theatre today with new audiences.
Richard Klautsch Ph.D.: Creativity, responsibility, team collaboration, empathy, organization, critical analysis, and meeting deadlines.
Richard Klautsch Ph.D.: Knowledge of technique and experience in specific areas of theatre such as acting, directing, writing, design, etc.
Richard Klautsch Ph.D.: The ability to apply your knowledge and experience in specific areas of theatre to film, television, and other areas of media.
Belmont University
School of Law
Chase Neely: As an instructor, you must be able to relate to the student. Express genuine care for what they're experiencing and for how they learn. That genuine care will also help you relate to the professors in your academic area.

Arkansas State University
Theatre Department
Jeffrey McLaughlin: Creative problem-solving: Every show presents unique challenges, so graduating theatre artists are well-versed in finding interesting solutions even though they are still typically young.
Collaboration: Theatre is a team sport; theatre artists must work well together.
Adaptability: Recent graduates will have more experience dealing creatively with change and making the most of the situation, whether Covid-19 or something else.
Jeffrey McLaughlin: Motivation/Drive: It is essential to be a self-starter if you want to stand out in a crowd.
People skills: Active listening, empathy, keeping cool in stressful situations seem more important than ever.
Jeffrey McLaughlin: Data Analysis: To stay relevant, it is vital to look at the numbers. There has been a shift to making decisions for theatre based on quantitative reasoning.
Marketing and Web Design: There is an expectation that everyone can promote themselves and the productions on which they work.
Jeffrey McLaughlin: Fear and complacency hold a lot of people back from finding their greatest earning potential. However, the ability to overcome fear and get out of your comfort zone opens doors to making more and greater artistic rewards.

Eastern Illinois University
Art + Design
Samantha Osborne: An ability to effectively communicate, navigate creative resources, network, empathize with others, and come up with innovative creative solutions. That said, your work still needs to be stellar and consistently great if you're going to be a big earner.
Montgomery College
Department of Performing Arts
R. Scott Hengen: Work experience in LORT theatre would be especially helpful and attractive to prospective employers. Even if the work is as an overhire, having those connections and contacts will prove helpful. With those experiences, basic theatre skills will become evident: knowing stage directions, building and handling materials in any or all of the technical shops, and knowing the employees' jobs in those shops and the production team in general.
R. Scott Hengen: Theatre is a collaborative effort. Having skills in team building and participation are most helpful, which translates into communication, empathy, and respect. Time management and organization are also key for every technician.
R. Scott Hengen: Basic skills in more than one department are helpful. The more a technician can understand other areas that may overlap, the better the chance of more opportunities. This does not exclude the importance of focusing on one technical area, but the technician who understands how that one area, or several areas, influences each other, the better the technician will understand the collaborative nature of theatre.
R. Scott Hengen: The combination of both hard and soft skills is best. They work hand-in-hand for the technician to achieve their goals. Hard skills are a great foundation, but without the soft skills needed to collaborate with others, the opportunities to use foundation and advanced skills will be limited.
Kiara Pipino Ph.D.: It is hard to say, as we never had anything like this before. Academically, the experience of the past year and a half has been different from students in the major - and in any major. Classes that were meant to be taught in person had to shift online, with major adjustments in the curriculum. This isn't necessarily making the class less valuable, but different, yes. I am expecting graduates 2020 and 2021 to have more interest in pursuing further education, and graduate school, as a result of the hope of receiving more in person, fate-to-face instruction.
Ryan Kathman: I think it's safe to say that there will be an enduring impact of this pandemic on all of us, no matter what field someone is in. But, yes, I think Theatre students coming out of undergraduate programs, for one thing, are going to have to get really good at preparing and participating in virtual auditions, whether they are pre-recorded, conducted live over Zoom, or some combination. I think we'll see job opportunities in web-based productions continue to rise, even after things recover a bit, as the industry was slowly headed that direction even before the pandemic. But I do have a healthy degree of hope about the future of live performing arts in that, historically, after major global or national crises like these - even health crises - a "golden age" of flourishing arts tends to follow. So, potentially, now is a great time to be a Theatre major and be graduating because students will hopefully be entering an industry with booming opportunities as the populace gets excited to start attending live performances again.
Ryan Kathman: This depends a lot on which area of Theatre Arts is your emphasis. Obviously if your objective is to be a Theatre educator, then getting the proper state licensing and certification for teaching is vital. There are less of those kinds of standards for performers, but you can become certified as an Actor/Combatant with the Society of American Fight Directors (SAFD), and continue to move up to more advanced certifications after that. There are also other safety certifications available for intimacy direction, firearms training and more. Probably the areas with the highest numbers of certifications and licensing are in Technical Theatre, as young professionals can (and should) become certified for theatrical rigging, welding, and for a host of other safety and technical areas. Finally, in regards to most valuable courses, that's a very difficult distinction to make and will vary with most every educator you ask. For me, I believe strongly in Script Analysis as a fundamental course for every Theatre artist, whether you are an aspiring performer, designer, technician, director or playwright. I also think it's a good idea for anyone studying Theatre to try their hand at some Directing, if given the opportunity, to be able to see the "big picture" of a production and better understand how all the roles function together. Beyond that, a good Professional Preparation course is important, as is one on Auditioning and all Dramatic Literature classes, too.
Ryan Kathman: I've never been crazy about the term "soft skills", but I do understand where it comes from. I just can't help but feel like the name somehow diminishes the value of these attributes when study after study has proven that they are precisely the qualities that every major CEO is looking for first and foremost in employees. Luckily, I happen to believe one of the best kept secrets about Theatre training is that it naturally and inherently focuses students to develop exactly these kinds of traits. I suppose the top skills I would highlight are communication (impossible to work on a production team without it and it's literally what every actor is trying to do in performances), critical thinking (again, script analysis and problem-solving while in rehearsal and performance), adaptability (time, budget and resources force all of us to have to be resourceful and innovative, and actors often need this skill in the moment when something goes horribly wrong in a performance), and creativity (kind of built right into the art form). But you can certainly add teamwork, time management, decision-making, organization, conflict management and leadership to the list, and all of those are covered on a daily basis just in the process of putting on a show.
Catawba College
Drama/Theatre Arts And Stagecraft
Erin Dougherty: This is a hard question, as I don't think any of us have that crystal ball. Everyone is ready to work and most of us want to get "back to normal" as quick as possible. However, there have been some real calls during this pandemic to change the philosophy of industry, for the good. Places like tcg.org, who run Artsearch are offering free accounts for job seekers, and making it mandatory for employers to state compensation to help people know what they're getting into before expending time and energy in the search process. This can only benefit everyone. There is a call for accountability, for treating artists with value, and no longer standardizing "suffering" for your art or sacrificing personal lives for the golden carrot, in terms of work-life balance. That may sound idealistic, but theatre artists are notorious for not taking care of themselves and almost priding themselves for long work hours with little pay. We will be slow to change, certainly, especially as the industry tries to stand on its feet with uncertain funding. But, I believe you'll see more transparent job ads and I hope we'll still see a lot of the collaborative spirit of artists helping artists that we have seen during the pandemic. On the practical side, for a while yet, we'll see more virtual productions, either zoom or fully mounted without an audience, or actors in mask work. I think the demand for tech who have digital and editing skill has increased and will continue to be there, and actors who have presence for the camera, those who can play to the stage but still read genuine if the camera and editing crew choose to do close ups. We will also see both academic and professional companies looking for jack-of-all-trades, people who can fit into more than one roll in the company. For tech, designers/technicians who can cross disciplines or areas (costume/prop technicians, scenic/lighting designers, etc.), for performers perhaps people who can also play instruments in addition to being the traditional "triple threat" performers. And of course, a demand from companies and artists alike to expand the pool of diversity, open the doors to women and especially minorities, in light of BLM to tell stories with Black voices and black faces in meaningful ways.
Erin Dougherty: Work on your digital presence. Even before the Pandemic, actors were sending in more and more virtual auditions rather than participating in showcases. For performers, having a really solid package of things that showcase your abilities. For design/tech, getting a clean website that clearly showcases your best work, and perhaps some related projects. If you have the luxury of getting someone to help you, that's always nice, but there are inexpensive sites for hosting your materials, and cell phones can achieve surprising results if you invest in a tripod. Network but engaging with other alumni and people you have met along your journey. Ask their advice, if appropriate. Theatre artists also need to think long and hard about how they are willing/able to engage in the collaborative process. How can you make it easy for someone to work with you? If you're designing something, how do you communicate ideas along the whole process? Are you creating vision boards? How are you making your ideas into a reality? It doesn't necessarily have to be down on paper, but know how you work and what is a boon to employers so that you have those answers ready. There are also masterclasses, both free and for smaller amounts of money, that should be taken advantage of. Learn a new skill, or if that is too stressful on top of everything else that is going on, find an outlet to help you rebalance yourself that lends towards your self-care.
Holly Fischer: Depending on the career goals, it is always recommended to work with professionals to learn
more about a certain area of the artworld. This could be working in a museum, gallery, and/or for
a professional, working artist as an intern or assistant.

Donna Goodwin Ph.D.: Demonstrated creativity continues to be one of the top applied skills sought by business leaders. Additionally, problem-solving, an entrepreneurial spirit, connection making, and community building are all skills much needed in our current and future societies and economies. The fine arts dominate in these outcomes.
Rachel Blackburn Ph.D.: Biggest trends we'll see in the market, given the pandemic: I think the biggest thing we will see in the theatre job market post-pandemic is theatres looking for technologically savvy graduates experienced with staging productions online for streaming purposes. The theatre will need innovators with fresh ideas about how to reorganize the traditional theatre business model, because the model, as it stands, will not sustain itself.
We need to be pushing our government to increase arts funding and spending because the business model for theatres in most developed countries outside the U.S. can rely more so on national and provincial grants, where we in the U.S. heavily depend on individual and corporate contributions. Theatres will hire folks who can rethink how we produce our work and how we sustain that work.
Right now, the business models we typically use are fragile, and I think the pandemic has exposed this. We need innovators to rethink how we support our artists and how our art is disseminated to audiences. The upside of all this, though, is, I think, that once things get back to a relative "normal" again, audiences and artists alike will be hungry for the live experience also.
Rachel Blackburn Ph.D.: Skills that stand out on resumes: Right now, in particular, post-pandemic, skills that are going to stand out for theatres will speak to technological savvy: they will include working with new ways of communicating and disseminating performance, likely tied to online platforms such as Zoom, Slack, Asana Project Management software, etc. People who can take the initiative, innovate, and collaborate will be the most sought-after candidates. The theatre world will be relying on this next generation to rethink our traditional modes of performance, communication, and dissemination, so someone who can demonstrate on their resume that they are reliable, highly communicative (excellent oral and written communication skills), and entrepreneurial will undoubtedly stand out.
Rachel Blackburn Ph.D.: Where to find opportunities: This is a bit of a loaded question because the most obvious place to become involved in theatre in the U.S. is New York City. However, that said, there are numerous reasons to go to other theatre markets, including outside of the U.S. So many local markets need practitioners to continue live performance in their city. I'd like to see theatre-makers move to the less obvious places that might desperately need community healing right now, such as Detroit or Flint, MI, Minneapolis, MN, St. Louis, MO, Phoenix, AZ, etc.
Those are places where communities have seen some rough patches, and I'd like to see how theatre might innovate by bringing people together to heal those communities. Otherwise, Seattle, Atlanta, LA, Houston, and some others are places that might surprise our graduates with the size and history of their theatre markets. For the intrepid explorer who is open to a little adventure, go abroad!
Your student loans will be deferred while you're out of the country, and if you have no spouse or kids, leap, it's a perfect time. London, Toronto, Dublin, Montreal, Paris, Edinburgh, Sydney - go to Auckland and see how you can support the theatre of the indigenous Maori peoples in New Zealand; why not? Instead of feeling overwhelmed by the possibilities, take the reins and enjoy this moment as a time when you can make the world your oyster, if you want. Sniff out places that have something to teach you besides just employing you.
Kevin Hagan: I certainly see there is an increase in visual arts majors over the next five years. The main reason for this is due to our students' ability to creatively problem solve the challenges presented to them. Companies are always looking for individuals who are creative, inquisitive, and are able to look at a problem from many different perspectives in order to find the best solution, and that is where our students excel. The more broadly the future employee can think about a problem, and try multiple different approaches until the best solution is discovered, is something that is always highly sought after.