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Actors Salaries by State

Mean and median pay, wage percentiles, employment, and top-paying metro areas for actorss across the U.S. Source: BLS OEWS May 2025 (data.bls.gov OEWS tool /OESServices/combo/table, all-occupation crawl by area).

National mean salary — ≈ —/hr
National median salary —
Total employment 55,000 nationwide

Job Outlook, 2024–2034

Source: BLS Employment Projections 2024-2034.

Projected growth +0.3% Slower than average
Annual openings 6,300 per year (avg)
Employment 2024→2034 57,000 → 57,100 (+200)
Typical entry education Some college, no degree

State-level and metro breakdowns aren’t published for this aggregate occupation group. National figures are shown above; browse a specific occupation for full state detail.

Workforce Deep-Dive

Distribution and demographics from Census ACS (2023, self-reported). Wage figures here are ACS averages and run lower than the authoritative BLS wages above; use them for shape, not exact pay.

Annual wage distribution

< $10K
54,608
$10-20k
9,995
$20-30k
6,387
$30-40k
4,064
$40-50k
2,670
$50-60k
2,840
$60-70k
2,441
$70-80k
1,806
$80-90k
1,050
$90-100k
694
$100-110k
1,369
$110-120k
161
$120-130k
534
$130-140k
317
$140-150k
232
$150-160k
234
$160-170k
143
$170-180k
312
$180-190k
111
$200k+
2,154

Pay by age band

16-24
$6,946
25-34
$47,826
35-44
$37,558
45-54
$40,928
55-64
$30,857
65+
$9,667

Education level

Bachelors Degree
$33,755
1 or more years of college credit, no degree
$33,219
Masters Degree
$41,482
Regular high school diploma
$23,175
Associates Degree
$11,502
Some college, but less than 1 year
$38,564
Grade 10
$1,152
Grade 11
$1,445
GED or alternative credential
$17,964
Professional degree
$9,149
Grade 9
$15,628
Doctorate degree
$8,372
12th grade - no diploma
$40,271
No schooling completed
$13,555
Grade 8
$102
Grade 6
$122

Full-time vs part-time

Part-time
20,766 · $27,725
Full-time
16,646 · $87,328

Race / ethnicity

White
$26,741
Black
$38,272
Two or More Races
$38,949
Asian
$25,062
Other
$18,803
American Indian
$14,330
Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander
$30,973

Top fields of study

Drama And Theater Arts
$42,062
English Language And Literature
$20,639
Communications
$24,986
Psychology
$21,153
Business Management And Administration
$21,966
Liberal Arts
$107,290
Fine Arts
$6,134
Mass Media
$82,729

Top Skills

Most important skills for this role (O*NET importance, 1–5 scale).

Speaking
3.9
Reading Comprehension
3.9
Social Perceptiveness
3.8
Active Listening
3.8
Critical Thinking
3.0
Monitoring
3.0
Time Management
3.0
Writing
2.9
Coordination
2.9
Judgment and Decision Making
2.9
Complex Problem Solving
2.9
Instructing
2.8

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the job outlook for actors?

Employment is projected to change +0.3% from 2024 to 2034 (Slower than average), with about 6,300 openings per year.

What People Search

Common U.S. search queries related to this occupation.

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