Career
Dancers
Perform through movement and dance.
—
Median pay
+2.2%
Job growth, 2025–35
1,600
Openings a year
No formal educational credential
Typical education
None required
Typical time after high school
Here's what you actually need to know.
The work
What people in this job do
- Study and practice dance moves required in roles.
- Harmonize body movements to rhythm of musical accompaniment.
- Train, exercise, and attend dance classes to maintain high levels of technical proficiency, physical ability, and physical fitness.
- Coordinate dancing with that of partners or dance ensembles.
- Develop self-understanding of physical capabilities and limitations, and choose dance styles accordingly.
The outlook
How the forecast changed this year
The deeper question
What kind of person does this path ask you to become?
What this work centers on
O*NET interest profile, scored 1–7.
The work
Do you want most of your days spent on creation & expression, then objects & tools?
Responsibility
Are you willing to be the one responsible for this?
“Study and practice dance moves required in roles.”
Development
What would you need to build over the next 5–10 years?
Active Listening, Coordination, Critical Thinking, Social Perceptiveness.
Trade-offs
What does it ask of you in exchange?
No degree beyond high school, though long-term on-the-job training is typical, for a median of — a year and 1,600 openings nationally each year.
Paths in
Degrees that lead here
- TheatreSee the degree →
- Dance, GeneralCIP 50.0301
- BalletCIP 50.0302
- Dance, OtherCIP 50.0399
- Musical TheatreCIP 50.0509
- Theatre and DanceCIP 50.0512
Paths across
Careers that use similar skills
- Choreographers$55,310 · +3.1%
- Musicians and Singers
- Actors
- Music Directors and Composers$73,710 · +1.2%
- Art, Drama, and Music Teachers, Postsecondary$78,620 · +2.2%
Ask anything about this career.
“Would this make sense if I don't want to sit at a desk all day?” Answers will come from the sources on this page, with citations. Coming soon.
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Sources
- BLS Employment Projections, 2025–35, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Retrieved 2026-10-01.
- BLS Employment Projections, 2024–34 (archived), U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Retrieved 2026-10-01.
- O*NET 31.0 Database (August 2026), National Center for O*NET Development / U.S. Department of Labor. Retrieved 2026-10-01.
- CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 Crosswalk, NCES and BLS. Retrieved 2026-10-01.