Top Skills for This Career
BLS identifies these as the three highest-rated skills for this detailed occupation. TrustInEd adds the plain-language explanations so visitors understand what each skill means.
Developing original ideas, approaches, designs, or solutions.
Communicating clearly through speech while listening carefully to understand others.
Adjusting effectively when priorities, conditions, tools, or expectations change.
How Do You Prepare for This Career?
BLS describes the typical preparation for this occupation. Requirements can vary by employer, state, licensing rules and individual circumstances.
How to Become One
How to Become an Actor Actors may audition for many roles before getting a job. A formal
Education
isn’t always required, but actors typically enhance their skills by taking classes in the performing arts. They also develop their skills through years of practice. Education Although some people succeed in acting without getting a formal education, most actors acquire some formal preparation, such as through an acting conservatory or a college drama or theater arts program. Students can take classes in areas such as acting, movement, characterization, voice, and audition techniques to prepare for a career as an actor. Performing arts high schools and theater companies also offer classes that may be helpful for aspiring actors. Some actors may have a bachelor’s degree in a field such as performing arts, but a degree is not usually required.
Training
It often takes years of practice to develop the skills needed to become a successful actor. Many aspiring actors begin by participating in school plays or local theater productions. In television and film, actors usually start out in smaller roles or independent movies and work their way up to bigger productions. Many actors continue to train throughout their careers, such as by participating in workshops, rehearsals, or mentoring by a drama coach. Every role is different, and an actor may need to learn something new for each one. For example, a role may require learning how to sing or dance, or an actor may have to learn to speak with an accent or to play a musical instrument or sport. Advancement As an actor’s experience and reputation grows, he or she may work on bigger projects or in more prestigious venues. Some actors also may become producers and directors.
Your Next Step
Review training, certifications, apprenticeships, or employer-based preparation that may support entry into this career.
Pay
the median annual wage for all workers was $50,980.
Job Outlook
Job Outlook Employment of actors is projected to decline 0 percent from 2025 to 2035. Despite declining employment, about 6,300 openings for actors are projected each year, on average, over the decade. All of those openings are expected to result from the need to replace workers who transfer to other occupations or exit the labor force, such as to retire. Employment The television and film industry is likely to continue to shift its focus from growth in the number of programs and number of subscribers to profitability. Additionally, artificial intelligence (AI) may replace some actors in certain subfields. Actors Percent change in employment, projected 2025–35 Entertainers and performers, sports and related workers 4% Total, all occupations 3% Actors 0% Note: All Occupations includes all occupations in the U.S. Economy.
What They Do
What Actors Do
Actors express ideas and portray characters in theater, film, television, and other performing arts media. They interpret a writer’s script to entertain or inform an audience.
Duties
Actors typically do the following:
- Read scripts and meet with agents and other professionals before accepting a role
- Audition in front of directors, producers, and casting directors
- Research their character’s personal traits and circumstances to portray the characters more authentically to an audience
- Memorize their lines
- Rehearse their lines and performance, including on stage or in front of the camera, with other actors
- Discuss their role with the director, producer, and other actors to improve their overall performance
- Perform the role, following the director’s instructions
Many actors struggle to find steady work, and few achieve recognition as stars. Some work as “extras”—actors who have no lines to deliver but are included in scenes to give a more realistic setting. Some actors do voiceover or narration work for animated features, audiobooks, or other electronic media.
In stage or film productions, actors might sing, dance, or play a musical instrument. For certain roles, an actor must learn a new skill, such as horseback riding or stage fighting.
Actors may spend considerable time attending auditions and casting calls to secure a role. They may have periods of unemployment between roles, and some might hold other jobs in order to make a living.
Work Environment
Work Environment
Actors held about 67,500 jobs in 2025. The largest employers of actors were as follows:
| Self-employed workers | 23% |
| Theater companies and dinner theaters | 10 |
| Accounting, tax preparation, bookkeeping, and payroll services | 8 |
| Amusement parks and arcades | 7 |
| Educational services; state, local, and private | 4 |
Actors work in various settings, including production studios, theaters, and theme parks, or on location. Travel may be required for some workers.
Work assignments are usually short, ranging from 1 day to a few months, and actors often hold another job in order to make a living. They are frequently under the stress of having to find their next job. Some actors, such as those in touring companies, may be employed for several years.
Actors may perform in unpleasant conditions, such as outdoors in bad weather, under hot stage lights, or while wearing an uncomfortable costume or makeup.
Work Schedules
Part-time work is common for actors. Work schedules may vary and can include early mornings, evenings, weekends, and holidays.
Important Qualities
The following are examples of qualities that are important for these workers to perform their duties. For more information, visit the Employment Projections (EP) skills data page. Creativity. Actors interpret their characters’ feelings and motives to portray the characters in the most compelling way. Interpersonal skills. Actors must develop effective relationships with directors, producers, cast, and crew. They also must be able to network with others to establish contacts within the industry. Memorization skills. Actors memorize many lines before filming begins or a show opens. Persistence. Actors may audition for many roles before getting a job. They must be able to accept rejections and keep going. Physical stamina. Actors should be in good enough physical condition to endure the heat from stage or studio lights and the weight of heavy costumes or makeup. They may work many hours, including acting in more than one performance a day, and they must do so without getting overly tired. Reading skills. Actors must read scripts and be able to interpret how a writer has developed their character. Speaking skills. Actors—particularly stage actors—must say their lines clearly, project their voice, and pronounce words so that audiences understand them.
More Information
More Information, Including Links to O*NET
Learn more about actors by visiting additional resources, including O*NET, a source on key characteristics of workers and occupations.
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Start with ED →Career data and occupational profile text are sourced from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Outlook Handbook and Employment Projections program. Education requirements are typical entry-level requirements and may vary by employer, state, occupation or individual circumstance. View the official BLS profile.