Creative & Media
Actors
Play parts in stage, television, radio, video, or film productions, or other settings for entertainment, information, or instruction. Interpret serious or comic role by speech, gesture, and body movement to entertain or inform audience. May dance and sing.
Median salary
Varied
Typical range
Varied
Job outlook
See national outlook
AI exposure
Education
Typical entry: No degree required
Typical progression
Junior Actors
Entry / Junior
Varied
~2 yrs to advance
Actors
Established
Varied
~3 yrs to advance
Senior Actors
Senior
Varied
Key skills
A typical day
- •Collaborate with other actors as part of an ensemble.
- •Portray and interpret roles, using speech, gestures, and body movements, to entertain, inform, or instruct radio, film, television, or live audiences.
- •Work closely with directors, other actors, and playwrights to find the interpretation most suited to the role.
- •Perform humorous and serious interpretations of emotions, actions, and situations, using body movements, facial expressions, and gestures.
- •Study and rehearse roles from scripts to interpret, learn and memorize lines, stunts, and cues as directed.
Fields of study
Any field
Top colleges for Creative & Media
Explore all- University of Southern California12% admit · $86,000 grad pay
- New York University12% admit · $84,000 grad pay
- Northwestern University7% admit · $95,000 grad pay
- University of Chicago5% admit · $91,000 grad pay
Reputation-based selection; stats shown are outcome data per school.