$Who Earns What

How much does a dancer make?

US Dancers

Answer: A typical dancer in the United States makes $51,584 a year (median, May 2025, US Bureau of Labor Statistics).

Yearly pay of a typical person doing this job in the US
$51,584

Line up 100 people; this is the one in the middle (median). about 8,000 people work in this job. About the same as the US-wide typical pay ($50,980).

Lower earner
$30,950
10th from the bottom of 100
Typical person
$51,584
Right in the middle (median)
Higher earner
$108,784
10th from the top of 100

If 100 people had this job

Lowest at bottom-left, highest at top-right

Hover over a person to see their yearly pay

52 of 100
more than half

Dancer pay in the United States (May 2025, median and spread)

Dancer pay in the United States (May 2025, median and spread) — Data: US BLS OEWS, May 2025
Lower earner (10th from bottom)Typical person (median)Higher earner (10th from top)People in this job
$30,950$51,584$108,784about 8,000

Why does pay differ?

In the US, dancers' pay can differ with experience and skill, the employer and kind of work, and location. Many jobs are part-time and schedules vary, so the amount of paid work can differ too.

What does a dancer do?

Perform dances. May perform on stage, for broadcasting, or for video recording.

What's a typical day like?

A dancer may spend hours learning and rehearsing steps with a choreographer, then perform onstage or for a camera. They also take classes and stay fit; evening and weekend schedules are common.

How to get this job

In the US, many dancers start classes when they are young and build skill through years of formal training and practice; a dance degree is not always required. They usually audition for roles or dance companies, though some employers prefer a college degree.

Vocational school or a few years' experience (preparation level 3 of 5)

Good for people who like creating and building and doing.

Did you know?

Many U.S. dancers stop performing by their late thirties because the work is physically demanding; some then become choreographers or teachers.

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Sources and data

Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS May 2025 (bls.gov); descriptions and related jobs from O*NET 31.0. Figures as of May 2025, full-time yearly pay (hourly × 2,080 hours). Only an hourly wage is published for this job, so the yearly figure is an estimate. bls.gov/oes · O*NET OnLine

Pages used for the text

Data: US BLS OEWS, May 2025 · 1 USD = 150 JPY