How much does an entertainer make?
a year · about $19 an hour (estimated from hourly pay)
A typical entertainer in the United States makes $39,146 a year, about $19 an hour, below a typical US worker ($50,980) (median, May 2025, US Bureau of Labor Statistics).
What do they do?
An entertainer may rehearse and prepare in a theater, theme park, or event space, then perform for an audience. Shows may be in evenings or on weekends, and short bookings mean looking for the next job.
Did you know? Ringling Bros. opened a U.S. “Clown College” in 1968; nearly 1,300 people graduated to become clowns.
Is that a lot?
Compared with jobs you knowIf 100 people had this job
Most earn between $30,118 and $116,730How do you become one?
In the U.S., BLS lists no formal school credential or related experience and only short on-the-job training for this broad job. Practice an act and seek auditions or local gigs; the path depends on your specialty.
Why does pay differ?
In the U.S., pay can vary with experience, skill, specialty, and how well-known someone is; training or a credential may help in some kinds of work. The employer and type of show, location, and how many paid hours or bookings they get also matter.
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Data table and sources
| Lower earner (10th from bottom) | Typical person (median) | Higher earner (10th from top) | People in this job |
|---|---|---|---|
| $30,118 | $39,146 | $116,730 | about 17,000 |
Official definition: All entertainers and performers, sports and related workers not listed separately.
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
- www.bls.gov/oes/2022/may/oes272099.htm
- www.onetonline.org/link/summary/27-2099.00
- www.bls.gov/emp/tables/education-and-training-by-occupation.htm
- www.bls.gov/ooh/entertainment-and-sports/actors.htm
- www.bls.gov/careeroutlook/2015/article/wage-differences.htm
- blog.mcny.org/2014/09/23/clowns
Data: US BLS OEWS, May 2025 · 1 USD = 150 JPY