SalariesWhat the occupation covers
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.
Official definition from the Standard Occupational Classification, code 27-2011.
The pay range
Pay differs a lot inside one occupation, with experience, employer and place. The table shows where the lines fall.
| Share of workers | An hour |
|---|---|
| Lowest 10% earn less than | $16.50 |
| Lowest 25% earn less than | $20.34 |
| Median (half earn less, half more) | $29.05 |
| Top 25% earn more than | $97.95 |
| Top 10% earn more than | $143.68 |
BLS publishes only hourly pay for this occupation, because many of these workers are paid by the hour and do not work a full year of 2,080 hours.
How it compares
The median for all occupations in the United States was $24.51 an hour. The median for Actors is $29.05, which is 19% higher. Among the 41 occupations of the field Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media, it ranks number 26 by median pay. With 55,000 jobs, it makes up about 3.5 of every 10,000 jobs in the country.
Actors pay by state
The highest median pay was in Maryland ($36.98), Oregon ($29.81) and New York ($28.44). The lowest was in Nevada ($12.76), Ohio ($13.51) and Illinois ($15.00). The most jobs were in California (26,170), New York (6,630) and Florida (6,400). The occupation is most concentrated in California, where its share of all jobs is 4.1 times the national share.
No state matches.
| State | Jobs | Median an hour |
|---|---|---|
| Maryland | 520 | $36.98 |
| Oregon | 470 | $29.81 |
| New York | 6,630 | $28.44 |
| Connecticut | 180 | $27.91 |
| Texas | 2,160 | $25.86 |
| Alabama | 150 | $24.71 |
| New Jersey | 470 | $24.29 |
| Mississippi | 80 | $23.71 |
| Pennsylvania | 890 | $22.15 |
| Tennessee | 370 | $21.82 |
| Arizona | 380 | $21.16 |
| Georgia | 1,520 | $19.75 |
| Arkansas | 70 | $19.49 |
| Missouri | 450 | $19.20 |
| Florida | 6,400 | $19.11 |
| Minnesota | 520 | $18.95 |
| Kentucky | 90 | $18.85 |
| North Carolina | 730 | $18.83 |
| Illinois | 1,060 | $15.00 |
| Ohio | 170 | $13.51 |
| Nevada | 790 | $12.76 |
| California | 26,170 | not published |
| Colorado | 200 | not published |
| Indiana | 510 | not published |
| Massachusetts | 660 | not published |
| Michigan | 150 | not published |
| Montana | 70 | not published |
| South Carolina | 140 | not published |
| Utah | 630 | not published |
| Wisconsin | 260 | not published |
Sorted by median pay, highest first. "Not published" means BLS did not release that figure for the state, usually because too few employers were surveyed. "$239,200 or more" is the highest value BLS reports in the state tables.
Similar occupations by pay
- Designers, All Other$64,950 a year
- Graphic Designers$62,960 a year
- News Analysts, Reporters, and Journalists$62,200 a year
- Interpreters and Translators$60,170 a year
- Broadcast Technicians$59,570 a year
- Audio and Video Technicians$58,100 a year
Common questions
How much do Actors earn in the United States?
The median pay was $29.05 an hour in May 2025, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
How many people work as Actors?
About 55,000 jobs in the United States in May 2025, not counting the self-employed.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. Checked in November 2026. Figures are for employees, before tax, and leave out overtime pay and benefits. They are official statistics, not advice or a pay offer; see bls.gov/oes for the original tables.
More in Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media Pay converter