Actor

Career Overview

Actors bring characters and stories to life in film, television, theatre, commercials, games, and digital media. They interpret scripts, work with directors and other performers, and use voice, movement, and emotion to connect with an audience.
Keep in mind: These are typical earnings, but acting can have a very wide range. With talent, confidence, persistence, the right opportunities, and strong professional connections, some actors can earn far more than the averages shown here, especially through major productions, commercials, voice work, and other high-profile opportunities.

Education

A specific degree is not required for every acting job. Many actors develop their skills through acting schools, conservatories, theatre programs, workshops, and professional experience. College and university programs can provide structured training in acting, voice, movement, characterization, audition technique, and performance. A strong audition, portfolio of work, and experience can be more important than a particular credential.

Work Environment

Actors work in theatres, film and television studios, production locations, theme parks, commercials, and digital media. Work is often project-based, with assignments ranging from a day to several months. Evening, weekend, travel, and periods between jobs are common.

Future Outlook

Acting is being reshaped by streaming, gaming, digital media, and AI-generated performers. AI can now create or reproduce voices, faces, and performances, which may reduce some traditional opportunities. At the same time, the industry is creating new work involving digital performance, motion capture, virtual characters, AI direction, and managing performers' digital replicas. Human acting, emotional intelligence, creativity, and authentic life experience remain important — and performers increasingly need to understand how their likeness and voice can be used digitally.

Recommended High School Courses

Psychology
Dance
English
Film & Television
Drama & Theatre
Media Arts

Active Listening - Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
Critical Thinking - Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
Monitoring - Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
Reading Comprehension - Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
Social Perceptiveness - Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
Speaking - Talking to others to convey information effectively.
Time Management - Managing one's own time and the time of others.

Communications and Media - Knowledge of media production, communication, and dissemination techniques and methods. This includes alternative ways to inform and entertain via written, oral, and visual media.
Customer and Personal Service - Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
English Language - Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
Fine Arts - Knowledge of the theory and techniques required to compose, produce, and perform works of music, dance, visual arts, drama, and sculpture.
Psychology - Knowledge of human behavior and performance; individual differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; psychological research methods; and the assessment and treatment of behavioral and affective disorders.
Sociology and Anthropology - Knowledge of group behavior and dynamics, societal trends and influences, human migrations, ethnicity, cultures and their history and origins.

Fluency of Ideas - The ability to come up with a number of ideas about a topic (the number of ideas is important, not their quality, correctness, or creativity).
Memorization - The ability to remember information such as words, numbers, pictures, and procedures.
Near Vision - The ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).
Oral Comprehension - The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
Oral Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
Originality - The ability to come up with unusual or clever ideas about a given topic or situation, or to develop creative ways to solve a problem.
Problem Sensitivity - The ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing there is a problem.
Selective Attention - The ability to concentrate on a task over a period of time without being distracted.
Speech Clarity - The ability to speak clearly so others can understand you.
Speech Recognition - The ability to identify and understand the speech of another person.
Written Comprehension - The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.

Collaborate with others to prepare or perform artistic productions.
Entertain public with comedic or dramatic performances.
Study scripts to determine project requirements.
Practice athletic or artistic skills.
Audition for roles.
Perform music for the public.
Collaborate with others to determine technical details of productions.
Promote products, activities, or organizations.
Write material for artistic or entertainment purposes.
Inform viewers, listeners, or audiences.
Construct distinctive physical objects for artistic, functional, or commercial purposes.

Schools

Academy Of Art University

Arcadia University

Asbury University

Barry University

Bates College

Baylor University

Belmont University

Beloit College

Berea College

Bethany College- Lindsbor...

Bethel University (indian...

Biola University

Birmingham Southern Colle...

Bismarck State College

Bluefield College

Bob Jones University

Boston University

Bowdoin College

Bowling Green State Unive...

Brandeis University

Brenau University

Brescia University

Brigham Young University

Brown University

California Institute Of T...

Carnegie Mellon Universit...

Carroll College

Case Western Reserve Univ...

Central Methodist Univers...

Centre College

Cerritos College

Claremont Mckenna College

Clark State Community Col...

Coe College

Colby College

Colgate University

College Of Charleston

College Of The Holy Cross

College Of Wooster

Colorado College

Columbia College Chicago

Columbia University - Ny...

Connecticut College

Cornell College

Culver-stockton College

Davidson College

Denison University

Depaul University

Depauw University

East Central University -...

Elon University

Emerson College

Everett Community College

Florida State University

Friends University

Gettysburg College

Goucher College

Grinnell College

Gustavus Adolphus College

Hampden-sydney College

Hampshire College

Hartwick College

Hendrix College

High Point University

Hillsborough Community Co...

Hillsdale College

Hope College

Illinois State University

Ithaca College

Julliard School

Juniata College

Kalamazoo College

Kentucky Wesleyan College

King University

Limestone University

Macalester College

Marlboro College

Maryland Institute Colleg...

Marymount Manhattan Colle...

Mcpherson College

Merrimack College

Middlebury College

Moravian College

Mount Holyoke College

Muhlenberg College

Navarro College- Corsican...

New College Of Florida

New York University

North Greenville Universi...

Northern Arizona Universi...

Northern Virginia Communi...

Oakland Community College

Oberlin College

Occidental College

Ohio State University- Li...

Our Lady Of The Lake Univ...

Pace University- Nyc Camp...

Pennsylvania State Univer...

Pikes Peak Community Coll...

Pratt Institute

Randolph-macon College

Reed College

Regent University

Rhodes College

Rider University

Ripon College

Roane State Community Col...

Rochester University

Rollins College

Rutgers University- New B...

Saint Mary's College - No...

Saint Mary's College Of C...

Saint Michael's College

Saint Olaf College

Salve Regina University

Sarah Lawrence College

Savannah College Of Art A...

Scripps College

Shorter University

Skidmore College

Southern Methodist Univer...

Southwestern Assemblies O...

Southwestern College- Mai...

Southwestern Oklahoma Sta...

Southwestern University

Spelman College

St. Bonaventure Universit...

St. Mary's College Of Mar...

Stephens College

Stevenson University

Stonehill College

Suffolk County Community...

Suny At Binghamton

Suny At Buffalo

Suny At Geneseo

Suny At Purchase

Suny Dutchess Community C...

Suny Genesee Community Co...

Suny Mohawk Valley Commun...

Suny Niagara County Commu...

Suny Plattsburgh

Suny Rockland Community C...

Suny Sullivan County Comm...

Suny Westchester Communit...

Susquehanna University

Swarthmore College

Sweet Briar College

Syracuse University

Tabor College

Taylor University

Texas A & M University- C...

The University Of The Sou...

Thomas Nelson Community C...

Transylvania University

Trevecca Nazarene Univers...

Trinity University- San A...

Union College- New York

University Of Alabama- Hu...

University Of Alabama- Tu...

University Of California-...

University Of Hawaii- Hil...

University Of Idaho

University Of Mary Washin...

University Of Minnesota-...

University Of Nebraska- O...

University Of New Orleans

University Of North Carol...

University Of Oklahoma

University Of Oregon

University Of Puget Sound

University Of Redlands

University Of Richmond

University Of Saint Mary

University Of San Diego

University Of Sioux Falls

University Of Tennessee-...

University Of The Arts

University Of Wisconsin-...

Ursinus College

Utah Valley University

Vassar College

Virginia Wesleyan Univers...

Wabash College

Wagner College

Washington And Lee Univer...

Washington College

Wellesley College

Wells College

Wesleyan University

Westminster College- Penn...

Whitman College

Whittier College

Wilkes University

Willamette University

William Jewell College

William Woods University

Williams College

Wofford College

Yale University

York College

Ambrose University

Brock University

Canadore College- Comm...

Capilano University- M...

Dawson College

Humber College- Lakesh...

John Abbott College

Mount Allison Universi...

Niagara College- Wella...

Queen's University- Ki...

Red Deer College- Main...

Redeemer University Co...

Renison University Col...

Seneca College- Seneca...

Simon Fraser Universit...

St. Lawrence College-...

Toronto Film School

Trinity Western Univer...

University College Of...

University Of Alberta-...

University Of British...

University Of Guelph

University Of Manitoba

University Of Ottawa

University Of Quebec-...

University Of Regina

University Of Saskatch...

University Of Victoria

University Of Waterloo

Vanier College

York University- Keele...

Concordia University- L...

York University- Glendon...

USA

Canada

Potential Scholarships

Ache Police Officers And...

Army Rotc Green To Gold S...

Collegecounts Scholarship...

Hagan Scholarship Foundat...

Jsu Alabama Faculty Women...

Jsu Alabama Major John Pe...

Jsu Alabama Cole (leone)...

Aqha Region 1 Quarter Hor...

Aqha Arizona Quarter Hors...

Arizona Bpw Foundation Sc...

Miss Arizona Scholarship...

Arkansas Single Parent Sc...

Helen Laughlin Am Mode Me...

California Law Enforcemen...

Cancer For College Schola...

Greenhouse Scholars Schol...

Delaware Educational Bene...

Aqha Joan Cain Florida Qu...

5 Strong Scholarship

Georgia Tuition Equalizat...

Aqha Indiana Quarter Hors...

Ivy Tech Community Colleg...

Agnes M. Lindsay Scholars...

Harvard University Schola...

John And Abigail Adams Sc...

Aqha Dr. Gerald O'connor...

Ave Maria University Mich...

Michigan Tuition Incentiv...

Minnesota Child Care Gran...

Cancer For College Henry...

Cancer For College Pacifi...

Aqha Christopher Lawrence...

Aqhf Nebraska Quarter Hor...

Approx Salary Expectation

Low End:

$34,000.00 /yr

Avg/Med:

$60,000.00 /yr

High End:

$100,000.00 /yr

Related Careers

Film & Video Editor

Public Relations Specialists

Special Effects Makeup Artist

Public Relations Specialists

References

Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, https://www.bls.gov/ooh/.
Trend Analysis - Explorer the Market, Labour Market Information, Government of Canada https://www.jobbank.gc.ca/trend-analysis.
O*NET OnLine, National Center for O*NET Development, https://www.onetonline.org/.