Dancers & choreographers

Detailed Occupation

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2020 Workforce

16.1k

Average Age

29.2

Average Salary

$32,147

Average Male Salary

$38,122

Average Female Salary

$30,326

About

Dancers & choreographers are most often employed by the Performing arts companies industry. The average yearly wage for Dancers & choreographers was $32,147 in 2016. The top 3 most similar occupations to Dancers & choreographers by wage are Tree trimmers and pruners, Baggage porters, bellhops, & concierges, and Retail salespersons.

Dancers & choreographers are part of the Arts, design, entertainment, sports, & media occupations, along with Artists & related workers, Commercial and industrial designers, Fashion designers, Floral designers, Graphic designers, and 25 more.

The top 3 locations that employ the most Dancers & choreographers are LA City (Northeast/North Hollywood & Valley Village) PUMA, CA, Henderson City (West) PUMA, NV, and Washington Heights, Inwood & Marble Hill PUMA, NY. The top 3 locations with a relatively high concentration of Dancers & choreographers are LA City (Northeast/North Hollywood & Valley Village) PUMA, CA, Henderson City (West) PUMA, NV, and Washington Heights, Inwood & Marble Hill PUMA, NY.

Photo by Brendan

Employment

Information on the businesses and industries that employ Dancers & choreographers and on wages and locations for those in the field. Performing arts companies is the industry that employs the most Dancers & choreographers, both by share and by number, though the highest paid industry for Dancers & choreographers, by average wage, is Spectator sports. Dancers & choreographers are paid most in Inner Mission & Castro PUMA, CA but are relatively concentrated in LA City (Northeast/North Hollywood & Valley Village) PUMA, CA.

Yearly Wage

$32,147

AVERAGE SALARY

± $7,533

In 2020, Dancers & choreographers earned an average of $32,147, $23,807 less than than the average national salary of $55,954.

Tree trimmers and pruners make somewhat more than Dancers & choreographers while Baggage porters, bellhops, & concierges make somewhat less. This chart shows the various occupations closest to Dancers & choreographers as measured by average annual salary in the US.

Wage Distribution

0.475

WAGE GINI

In 2015, Dancers & choreographers had a wage GINI coefficient of 0.475, which is lower than than the national average of 0.478. In other words, wages are distributed more evenly for Dancers & choreographers (shown in red) than for the overall labor force (shown in gray).

Wage by Location

HIGHEST PAYING PUMAS

This map shows the Public Use Microdata Areas (PUMAs) in the United States shaded by average annual wage for Dancers & choreographers.

Spatial Concentration

PUMAs with a Relatively High Concentration of Dancers & choreographers

This map displays which Public Use Microdata Areas (PUMAs) in the United States have a relatively high population of Dancers & choreographers.

Most Common

The most common industries employing Dancers & choreographers, by number of employees, are Performing arts companies, Independent artists, writers, and performers, Amusement & Recreation, Drinking places, alcoholic beverages , Other schools & instruction and educational support services, Promoters of performing arts, sports, and similar events, agents and managers for artists, athletes, entertainers, and other public figures, Spectator sports, Water transportation, Motion pictures & video industries, Elementary & secondary schools, and Traveler accommodation.

Highest Paying

The highest paying industries for Dancers & choreographers, by average wage, are Spectator sports, Motion pictures & video industries, and Water transportation.

Industries by Share

16.1k

2020 Workforce

± 3,112

−7.12%

1 YEAR GROWTH

± 29%

The number of people employed as Dancers & choreographers has been declining at a rate of −7.12%, from 17,297 people in 2019 to 16,065 people in 2020.

This graphic shows the share of Dancers & choreographers employed by various industries. Performing arts companies employs the largest share of Dancers & choreographers at 22.4%, followed by Independent artists, writers, and performers with 20.4% and Amusement & Recreation with 13.5%.

Diversity

Demographic information on Dancers & choreographers in the US. The average age of male Dancers & choreographers in the workforce is 31.7 and of female Dancers & choreographers is 28.4, and the most common race/ethnicity for Dancers & choreographers is White (Non-Hispanic).

Composition by Sex

3.75k

MALE WORKFORCE

± 1,504

12.3k

FEMALE WORKFORCE

± 2,724

76.6% of Dancers & choreographers are Female, making them the more common sex in the occupation. This chart shows the sex breakdown of Dancers & choreographers.

Race & Ethnicity

Most Common Race or Ethnicity of Dancers & choreographers

White (Non-Hispanic)
Black (Non-Hispanic)
White (Hispanic)

56.3% of Dancers & choreographers are White (Non-Hispanic), making that the most common race or ethnicity in the occupation. Representing 15.5% of Dancers & choreographers, Black (Non-Hispanic) is the second most common race or ethnicity in this occupation. This chart shows the racial and ethnic breakdown of Dancers & choreographers.

Age by Sex

31.7

AVERAGE MALE AGE

± 4

28.4

AVERAGE FEMALE AGE

± 2.17

The median age of Dancers & choreographers is 29.2, and Male employees are generally 3.27 years older than than their Female counterparts.

Education

Data on higher education choices for Dancers & choreographers from The Department of Education and Census Bureau. The most common major for Dancers & choreographers is Visual & Performing Arts but a relatively high number of Dancers & choreographers hold a major in Visual & Performing Arts.

Majors

ACS PUMS data only shows the major for bachelor's degrees. However, we can filter the data based on highest degree obtained.

MOST COMMON MAJORS

MOST SPECIALIZED MAJORS

Skills

Data on the critical and distinctive skills necessary for Dancers & choreographers from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Dancers & choreographers need many skills, but most especially Instructing, Speaking, and Active Listening. The revealed comparative advantage (RCA) shows that Dancers & choreographers need more than the average amount of Coordination, Service Orientation, and Social Perceptiveness.