Actors

Actors (SOC 27-2011) earn a median $29.05 an hour in the United States, with 55,000 employed as of May 2025; the highest-paying state is Maryland.

What actors do

Actors take parts in stage, television, radio, video, or film productions, or in other settings that entertain, inform, or instruct. They interpret serious or comic roles through speech, gesture, and body movement, and may sing or dance during dramatic or comedic performances. They study and rehearse roles from scripts, learn and memorize lines, stunts, and cues, and learn about characters and their relationships to develop their interpretations. They work closely with directors, other actors, and playwrights to settle on the most suitable interpretation, work with other actors as an ensemble, and go to auditions and casting calls to compete for roles. Alternate titles include background actor, actor understudy, character performer, and comedian. Directors and producers, who make creative decisions about a production, are counted in a separate occupation.

Typical entry: According to O*NET, the most commonly reported level of education for this occupation is no formal educational credential.

Also called: Actor, Actor Understudy, Actress, Background Actor, Character Artist.

National wage percentiles, May 2025

Actors: US hourly and annual wage percentiles, mean and employment, May 2025
Area	Basis	Percentile wage					Mean	Employment
Area	Basis	10th	25th	Median	75th	90th	Mean	Employment
United States	Hourly	$16.50	$20.34	$29.05	$97.95	$143.68	$58.29	55,000
United States	Annual	*	*	*	*	*	*	55,000

Hourly wage at the 10th, 25th, 50th (median), 75th and 90th percentiles. The same numbers are in the table above.

Employment per 1,000 jobs and the location quotient are area measures; they appear in the state and metro tables below. To see what a wage in this range leaves after tax, use FastCalc's take-home pay calculator.

Where actors earn and work most

Five highest-paying states

Actors: the five states with the highest median wage, May 2025
Area	Basis	Percentile wage					Mean	Employment	Jobs per 1,000	Location quotient
Area	Basis	10th	25th	Median	75th	90th	Mean	Employment	Jobs per 1,000	Location quotient
Maryland	Hourly	$16.41	$18.66	$36.98	$39.59	$49.14	$35.21	520	0.19	0.53
Maryland	Annual	*	*	*	*	*	*	520	0.19	0.53
Oregon	Hourly	$22.26	$24.22	$29.81	$35.61	$56.87	$39.91	470	0.24	0.68
Oregon	Annual	*	*	*	*	*	*	470	0.24	0.68
New York	Hourly	$20.80	$26.61	$28.44	$81.61	$97.95	$50.16	6,630	0.69	1.94
New York	Annual	*	*	*	*	*	*	6,630	0.69	1.94
Connecticut	Hourly	$17.07	$17.07	$27.91	$37.15	$37.15	$29.51	180	0.10	0.30
Connecticut	Annual	*	*	*	*	*	*	180	0.10	0.30
Texas	Hourly	$14.97	$18.07	$25.86	$67.01	$111.29	$47.11	2,160	0.15	0.43
Texas	Annual	*	*	*	*	*	*	2,160	0.15	0.43

Five states with the most jobs

Actors: the five states with the highest employment, May 2025
Area	Basis	Percentile wage					Mean	Employment	Jobs per 1,000	Location quotient
Area	Basis	10th	25th	Median	75th	90th	Mean	Employment	Jobs per 1,000	Location quotient
California	Hourly	*	*	*	*	*	*	26,170	1.44	4.06
California	Annual	*	*	*	*	*	*	26,170	1.44	4.06
New York	Hourly	$20.80	$26.61	$28.44	$81.61	$97.95	$50.16	6,630	0.69	1.94
New York	Annual	*	*	*	*	*	*	6,630	0.69	1.94
Florida	Hourly	$16.71	$18.70	$19.11	$24.05	$30.09	$27.32	6,400	0.65	1.82
Florida	Annual	*	*	*	*	*	*	6,400	0.65	1.82
Texas	Hourly	$14.97	$18.07	$25.86	$67.01	$111.29	$47.11	2,160	0.15	0.43
Texas	Annual	*	*	*	*	*	*	2,160	0.15	0.43
Georgia	Hourly	$12.19	$19.00	$19.75	$64.32	$131.78	$48.38	1,520	0.31	0.88
Georgia	Annual	*	*	*	*	*	*	1,520	0.31	0.88

Five highest-paying metropolitan areas

Actors: the five metropolitan areas with the highest median wage, May 2025
Area	Basis	Percentile wage					Mean	Employment	Jobs per 1,000	Location quotient
Area	Basis	10th	25th	Median	75th	90th	Mean	Employment	Jobs per 1,000	Location quotient
Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA	Hourly	$9.43	$13.62	$65.27	$131.78	$131.82	$69.19	570	0.20	0.55
Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA	Annual	*	*	*	*	*	*	570	0.20	0.55
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA	Hourly	$21.97	$25.12	$55.29	$143.26	$145.47	$82.51	24,800	3.96	11.18
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA	Annual	*	*	*	*	*	*	24,800	3.96	11.18
Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD	Hourly	$15.00	$18.62	$37.10	$37.66	$47.16	$36.12	340	0.25	0.71
Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD	Annual	*	*	*	*	*	*	340	0.25	0.71
Charleston-North Charleston, SC	Hourly	$13.00	$31.90	$31.90	$31.90	$31.90	$31.82	30	0.08	0.22
Charleston-North Charleston, SC	Annual	*	*	*	*	*	*	30	0.08	0.22
Salt Lake City-Murray, UT	Hourly	$19.23	$31.17	$31.19	$50.00	$60.00	$37.02	280	0.33	0.94
Salt Lake City-Murray, UT	Annual	*	*	*	*	*	*	280	0.33	0.94

Five metropolitan areas with the most jobs

Actors: the five metropolitan areas with the highest employment, May 2025
Area	Basis	Percentile wage					Mean	Employment	Jobs per 1,000	Location quotient
Area	Basis	10th	25th	Median	75th	90th	Mean	Employment	Jobs per 1,000	Location quotient
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA	Hourly	$21.97	$25.12	$55.29	$143.26	$145.47	$82.51	24,800	3.96	11.18
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA	Annual	*	*	*	*	*	*	24,800	3.96	11.18
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ	Hourly	$20.80	$27.97	$28.81	$81.79	$97.96	$52.43	5,430	0.57	1.62
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ	Annual	*	*	*	*	*	*	5,430	0.57	1.62
Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL	Hourly	$15.23	$18.70	$19.11	$19.11	$29.44	$21.16	4,240	3.00	8.49
Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL	Annual	*	*	*	*	*	*	4,240	3.00	8.49
Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas, NV	Hourly	*	*	*	*	*	*	680	0.60	1.69
Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas, NV	Annual	*	*	*	*	*	*	680	0.60	1.69
San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA	Hourly	*	*	*	*	*	*	680	0.29	0.81
San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA	Annual	*	*	*	*	*	*	680	0.29	0.81

Top industries employing actors

Motion Picture and Video Industries employ 35.0% of actors nationally (19,270 jobs) with no published median there, followed by Performing Arts Companies (12.2%) and Accounting, Tax Preparation, Bookkeeping, and Payroll Services (9.7%).

Actors: the 5 industries with the highest employment, United States, May 2025 (4-digit NAICS)
Industry	Employment	Share of occupation	Median annual	Median hourly
Motion Picture and Video Industries NAICS 512100	19,270	35.0%	*	*
Performing Arts Companies NAICS 711100	6,720	12.2%	*	$25.34
Accounting, Tax Preparation, Bookkeeping, and Payroll Services NAICS 541200	5,360	9.7%	*	$29.92
Amusement Parks and Arcades NAICS 713100	5,120	9.3%	*	$18.70
Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools NAICS 611300	1,560	2.8%	*	$23.71

Share is the industry's employment over the occupation's national employment (55,000). Industries whose employment BLS withheld are not ranked.

Every state, by median wage

30 states and DC publish a row for this occupation. A linked state has its own page with the within-state metro table and comparison; the others appear here only.

Rank	State	Median hourly	Median annual	10th pct (annual)	90th pct (annual)	Employment	Jobs per 1,000	Location quotient
1	Maryland profile	$36.98	*	*	*	520	0.19	0.53
2	Oregon profile	$29.81	*	*	*	470	0.24	0.68
3	New York profile	$28.44	*	*	*	6,630	0.69	1.94
4	Connecticut profile	$27.91	*	*	*	180	0.10	0.30
5	Texas profile	$25.86	*	*	*	2,160	0.15	0.43
6	Alabama profile	$24.71	*	*	*	150	0.07	0.20
7	New Jersey profile	$24.29	*	*	*	470	0.11	0.31
8	Mississippi profile	$23.71	*	*	*	80	0.07	0.18
9	Pennsylvania profile	$22.15	*	*	*	890	0.15	0.41
10	Tennessee profile	$21.82	*	*	*	370	0.11	0.32
11	Arizona profile	$21.16	*	*	*	380	0.12	0.33
12	Georgia profile	$19.75	*	*	*	1,520	0.31	0.88
13	Arkansas profile	$19.49	*	*	*	70	0.05	0.15
14	Missouri profile	$19.20	*	*	*	450	0.15	0.44
15	Florida profile	$19.11	*	*	*	6,400	0.65	1.82
16	Minnesota profile	$18.95	*	*	*	520	0.18	0.49
17	Kentucky profile	$18.85	*	*	*	90	0.05	0.13
18	North Carolina profile	$18.83	*	*	*	730	0.15	0.42
19	Illinois profile	$15.00	*	*	*	1,060	0.17	0.49
20	Ohio profile	$13.51	*	*	*	170	0.03	0.08
21	Nevada profile	$12.76	*	*	*	790	0.51	1.45
–	California profile	*	*	*	*	26,170	1.44	4.06
–	Colorado profile	*	*	*	*	200	0.07	0.20
–	Indiana profile	*	*	*	*	510	0.16	0.45
–	Massachusetts profile	*	*	*	*	660	0.18	0.51
–	Michigan profile	*	*	*	*	150	0.03	0.09
–	Montana profile	*	*	*	*	70	0.15	0.41
–	South Carolina profile	*	*	*	*	140	0.06	0.17
–	Utah profile	*	*	*	*	630	0.37	1.03
–	Wisconsin profile	*	*	*	*	260	0.09	0.25

Occupations in the same SOC broad group (27-2010), with their national median annual wage.

Part of Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media Occupations. Compare any area in the wage explorer.

Source and notes

Data: BLS OEWS May 2025, released 2026-05-15. Cross-industry estimates, all ownerships. BLS page: OEWS 27-2011 Actors.

*: Wage estimate not available.

Annual wages assume 2,080 hours a year at the hourly rate; occupations BLS publishes on one basis only show an en dash (–) on the other.
Employment is rounded to the nearest 10 by BLS. Where BLS withholds a cell, nothing is estimated in its place.
Top industries: nat4d_M2025_dl.xlsx in oesm25in4.zip (BLS OEWS May 2025, national, 4-digit NAICS, cross-ownership). Employment is the industry's rounded total for this occupation; industries whose employment BLS withheld (**) are not ranked. A withheld or top-coded median in that table shows the marker explained above.

Sources

BLS Standard Occupational Classification 2018, definition of 27-2011, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
O*NET 30.1 Database, 27-2011.00, National Center for O*NET Development, USDOL/ETA (CC BY 4.0).
OEWS May 2025 national industry-specific estimates, 4-digit NAICS (oesm25in4.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).

Includes information from O*NET 30.1 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration, used under the CC BY 4.0 license.

Description written 2026-10-17 in our own words from the sources above.