Occupational Employment and Wages, May 2008

27-2011 Actors

Play parts in stage, television, radio, video, or motion picture productions 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.

National estimates for this occupation
Industry profile for this occupation
State profile for this occupation
Metropolitan area profile for this occupation


National estimates for this occupation: Top

Employment estimate and mean wage estimates for this occupation:

Employment (1) Employment
RSE (3)
Mean hourly
wage
Mean annual
wage (2)
Wage RSE (3)
44,360 5.8 % $29.05 (4) 6.9 %

Percentile wage estimates for this occupation:

Percentile 10% 25% 50%
(Median)
75% 90%
Hourly Wage $7.99 $9.81 $16.59 $29.57 (5)
  (4)

Industry profile for this occupation: Top

Industries with the highest published employment and wages for this occupation are provided. For a list of all industries with employment in this occupation, see the Create Customized Tables function.

Industries with the highest levels of employment in this occupation:

Industry Employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage
Motion Picture and Video Industries 11,250 $47.05 (4)
Performing Arts Companies 9,910 $23.23 (4)
Accounting, Tax Preparation, Bookkeeping, and Payroll Services 5,040 $18.23 (4)
Independent Artists, Writers, and Performers 4,310 $40.80 (4)
Amusement Parks and Arcades 3,240 $13.32 (4)

Top paying industries for this occupation:

Industry Employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage
Motion Picture and Video Industries 11,250 $47.05 (4)
Independent Artists, Writers, and Performers 4,310 $40.80 (4)
Radio and Television Broadcasting 1,180 $37.65 (4)
Agents and Managers for Artists, Athletes, Entertainers, and Other Public Figures 160 $33.30 (4)
Promoters of Performing Arts, Sports, and Similar Events 660 $30.42 (4)


State profile for this occupation: Top

States with the highest published employment concentrations and wages for this occupation are provided. For a list of all States with employment in this occupation, see the Create Customized Tables function.

States with the highest concentration of workers in this occupation:

State Employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage Percent of State employment
New Mexico 1,810 (8) (4) 0.221%
California 15,870 $39.16 (4) 0.104%
New York 5,160 $33.20 (4) 0.060%
Nevada 640 $25.00 (4) 0.050%
Florida 3,200 $14.25 (4) 0.041%

Top paying States for this occupation:

State Employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage Percent of State employment
California 15,870 $39.16 (4) 0.104%
Georgia 1,300 $34.57 (4) 0.032%
Washington 700 $33.20 (4) 0.024%
New York 5,160 $33.20 (4) 0.060%
Nevada 640 $25.00 (4) 0.050%


Metropolitan area profile for this occupation: Top

Metropolitan areas with the highest published employment concentrations and wages for this occupation are provided. For a list of all Metropolitan areas with employment in this occupation, see the Create Customized Tables function.

Metropolitan areas with the highest concentration of workers in this occupation:

MSA Employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage Percent of MSA employment
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale, CA Metropolitan Division 12,900 (8) (4) 0.310%
New York-White Plains-Wayne, NY-NJ Metropolitan Division 3,730 $35.23 (4) 0.072%
Las Vegas-Paradise, NV 610 $25.71 (4) 0.066%
San Francisco-San Mateo-Redwood City, CA Metropolitan Division 660 $42.97 (4) 0.065%
Seattle-Bellevue-Everett, WA Metropolitan Division 620 (8) (4) 0.043%

Top paying metropolitan areas for this occupation:

MSA Employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage Percent of MSA employment
San Francisco-San Mateo-Redwood City, CA Metropolitan Division 660 $42.97 (4) 0.065%
Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Marietta, GA 950 $41.02 (4) 0.039%
New York-White Plains-Wayne, NY-NJ Metropolitan Division 3,730 $35.23 (4) 0.072%
San Diego-Carlsbad-San Marcos, CA 300 $35.17 (4) 0.023%
Santa Ana-Anaheim-Irvine, CA Metropolitan Division 340 $27.47 (4) 0.022%


About May 2008 National, State, Metropolitan, and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

These estimates are calculated with data collected from employers in all industry sectors in metropolitan and nonmetropolitan areas in every State and the District of Columbia. The top five employment and wage figures are provided above. The complete list is available in the downloadable Excel files (XLS).

Percentile wage estimates show the percentage of workers in an occupation that earn less than a given wage and the percentage that earn more. The median wage is the 50th percentile wage estimate--50 percent of workers earn less than the median and 50 percent of workers earn more than the median. More about percentile wages.


(1) Estimates for detailed occupations do not sum to the totals because the totals include occupations not shown separately. Estimates do not include self-employed workers.

(2) Annual wages have been calculated by multiplying the hourly mean wage by a "year-round, full-time" hours figure of 2,080 hours; for those occupations where there is not an hourly mean wage published, the annual wage has been directly calculated from the reported survey data.

(3) The relative standard error (RSE) is a measure of the reliability of a survey statistic. The smaller the relative standard error, the more precise the estimate.

(4) Wages for some occupations that do not generally work year-round, full time, are reported either as hourly wages or annual salaries depending on how they are typically paid.

(5) This wage is equal to or greater than $80.00 per hour or $166,400 per year.

(8) Estimate not released.


Other OES estimates and related information:

May 2008 National Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2008 State Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2008 Metropolitan and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2008 National Industry-Specific Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

List of Occupations in SOC Code Number Order

List of Occupations in Alphabetical Order

Download May 2008 Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates in Zipped Excel files

Technical Notes

 

Last Modified Date: May 04, 2009