Occupational Employment and Wages, November 2003

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)
57,580 7.0 % (4) $47,650 3.9 %

Percentile wage estimates for this occupation:

Percentile 10% 25% 50%
(Median)
75% 90%
Annual Wage (2) $13,870 $16,510 $25,330 $65,060 $118,040
  (4)

Industry profile for this occupation: Top

Industries with the highest levels of employment in this occupation:

Industry Employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage
Motion picture and video industries 26,070 (4) $49,750
Performing arts companies 10,210 (4) $40,080
Employment services 2,530 (4) $26,380
Independent artists, writers, and performers 1,980 (4) $67,860
Promoters of performing arts and sports 920 (4) $32,520

Top paying industries for this occupation:

Industry Employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage
Cable and other subscription programming 90 (4) $81,000
Agents and managers for public figures 110 (4) $76,470
Management of companies and enterprises (7) (4) $75,860
Radio and television broadcasting 270 (4) $75,390
Independent artists, writers, and performers 1,980 (4) $67,860

State profile for this occupation: Top

States with the highest concentration of workers in this occupation:

State Employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage Percent of State employment
California 20,980 (4) $48,590 0.145%
Utah 1,090 (7) (7) 0.104%
Florida 2,620 (4) $40,130 0.036%
New Mexico 260 (7) (7) 0.035%
Minnesota 660 (4) $46,450 0.025%

Top paying States for this occupation:

State Employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage Percent of State employment
Hawaii (7) (4) $79,540 (7)
District of Columbia (7) (4) $59,030 (7)
Illinois (7) (4) $58,800 (7)
New York (7) (4) $54,800 (7)
California 20,980 (4) $48,590 0.145%

Metropolitan area profile for this occupation: Top

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, CA PMSA 17,730 (4) $49,180 0.446%
Sarasota-Bradenton, FL MSA 440 (4) $37,190 0.161%
Middlesex-Somerset-Hunterdon, NJ PMSA 760 (4) $37,960 0.122%
Myrtle Beach, SC MSA 90 (4) $27,940 0.087%
Orlando, FL MSA 560 (4) $30,870 0.063%

Top paying Metropolitan areas for this occupation:

MSA Employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage Percent of MSA employment
Orange County, CA PMSA 790 (4) $65,740 0.055%
Chicago, IL PMSA (7) (4) $63,370 (7)
Fort Lauderdale, FL PMSA 260 (4) $59,120 0.037%
New York, NY PMSA (7) (4) $58,050 (7)
Las Vegas, NV-AZ MSA 380 (4) $56,280 0.047%

About November 2003 National, State, and Metropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

These estimates are calculated with data collected from employers in all industry sectors in metropolitan and non-metropolitan 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) Hourly wage rates for occupations where workers typically work fewer than 2,080 hours per year are not available.

(7) Estimates not released.

All Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media Occupations

November 2003 National Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

November 2003 State Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

November 2003 Metropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

November 2003 National Industry-Specific Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

List of Occupations in SOC Code Number Order

List of Occupations in Alphabetical Order

Download November 2003 Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates in Zipped Excel files

Technical notes

 

Last Modified Date: April 19, 2005