Visual & Performing Arts

Types of Degrees Visual & Performing Arts Majors Are Getting

The following table lists how many visual and performing arts graduations there were in 2020-2021 for each degree level.

Education Level	Number of Grads
Bachelor’s Degree	94,717
Associate Degree	20,063
Master’s Degree	15,845
Undergraduate Certificate	8,664
Basic Certificate	7,392
Doctor’s Degree	1,669
Graduate Certificate	865

What Visual & Performing Arts Majors Need to Know

People with careers related to visual and performing arts were asked what knowledge areas, skills, and abilities were important for their jobs. They weighted these areas on a scale of 1 to 5 with 5 being the highest.

Knowledge Areas for Visual & Performing Arts Majors

According to O*NET survey takers, a major in visual and performing arts should prepare you for careers in which you will need to be knowledgeable in the following areas:

• English Language - Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
• 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.
• Fine Arts - Knowledge of the theory and techniques required to compose, produce, and perform works of music, dance, visual arts, drama, and sculpture.
• Computers and Electronics - Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.

Skills for Visual & Performing Arts Majors

A major in visual and performing arts prepares you for careers in which the following skill-sets are crucial:

• 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.
• Speaking - Talking to others to convey information effectively.
• Reading Comprehension - Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
• Critical Thinking - Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
• Judgment and Decision Making - Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.

Abilities for Visual & Performing Arts Majors

Visual and Performing Arts majors often go into careers where the following abilities are vital:

• 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.
• Near Vision - The ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).
• Written Comprehension - The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
• Speech Clarity - The ability to speak clearly so others can understand you.

What Can You Do With a Visual & Performing Arts Major?

Below is a list of occupations associated with visual and performing arts:

Job Title	Job Growth Rate	Median Salary
Actors	11.6%	NA
Agents and Business Managers of Artists, Performers, and Athletes	4.7%	$66,040
Architecture Professors	10.5%	$86,980
Archivists	14.7%	$52,240
Art Directors	5.4%	$92,780
Art, Drama, and Music Professors	12.0%	$69,960
Artists and Related Workers	5.5%	$65,390
Camera Operators, Television, Video, and Motion Picture	7.2%	$54,570
Choreographers	2.9%	$47,800
Commercial and Industrial Designers	4.3%	$66,590
Communications Professors	10.0%	$68,910
Compliance Managers	8.0%	$107,480
Craft Artists	4.8%	$34,240
Curators	13.7%	$53,780
Dancers	4.4%	NA
Designers	5.6%	$60,570
Directors- Stage, Motion Pictures, Television, and Radio	12.2%	$71,680
Entertainers and Performers, Sports and Related Workers	8.2%	NA
Fashion Designers	2.5%	$72,720
Film and Video Editors	17.0%	$62,650
Fine Artists, Including Painters, Sculptors, and Illustrators	6.8%	$49,380
Graphic Designers	4.2%	$50,370
Interior Designers	4.5%	$53,370
Investment Fund Managers	8.0%	$107,480
Multimedia Artists and Animators	8.4%	$72,520
Museum Technicians and Conservators	12.7%	$43,020
Music Composers and Arrangers	5.7%	$49,630
Music Directors	5.7%	$49,630
Musicians, Instrumental	6.0%	NA
Poets, Lyricists and Creative Writers	7.6%	$62,170
Producers	12.2%	$71,680
Professors	9.4%	$65,660
Program Directors	12.2%	$71,680
Regulatory Affairs Managers	8.0%	$107,480
Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education	7.5%	$60,320
Set and Exhibit Designers	10.3%	$54,270
Singers	6.0%	NA
Sound Engineering Technicians	6.5%	$52,390
Talent Directors	12.2%	$71,680
Technical Directors/Managers	12.2%	$71,680

Who Is Getting a Bachelor’s Degree in Visual & Performing Arts?

The major attracts more women than men. About 64% of the recent graduates in this field are female.

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the countrywide level, the racial-ethnic distribution of visual and performing arts majors is as follows:

Race/Ethnicity	Number of Grads
Asian	6,019
Black or African American	7,441
Hispanic or Latino	14,326
White	53,106
International Students	5,853
Other Races/Ethnicities	7,972

Geographic Diversity

Visual & Performing Arts appeals to people across the globe. About 6.2% of those with this major are international students.

How Much Do Visual & Performing Arts Majors Make?

Bachelor’s Degree Starting Salary

The U.S. Department of Education found that students who graduated in 2017-2019 with a bachelor’s degree in visual and performing arts made a median starting salary of $24,682 per year. During this timeframe, most salaries fell between $21,086 (25th percentile) and $29,159 (75th percentile).

One thing to note here is that not all of these people may be working in careers related to visual and performing arts.

Salaries According to BLS

Visual and Performing Arts majors often go into careers where salaries can range from $58,370 to $82,560 (25th to 75th percentile). This range includes all degree levels, so the salary for a person with just a bachelor’s degree may be a little less and the one for a person with an advanced degree may be a little more.

To put that into context, according to BLS data from the first quarter of 2020, the typical high school graduate makes between $30,000 and $57,900 a year (25th through 75th percentile). The average person with a bachelor’s degree (any field) makes between $45,600 and $99,000. Advanced degree holders make the most with salaries between $55,600 and $125,400.

Amount of Education Required for Careers Related to Visual & Performing Arts

Some careers associated with visual and performing arts require an advanced degree while some may not even require a bachelor’s. In general, the more advanced your degree the more career options will open up to you. However, there is significant time and money that needs to be invested into your education so weigh the pros and cons.

Find out what the typical degree level is for visual and performing arts careers below.

Education Level	Percentage of Workers
Less than a High School Diploma	5.1%
High School Diploma - or the equivalent (for example, GED)	11.2%
Post-Secondary Certificate - awarded for training completed after high school (for example, in agriculture or natural resources, computer services, personal or culinary services, engineering technologies, healthcare, construction trades, mechanic and repair technologies, or precision production)	5.2%
Some College Courses	9.5%
Associate’s Degree (or other 2-year degree)	7.3%
Bachelor’s Degree	34.8%
Post-Baccalaureate Certificate - awarded for completion of an organized program of study; designed for people who have completed a Baccalaureate degree but do not meet the requirements of academic degrees carrying the title of Master.	1.8%
Master’s Degree	16.4%
Post-Master’s Certificate - awarded for completion of an organized program of study; designed for people who have completed a Master’s degree but do not meet the requirements of academic degrees at the doctoral level.	1.1%
First Professional Degree - awarded for completion of a program that: requires at least 2 years of college work before entrance into the program, includes a total of at least 6 academic years of work to complete, and provides all remaining academic requirements to begin practice in a profession.	2.1%
Doctoral Degree	5.8%
Post-Doctoral Training	0.5%

Online Visual & Performing Arts Programs

In the 2020-2021 academic year, 2,254 schools offered some type of visual and performing arts program. The following table lists the number of programs by degree level, along with how many schools offered online courses in the field.

Degree Level	Colleges Offering Programs	Colleges Offering Online Classes
Certificate (Less Than 1 Year)	0	0
Certificate (1-2 years)	775	33
Certificate (2-4 Years)	128	5
Associate’s Degree	2,514	83
Bachelor’s Degree	337	10
Post-Baccalaureate	0	0
Master’s Degree	2,075	73
Post-Master’s	98	0
Doctor’s Degree (Research)	380	1
Doctor’s Degree (Professional Practice)	9	0
Doctor’s Degree (Other)	14	0

Is a Degree in Visual & Performing Arts Worth It?

The median salary for a visual and performing arts grad is $64,340 per year. This is based on the weighted average of the most common careers associated with the major.

This is 61% more than the average salary for an individual holding a high school degree. This adds up to a gain of about $488,800 after 20 years!

Majors Related to Visual & Performing Arts

You may also be interested in one of the following majors related to visual and performing arts.

Major	Number of Grads
Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities	556,813
English Language & Literature	54,635
Foreign Languages & Linguistics	33,333
Theology & Religious Vocations	27,459
Philosophy & Religious Studies	19,993

References

*The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students, international students, and students whose race/ethnicity was unknown. This number is then divided by the total number of students at the school to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

• College Factual
• College Scorecard
• National Center for Education Statistics
• O*NET Online
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• Usual Weekly Earnings of Wage and Salary Workers First Quarter 2020
• Image Credit: By Bonnielou2013 under License

More about our data sources and methodologies.