Drama & Theater Arts

Types of Degrees Drama & Theater Arts Majors Are Getting

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

Education Level	Number of Grads
Bachelor’s Degree	13,117
Associate Degree	1,687
Master’s Degree	1,611
Undergraduate Certificate	510
Basic Certificate	328
Doctor’s Degree	69
Graduate Certificate	19

What Drama & Theater Arts Majors Need to Know

O*NET surveyed people in occupations related to theater and asked them what knowledge areas, skills, and abilities were important for their jobs. The responses were rated on a scale of 1 to 5 with 5 being most important.

Knowledge Areas for Theater Majors

According to O*NET survey takers, a major in theater 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.
• Fine Arts - Knowledge of the theory and techniques required to compose, produce, and perform works of music, dance, visual arts, drama, and sculpture.
• 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.
• Education and Training - Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.
• Administration and Management - Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.

Skills for Theater Majors

A major in theater 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.
• Critical Thinking - Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
• Reading Comprehension - Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
• Coordination - Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.

Abilities for Theater Majors

A major in theater will prepare for your careers in which the following abilities are important:

• 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.
• Written Comprehension - The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
• Originality - The ability to come up with unusual or clever ideas about a given topic or situation, or to develop creative ways to solve a problem.
• Speech Clarity - The ability to speak clearly so others can understand you.

What Can You Do With a Drama & Theater Arts Major?

Below is a list of occupations associated with theater:

Job Title	Job Growth Rate	Median Salary
Actors	11.6%	NA
Art, Drama, and Music Professors	12.0%	$69,960
Choreographers	2.9%	$47,800
Dancers	4.4%	NA
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
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
Program Directors	12.2%	$71,680
Set and Exhibit Designers	10.3%	$54,270
Singers	6.0%	NA
Talent Directors	12.2%	$71,680
Technical Directors/Managers	12.2%	$71,680

Who Is Getting a Bachelor’s Degree in Drama & Theater Arts?

Drama and Theater Arts runs middle of the road when it comes to popularity, ranking #38 out of all the undergraduate majors we track. In 2021, about 13,117 graduates completed their bachelor’s degree in this field. The major attracts more women than men. About 65% of the recent graduates in this field are female.

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the countrywide level, the racial-ethnic distribution of theater majors is as follows:

Race/Ethnicity	Number of Grads
Asian	364
Black or African American	1,192
Hispanic or Latino	1,809
White	8,321
International Students	324
Other Races/Ethnicities	1,107

Geographic Diversity

Students from other countries are interested in Theater, too. About 2.5% of those with this major are international students. The most popular countries for students from outside the country are:

• China
• Canada
• Brazil
• United Kingdom
• Mexico

How Much Do Drama & Theater Arts Majors Make?

Bachelor’s Degree Starting Salary

Data from the U.S. Department of Education shows that drama and theater arts students who graduated in 2017-2019 with a bachelor’s degree made a median starting salary of $21,886 per year. During this timeframe, most salaries fell between $19,436 (25th percentile) and $24,471 (75th percentile).

Note that some of these people may have jobs that are not directly related to a theater degree.

Salaries According to BLS

Average salaries range from $59,790 to $87,610 (25th to 75th percentile) for careers related to theater. 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 Drama & Theater Arts

Some degrees associated with theater may require an advanced degree, while others may not even require a bachelor’s in the field. 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 theater careers below.

Education Level	Percentage of Workers
Less than a High School Diploma	6.5%
High School Diploma - or the equivalent (for example, GED)	10.1%
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)	2.3%
Some College Courses	8.4%
Associate’s Degree (or other 2-year degree)	6.6%
Bachelor’s Degree	36.9%
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.	1.6%
Master’s Degree	14.6%
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.	0.5%
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.	3.7%
Doctoral Degree	8.7%
Post-Doctoral Training	0.5%

Online Drama & Theater Arts Programs

In the 2020-2021 academic year, 1,121 schools offered some type of drama and theater 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)	64	0
Certificate (2-4 Years)	13	0
Associate’s Degree	297	1
Bachelor’s Degree	14	0
Post-Baccalaureate	0	0
Master’s Degree	266	7
Post-Master’s	4	0
Doctor’s Degree (Research)	40	0
Doctor’s Degree (Professional Practice)	0	0
Doctor’s Degree (Other)	0	0

Is a Degree in Drama & Theater Arts Worth It?

The median salary for a theater grad is $73,090 per year. This is based on the weighted average of the most common careers associated with the major.

This is 83% more than the average salary for an individual holding a high school degree. This adds up to a gain of about $663,800 after 20 years!

Majors Related to Drama & Theater Arts

You may also be interested in one of the following majors related to theater.

Major	Number of Grads
Fine & Studio Arts	37,413
Design & Applied Arts	36,301
Music	25,910
Film, Video & Photographic Arts	16,778
General Visual & Performing Arts	6,355
Arts & Media Management	4,788
Dance	3,288
Other Visual Art	912
Crafts, Folk Art & Artisanry	119
Community/Environmental/Socially-Engaged Art	10

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 Donald Judge under License

More about our data sources and methodologies.