Drama & Theater Arts
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Types of Degrees Drama & Theater Arts Majors Are Getting
The following table lists how many drama and theater arts graduations there were in 2018-2019 for each degree level.
Education Level | Number of Grads |
---|---|
Bachelor’s Degree | 12,791 |
Master’s Degree | 1,783 |
Associate’s Degree | 1,667 |
Undergraduate Certificate | 809 |
Basic Certificate | 575 |
Doctor’s Degree | 88 |
Graduate Certificate | 13 |
What Drama & Theater Arts Majors Need to Know
In an O*NET survey, theater majors were asked to rate what knowledge areas, skills, and abilities were important in their occupations. These answers were weighted on a scale of 1 to 5 with 5 being the most important.
Knowledge Areas for Theater Majors
Theater majors often go into careers in which the following knowledge areas are important:

- 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
theater majors are found most commonly in careers in which the following skills are important:

- 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
As a theater major, you will find yourself needing the following abilities:

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

Race/Ethnicity | Number of Grads |
---|---|
Asian | 286 |
Black or African American | 1,070 |
Hispanic or Latino | 1,683 |
White | 8,369 |
International Students | 362 |
Other Races/Ethnicities | 1,021 |
Geographic Diversity
Theater appeals to people across the globe. About 2.8% 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
The median starting salary of students who graduated in 2015-2017 with a bachelor’s degree in theater was $20,100 per year. These stats come from the U.S. Department of Education. During this timeframe, most salaries fell between $18,000 (25th percentile) and $23,000 (75th percentile).

Note that some of these people may have jobs that are not directly related to a theater degree.
Salaries According to BLS
Theater majors often go into careers where salaries can range from $59,790 to $87,610 (25th to 75th percentile). This range includes all degree levels, so you may expect those with a more advanced degree to make more while those with less advanced degrees will typically make less.
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 careers associated with theater require an advanced degree while some may not even require a bachelor’s. Whatever the case may be, pursuing more education usually means that more career options will be available to you.
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 2018-2019 academic year, 1,114 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) | 100 | 2 |
Certificate (1-2 years) | 56 | 1 |
Certificate (2-4 Years) | 13 | 0 |
Associate’s Degree | 273 | 5 |
Bachelor’s Degree | 11 | 1 |
Post-Baccalaureate | 100 | 2 |
Master’s Degree | 269 | 7 |
Post-Master’s | 6 | 0 |
Doctor’s Degree (Research) | 39 | 1 |
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!

Top Ranking Lists for Drama & Theater Arts
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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 | 40,751 |
Design & Applied Arts | 36,179 |
Music | 26,968 |
Film, Video & Photographic Arts | 16,756 |
General Visual & Performing Arts | 5,720 |
Arts & Media Management | 4,766 |
Dance | 3,234 |
Other Visual Art | 1,071 |
Crafts, Folk Art & Artisanry | 124 |
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.
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