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Theater Arts

Types of Degrees Theater Arts Majors Are Earning

Those studying Theater Arts may pursue degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Certificate	328
Associate’s Degree	1,039
Bachelor’s Degree	8,298
Master’s Degree	1,024
Doctor’s Degree	86

What Theater Arts Majors Need to Know

Programs in Theater Arts build a specific mix of knowledge, skills, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in occupations that Theater Arts graduates commonly enter.

Knowledge Areas

According to O*NET, a major in Theater Arts emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• English Language — Importance 4.2 / 5; level 4.9 / 7.
• Communications and Media — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.6 / 7.
• Fine Arts — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.9 / 7.
• Education and Training — Importance 3.7 / 5; level 4.6 / 7.
• Computers and Electronics — Importance 3.4 / 5; level 3.9 / 7.

^{Importance is rated 1–5; level is 1–7. Source: ONET Online — weighted across related occupations.*}

Skills

Skills built by a Theater Arts program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

• Speaking — Importance 4.3 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.
• Active Listening — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.
• Reading Comprehension — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.
• Monitoring — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 4.0 / 7.
• Critical Thinking — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 3.9 / 7.

Abilities

Innate abilities most relevant to Theater Arts careers — again drawn from O*NET surveys of related occupations:

• Oral Expression — Importance 4.3 / 5; level 4.7 / 7.
• Oral Comprehension — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.6 / 7.
• Written Comprehension — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.6 / 7.
• Speech Clarity — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.4 / 7.
• Written Expression — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.4 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, Theater Arts graduates report doing:

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Thinking Creatively	4.6 / 7
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates	4.5 / 7
Making Decisions and Solving Problems	4.2 / 7
Getting Information	4.2 / 7
Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships	4.2 / 7
Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work	4.1 / 7
Training and Teaching Others	4.0 / 7
Working with Computers	4.0 / 7
Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge	3.9 / 7
Coaching and Developing Others	3.8 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by Theater Arts professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Microsoft Word	Word processing software	—
Microsoft Office software	Office suite software	✓
Microsoft Excel	Spreadsheet software	✓
Microsoft PowerPoint	Presentation software	✓
Email software	Electronic mail software	—
Microsoft Outlook	Electronic mail software	—
Apple Final Cut Pro	Video creation and editing software	—
Adobe Photoshop	Graphics or photo imaging software	✓
Adobe After Effects	Video creation and editing software	✓
Adobe Audition	Music or sound editing software	—
Hypertext markup language HTML	Web platform development software	—
Adobe Acrobat	Document management software	—

^{Source: ONET Online technology skills, weighted across related occupations.*}

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for Theater Arts graduates include:

• Orchestra Teacher
• Music Theory Professor
• Media Arts Professor
• Adjunct Music Instructor
• Adjunct Instructor
• Visual Arts Instructor
• Instructor
• Adjunct Music Professor
• Studio Instructor
• Adjunct Art Instructor
• Organ Teacher
• Violin Teacher
• Stagecraft Professor
• Music Theory Teacher
• Woodshop Instructor

Education Typically Required

Across the occupations open to Theater Arts graduates, the typical level of education actually held by current workers is distributed as:

Education Level	Share of Workers
Bachelor’s degree	33.5%
Master’s degree	28.8%
Doctoral degree	17.3%
High school diploma or equivalent	5.5%
Associate’s degree (or other 2-year)	5.4%
Some college courses	2.7%
Postsecondary certificate	2.4%
Less than a high school diploma	1.2%
Post-baccalaureate certificate	1.2%
First professional degree	1.1%
Post-master’s certificate	0.9%

^{Source: ONET Online education / training / experience requirements.*}

Who Is Earning a Degree in Theater Arts?

Gender Distribution

This field skews predominantly female, with women earning 66.8% of Theater Arts degrees.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	7,195	66.8%
Men	3,583	33.2%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the national level, the racial-ethnic distribution of Theater Arts graduates is as follows:

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	6,282	58.3%
Asian	370	3.4%
Hispanic or Latino	1,904	17.7%
Black or African American	995	9.2%
American Indian / Alaska Native	36	0.3%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander	15	0.1%
Two or More Races	543	5.0%
Race Unknown	241	2.2%
International Students	392	3.6%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do Theater Arts Graduates Earn?

College Scorecard reports median earnings of Theater Arts graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. These numbers tend to grow steadily as graduates gain experience and move into mid-career roles.

Years Out	Median Earnings
1 year	$21,253
4 years	$29,200
5 years	$33,047

By year 5 out, median earnings rise to $33,047 — roughly 55% above the 1-year mark.

^{Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, field-of-study earnings tracker.}

Online Theater Arts Programs

Fully online options is reported by IPEDS for Theater Arts. The table below shows how many graduates earned at least some of their coursework online (Distance-Ed Available) versus completing the entire program online (Distance-Ed Only).

Award Level	Distance-Ed Available	Distance-Ed Only
Associate’s	3	12
Bachelor’s	4	11
Master’s	2	2

^{Distance-Ed Only = degrees completed entirely online; Distance-Ed Available = degrees including at least some online coursework. Source: IPEDS Completions by Distance Education status.}

Is a Degree in Theater Arts Worth It?

Looking purely at the federal earnings tracker, Theater Arts graduates earn a median of $29,200 four years after completion — about 23% below the national median for workers with only a high school diploma (~$38,000). On earnings alone, this program does not show an income premium over the baseline; non-financial outcomes (career interests, certification requirements, advancement potential) are typically the stronger argument for fields in this range.

^{ROI estimate compares the program’s 4-yr median earnings against the 2023 BLS CPS median earnings for high-school-only workers. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard + BLS Current Population Survey.}

Related Programs

You may also be interested in these closely related fields of study:

Program	CIP Code
Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft	50.05
Acting	50.0506
Comedy Writing and Performance	50.0511
Costume Design	50.0510
Directing and Theatrical Production	50.0507
Dramatic/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft, Other	50.0599
Musical Theatre	50.0509
Playwriting and Screenwriting	50.0504
Technical Theatre/Theatre Design and Technology	50.0502
Theatre and Dance	50.0512
Theatre Literature, History and Criticism	50.0505
Cinematography and Film/Video Production	50.0602

References

The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students and international students. This number is then divided by the total number of students to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

• College Factual
• National Center for Education Statistics (IPEDS)
• O*NET Online
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard

More about our data sources and methodologies.