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Theater Design & Technology

Types of Degrees Theater Design & Technology Majors Are Earning

Students pursuing Theater Design & Technology have the option of earning degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Certificate	15
Associate’s Degree	118
Bachelor’s Degree	605
Master’s Degree	344

What Theater Design & Technology Majors Need to Know

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

Knowledge Areas

This major prepares you for careers needing Theater Design & Technology emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• Fine Arts — Importance 4.9 / 5; level 6.5 / 7.
• Education and Training — Importance 4.2 / 5; level 5.6 / 7.
• English Language — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 5.0 / 7.
• Communications and Media — Importance 3.5 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.
• History and Archeology — Importance 3.4 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.

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

Skills

The skill set developed in a Theater Design & Technology program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

• Speaking — Importance 4.4 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.
• Instructing — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.4 / 7.
• Reading Comprehension — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.
• Active Listening — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.
• Learning Strategies — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 3.9 / 7.

Abilities

Abilities most relevant to Theater Design & Technology careers — again drawn from O*NET surveys of related occupations:

• Oral Expression — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.8 / 7.
• Written Comprehension — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.8 / 7.
• Written Expression — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.
• Oral Comprehension — Importance 4 / 5; level 4.8 / 7.
• Speech Clarity — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.4 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, Theater Design & Technology graduates report doing:

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Thinking Creatively	4.9 / 7
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates	4.6 / 7
Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships	4.4 / 7
Making Decisions and Solving Problems	4.3 / 7
Training and Teaching Others	4.3 / 7
Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work	4.2 / 7
Getting Information	4.1 / 7
Coaching and Developing Others	4.1 / 7
Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge	4.0 / 7
Working with Computers	3.9 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by Theater Design & Technology professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Microsoft Excel	Spreadsheet software	✓
Adobe InDesign	Desktop publishing software	—
Adobe Illustrator	Graphics or photo imaging software	✓
Microsoft PowerPoint	Presentation software	—
Adobe Creative Cloud software	Graphics or photo imaging software	—
Microsoft Office software	Office suite software	✓
Microsoft Word	Word processing software	—
Adobe Photoshop	Graphics or photo imaging software	✓
Microsoft Outlook	Electronic mail software	—
Adobe After Effects	Video creation and editing software	—
Adobe Acrobat	Document management software	—
Desire2Learn LMS software	Computer based training software	—

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

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for Theater Design & Technology graduates include:

• Dancing Teacher
• Voice Professor
• Media Arts Professor
• Visual Arts Instructor
• Stagecraft Professor
• Piano Pedagogy Professor
• Music Lecturer
• Music Instructor
• Guitar Teacher
• Music Professor
• Associate Professor
• Singing Teacher
• Music Theory Teacher
• Digital Arts Instructor
• Dance Professor

Education Typically Required

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

Education Level	Share of Workers
Master’s degree	47.0%
Doctoral degree	26.0%
Bachelor’s degree	18.0%
Post-master’s certificate	3.3%
Associate’s degree (or other 2-year)	2.1%
Some college courses	2.0%
First professional degree	1.0%
Post-baccalaureate certificate	0.6%

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

Who Is Earning a Degree in Theater Design & Technology?

Gender Distribution

This field skews predominantly female, with women earning 64.5% of Theater Design & Technology degrees.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	701	64.5%
Men	386	35.5%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

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

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	677	62.3%
Asian	36	3.3%
Hispanic or Latino	186	17.1%
Black or African American	53	4.9%
American Indian / Alaska Native	3	0.3%
Two or More Races	49	4.5%
Race Unknown	22	2.0%
International Students	61	5.6%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do Theater Design & Technology Graduates Earn?

The U.S. Department of Education tracks median earnings of Theater Design & Technology 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.}

Is a Degree in Theater Design & Technology Worth It?

On the earnings side, the federal earnings tracker, Theater Design & Technology 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
Drama and Dramatics/Theatre Arts, General	50.0501
Dramatic/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft, Other	50.0599
Musical Theatre	50.0509
Playwriting and Screenwriting	50.0504
Theatre and Dance	50.0512
Theatre Literature, History and Criticism	50.0505
Design and Visual Communications, General	50.0401

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.