Career
Choreographers
Create and teach the movement behind dance performances.
$55,310
Median pay
+3.1%
Job growth, 2025–35
600
Openings a year
High school diploma or equivalent
Typical education
None required
Typical time after high school
Here's what you actually need to know.
The work
What people in this job do
- Direct rehearsals to instruct dancers in dance steps and in techniques to achieve desired effects.
- Advise dancers on standing and moving properly, teaching correct dance techniques to help prevent injuries.
- Teach students, dancers, and other performers about rhythm and interpretive movement.
- Record dance movements and their technical aspects, using a technical understanding of the patterns and formations of choreography.
- Direct and stage dance presentations for various forms of entertainment.
The outlook
How the forecast changed this year
The deeper question
What kind of person does this path ask you to become?
What this work centers on
O*NET interest profile, scored 1–7.
The work
Do you want most of your days spent on creation & expression, then people & care?
Responsibility
Are you willing to be the one responsible for this?
“Direct rehearsals to instruct dancers in dance steps and in techniques to achieve desired effects.”
Development
What would you need to build over the next 5–10 years?
Instructing, Speaking, Active Listening, Coordination.
Trade-offs
What does it ask of you in exchange?
No degree beyond high school, though long-term on-the-job training is typical, for a median of $55,310 a year and 600 openings nationally each year.
Paths in
Degrees that lead here
- TheatreSee the degree →
- Dance, GeneralCIP 50.0301
- BalletCIP 50.0302
- Dance, OtherCIP 50.0399
- Musical TheatreCIP 50.0509
- Theatre and DanceCIP 50.0512
Paths across
Careers that use similar skills
- Dancers
- Music Directors and Composers$73,710 · +1.2%
- Musicians and Singers
- Actors
- Art, Drama, and Music Teachers, Postsecondary$78,620 · +2.2%
Ask anything about this career.
“Would this make sense if I don't want to sit at a desk all day?” Answers will come from the sources on this page, with citations. Coming soon.
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Sources
- BLS Employment Projections, 2025–35, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Retrieved 2026-10-01.
- BLS Employment Projections, 2024–34 (archived), U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Retrieved 2026-10-01.
- O*NET 31.0 Database (August 2026), National Center for O*NET Development / U.S. Department of Labor. Retrieved 2026-10-01.
- CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 Crosswalk, NCES and BLS. Retrieved 2026-10-01.