How much should I pay a dancers in 2026?

A competitive 2026 offer for Dancers is $51,584 to $79,789 (market median to the 75th percentile). BLS ECI shows professional services wages growing about 2.5% a year, so budget a similar annual increase to stay at market.

Is a salary competitive for a dancers?

Compare it to the BLS OEWS range: below $35,838 is below market, $51,584 to $79,789 is competitive, and above $79,789 is above market for Dancers.

How is dancers pay changing in 2026?

Median pay for this role rose 3.5% between the May 2024 and May 2025 BLS surveys, outpacing the 2.5% wage growth of Professional & Business Services (BLS ECI). Professional & Business Services is running a 5.0% job-openings rate with quits at 2.1% (BLS JOLTS). The openings rate has drifted down from 5.8% to 5.0% over the past quarter.

Dancers Salary - BLS OEWS Wage Benchmarks

SOC 27-2031 · National · May 2025 OEWS Data

Median Annual Salary

$51,584

$24.80/hr

Verified BLS OEWS data · Updated May 18, 2026

Is this a competitive Dancers salary in 2026?

Based on BLS OEWS wage percentiles, JOLTS August 2026 demand signals, and ECI Q2 2026 wage growth.

Check a salary or offer:$Competitive · ~P50

P10$31K

P25$36K

P50$52K

P75$80K

P90$109K

Drag the dot or type an amount above.

⚡

Demand: ACTIVE. Demand is active -- professional & business services openings are at 5.0% (JOLTS, August 2026). A balanced market where the median is a solid, competitive anchor.

📈

Merit budget: Wages in professional services are rising about 2.5% a year (BLS ECI, Q2 2026). Budget a 2.1-2.6% merit increase to hold this role at market.

Our read

For a competitive 2026 offer, target $51,584 to $79,789 (market median to the 75th percentile). The median-to-P75 range keeps offers competitive.

Figures are market benchmarks from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics; apply professional judgment before making pay decisions.

How Dancers pay is moving in 2026

Trend, demand, and spread context from BLS OEWS, JOLTS, and ECI

Pay trend

Median pay for this role rose 3.5% between the May 2024 and May 2025 BLS surveys, outpacing the 2.5% wage growth of Professional & Business Services (BLS ECI).

Hiring demand · MODERATE

Professional & Business Services is running a 5.0% job-openings rate with quits at 2.1% (BLS JOLTS). The openings rate has drifted down from 5.8% to 5.0% over the past quarter.

Pay spread

Top earners (P90) make about 3.5 times what entry-level (P10) workers make in this role. That spread is wider than typical, so expect large pay differences by experience, employer size, and geography; build generous ranges and differentiate strongly.

What changed recently

Sep 29, 2026JOLTS August 2026: sector openings eased to 5.0% (down 119K). BLS revised July up from 4.8% to 5.5%, so last month's third straight decline did not happen. Quits recovered to 2.1%; layoffs fell 56K.
Sep 1, 2026JOLTS July 2026: sector openings fell for a third month to 4.8% (June revised to 5.1%), and hires dropped 188K, the largest pullback of any sector. Quits slid to 1.8%.
Aug 4, 2026JOLTS June 2026: sector openings eased to 5.5% (down 0.3pp), still the highest of any major sector. Quits held at 2.2%.

Commentary is generated from published BLS figures (OEWS May 2025 vs May 2024, JOLTS August 2026, ECI Q2 2026) and refreshed each release. It is interpretation, not a BLS product.

Source: BLS OEWS · Published May 15, 2026

Next refresh: May 2027

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The national median salary for Dancers is $51,584 per year ($24.80/hr) according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey, May 2025. The middle 50% of earners make between $35,838 and $79,789 annually. Top earners at the 90th percentile reach $108,784 per year. There are approximately 8,130 dancers employed in the United States.

About This Role

BLS Standard Occupational Classification 2018

Perform dances. May perform on stage, for broadcasting, or for video recording.

Career Outlook

BLS Employment Projections · 2024-2034

10-year growth

+4.5%

Faster than average

Annual openings

per year, on avg

Workforce today

12K

as of 2024

Why those openings exist

3% from new growth97% from people leaving the role

Most openings come from replacement, not growth. Retention matters more than recruiting here.

Typical entry requirements

Education

No formal educational credential

Experience

None

On-the-job training

Long-term on-the-job training

Industry Wage Breakdown

Top 5 industries by employment · median annual wage, sector-specific

Industry	Workforce	Median Pay
Performing Arts Companies NAICS 711100	3K	N/A
Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages) NAICS 722400	2K	N/A
Spectator Sports NAICS 711200	820	N/A
Other Schools and Instruction NAICS 611600	600	N/A
Other Amusement and Recreation Industries NAICS 713900	370	N/A

Wage Percentiles

Hourly & annualized (2,080 hours)

Percentile	Hourly Rate	Annual Salary
P10	$14.88	$30,950
P25	$17.23	$35,838
P50MEDIAN	$24.80	$51,584
P75	$38.36	$79,789
P90	$52.30	$108,784

Market Context Signal

JOLTS · professional sector

Active

Openings Rate

5.0%

Quits Rate

2.1%

Professional & Business Services openings fell 119K to 1.19M in August, rate 5.0%. BLS revised July up sharply, from 4.8% to 5.5%, so the three-month cooling reported last release did not happen: the sector is volatile, not in steady decline. Hires rose 36K, quits recovered to 2.1%, and layoffs fell 56K.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the average dancers salary?

The national median salary for Dancers is $51,584 per year ($24.80/hr) according to BLS OEWS May 2025 data. The middle 50% earn between $35,838 and $79,789 annually.

How much do top-earning dancers make?

The 90th percentile salary for Dancers is $108,784 per year ($52.30/hr). The 75th percentile is $79,789 per year.

What is the entry-level salary for dancers?

Entry-level Dancers (10th percentile) earn approximately $30,950 per year ($14.88/hr). The 25th percentile is $35,838 per year.

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Dancers Salary by State

Top 5 states by employment

California1,870 workers New York1,170 workers Hawaii480 workers Missouri440 workers Nevada430 workers

About This Data

Wage figures on this page come from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey, May 2025 release. OEWS surveys roughly 1.1 million establishments annually. It is the most comprehensive employer-reported wage dataset in the United States.

P10 through P90 percentiles represent the wage distribution across all surveyed employers (not self-reported by workers). Geographic adjustments use BLS-derived cost multipliers calibrated from regional wage variation.

Wages are estimates. Individual compensation depends on experience, education, employer size, industry, and negotiation. Use this as benchmark context, not absolute ground truth.

Next OEWS release: May 2027Verify on BLS.gov →

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