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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
2K
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
Cooling
Openings Rate
4.2%
Quits Rate
2.0%
Professional & Business Services openings tumbled 318K in March -- the largest single-sector drop in this release. Openings rate fell from 5.5% to 4.2%. Layoffs jumped to 527K (+99K). White-collar demand has cooled abruptly.
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.
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.
CompSignal is a free labor market intelligence tool built for HR, compensation, and talent acquisition teams. We make BLS data, the same primary source Mercer and Radford cross-reference in their paid surveys, searchable and actionable without an enterprise subscription.
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