Every occupation the official NCES/BLS crosswalk connects to theatre programs, with BLS pay, the education each job usually needs, what the work involves, and where to go next.
Theatre · CIP 50.05 series · 11 codes · 8 careers · Check one exact major, e.g. 50.0501 Drama and Dramatics/Theatre Arts, General, in the major to career finder
The official NCES/BLS crosswalk maps theatre programs to 8 occupations that such programs typically prepare people for, including Producers and Directors, Set and Exhibit Designers and Writer. BLS median pay across them runs from $50,400 (Costume Attendant) to $90,360 (Producers and Directors) in May 2025. The crosswalk describes preparation, not what graduates actually go on to do.
Data Program → related occupations: these are jobs theatre programs typically prepare people for (NCES/BLS crosswalk). Not a guaranteed outcome, and not a record of what graduates do.
Data Filter by the education the job usually needs or its preparation level; sort by pay or by number employed.
| Occupation | Most common education | Job Zone | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Producers and Directors | $90,360 | 143,120 | Bachelor's Degree | 4 |
| Art, Drama, and Music Teachers, PostsecondaryPostsecondary teaching | $78,620 | 93,560 | Master's Degree | 5 |
| Writer | $76,910 | 47,940 | n/a | 4 |
| Fashion Designer | $80,960 | 21,450 | Bachelor's Degree | 3 |
| Music Directors and Composers | $73,710 | 12,540 | Master's Degree | 4 |
| Set and Exhibit Designers | $75,240 | 10,630 | Bachelor's Degree | 5 |
| Costume Attendant | $50,400 | 6,510 | High School Diploma or the equivalent (such as a GED) | 1-2 |
| Choreographer | $55,310 | 2,860 | High School Diploma or the equivalent (such as a GED) | 3 |
No occupations match these filters.
Data The education column shows a typical entry level only where O*NET data supports one answer. Check the typical education for Producers and Directors, one of the theatre jobs above.
Data BLS national median annual wage, May 2025. These are pay levels of the occupations, not earnings of graduates.
Data The largest related occupations by employment (postsecondary teaching shown in the explorer).
Plan details such as framing, composition, camera movement, sound, and actor movement for each shot or scene.
Communicate to actors the approach, characterization, and movement needed for each scene in such a way that rehearsals and takes are minimized.
Active Listening · Reading Comprehension · Speaking
Mapped from CIP 50.0501, 50.0507Develop set designs, based on evaluation of scripts, budgets, research information, and available locations.
Prepare rough drafts and scale working drawings of sets, including floor plans, scenery, and properties to be constructed.
Reading Comprehension · Active Listening · Operations Analysis
Mapped from CIP 50.0502Write fiction or nonfiction prose, such as short stories, novels, biographies, articles, descriptive or critical analyses, and essays.
Revise written material to meet personal standards and to satisfy needs of clients, publishers, directors, or producers.
Writing · Reading Comprehension · Time Management
Career guide Salary How to become
Mapped from CIP 50.0504, 50.0511Direct 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.
Instructing · Coordination · Active Listening
Mapped from CIP 50.0509, 50.0512Use gestures to shape the music being played, communicating desired tempo, phrasing, tone, color, pitch, volume, and other performance aspects.
Direct groups at rehearsals and live or recorded performances to achieve desired effects such as tonal and harmonic balance dynamics, rhythm, and tempo.
Active Listening · Speaking · Judgment and Decision Making
Mapped from CIP 50.0509Sketch rough and detailed drawings of apparel or accessories, and write specifications such as color schemes, construction, material types, and accessory requirements.
Examine sample garments on and off models, modifying designs to achieve desired effects.
Active Listening · Speaking · Critical Thinking
Career guide Salary How to become
Mapped from CIP 50.0510Data Related occupations grouped by government career field, with their pay range.
Data Other programs whose crosswalk occupations overlap with these.
The NCES/BLS crosswalk relates instructional programs (CIP 2020) to occupations (SOC 2018) when programs in the CIP category typically prepare individuals directly for jobs in the occupation. This page uses the CIP program series below and shows every non-residual occupation mapped to them that has BLS wages and O*NET data; each occupation lists the CIP codes that map to it.
Searches this page answers include “what can you do with a theatre degree”, “jobs for theatre majors”, “what can you do with a theater degree” (Ahrefs, U.S.).
