How to Become a Choreographer
Create and teach the dance movements for performances, productions and shows. It typically requires a no formal credential (dance experience), with a median salary of $55,310 per year and faster than average projected job growth.
Median pay
$55,310/yr
Middle half
$41,600 to $75,710
Job growth
Faster than average
Openings / yr
700
Majors that lead here
Key skills
- Choreography
- Teaching
- Creativity
- Leadership
Related careers
- Art Director$114,850 median
- Animator / Special Effects Artist$102,030 median
- Industrial Designer$83,910 median
- Fashion Designer$80,960 median
- Editor$77,920 median
- Writer / Author$76,910 median
Frequently asked questions
How much does a Choreographer make?
The median pay for a Choreographer is $55,310 a year, and the middle half of workers earn between $41,600 and $75,710 (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 2025). That covers everyone in the job, not only people starting out, so newer workers sit toward the lower end.
What degree do you need to become a Choreographer?
The usual entry point is a no formal credential (dance experience). Common majors are Dance and Theater Arts.
Is Choreographer a growing field?
Projected job growth for this role from 2024 to 2034 is faster than average (BLS projections via O*NET), with roughly 700 U.S. openings a year.
What skills does a Choreographer use most?
Common skills for this role are Choreography, Teaching, Creativity, and Leadership.
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Take the major quizWhere these pay figures come from
Career pay is the annual wage of everyone working in that occupation, not only recent graduates, so it includes people who have done the job for decades. The middle half is the 25th to the 75th percentile. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and O*NET OnLine (median and percentile annual wages May 2025; employment projections 2024-2034).
All figures are national. What you earn depends on where you work, who you work for, and how far you take the degree.
Job-growth figures: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and O*NET OnLine (median and percentile annual wages May 2025; employment projections 2024-2034).