Director
Education required for this profession
People who become actors, producers, and directors follow many paths to employment. The most important qualities employers look for are creative instincts, innate talent, and the intellectual capacity to perform. The best way to prepare for a career as an actor, especially in the theater, is through formal dramatic training, preferably obtained as part of a bachelor’s degree program. Producers and especially directors need experience in the field, either as actors or in other related jobs.
Relevant Degree/Diploma/CertificateBachelors degree in arts
Quick Facts
Actors endure long periods of unemployment, intense competition for roles, and frequent rejections in auditions.
Formal training through a university or acting conservatory is typical; however, many actors, producers, and directors find work on the basis of their experience and talent alone.
Because earnings may be erratic, many supplement their incomes by holding jobs in other fields; however, the most successful actors, producers, and directors may have extraordinarily high earnings.
SalaryMedian annual earnings of salaried producers and directors are $56,310 in 2006. The middle 50 percent earn between $37,980 and $88,700. Median annual earnings are $70,750 in the motion picture and video industry and $47,530 in radio and television broadcasting.