How much does a choreographer make?

The median pay is $26.59 per hour — roughly $55,500 a year, with the real range running from about $16.39/hr (10th percentile) to $66.65/hr (90th percentile). Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Do you need a degree to be a choreographer?

The typical entry-level education is: High school diploma. Overall preparation level: medium preparation (Job Zone 3 of 5).

What does a choreographer actually do all day?

Direct 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. Teach students, dancers, and other performers about rhythm and interpretive movement.

Arts & Media

Choreographers

Create new dance routines. Rehearse performance of routines. May direct and stage presentations.

What it pays
Choreographers earn a median of $26.59/hr — about $55,500 a year. The lowest-paid 10% earn $16.39/hr; the top 10% earn $66.65/hr. (Annual figures are approximate: hourly × 2,080.)

What you'd actually do

Direct 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.
Teach students, dancers, and other performers about rhythm and interpretive movement.
Record dance movements and their technical aspects, using a technical understanding of the patterns and formations of choreography.
Direct and stage dance presentations for various forms of entertainment.
Choose the music, sound effects, or spoken narrative to accompany a dance.

How you get there

Typical entry-level education: High school diploma. Overall preparation: medium preparation (Job Zone 3 of 5).

The feel of the work

You're around people constantly. (Compared against the other 818 careers in the guide.)

Working for yourself

About 24.3% of choreographers are self-employed.

Who it tends to fit

This work tends to fit people who are creative, people-focused and take-charge.

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Related careers

Quick questions

How much does a choreographer make?: The median pay is $26.59 per hour — roughly $55,500 a year, with the real range running from about $16.39/hr (10th percentile) to $66.65/hr (90th percentile). Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Do you need a degree to be a choreographer?: The typical entry-level education is: High school diploma. Overall preparation level: medium preparation (Job Zone 3 of 5).
What does a choreographer actually do all day?: Direct 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. Teach students, dancers, and other performers about rhythm and interpretive movement.

Wages: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS. Tasks & interests: O*NET. Career pathways shown in the app are draft archetypes — verify before relying on them. Trailhead is a free career guide for students — honest numbers, no hype.

Trailhead is operated by FLEXVermont LLC. It is intended for high-school students age 13 and older, and the educators and families who support them, and is not directed to children under 13. Trailhead is provided for general informational and educational purposes only. It does not offer professional, financial, or career advice, and its wage figures and pathways are estimates that may not fit your situation — they should not be relied on as the sole basis for any decision.