Actors vs Stage & Production Designers
Median pay is about $15k higher for Stage & Production Designers. The usual entry education is no formal credential for Actors and bachelor's for Stage & Production Designers.
marks the higher pay or growth. Education, difficulty and the AI rows depend on what you want, so they are not marked.
| Measure | Actors | Stage & Production Designers |
|---|---|---|
| Pay | ||
| Median pay | $60,424 | $75,240, higher |
| Entry pay 25th percentile | $42,307 | $52,830, higher |
| Experienced pay 75th percentile | $203,736, higher | $104,030 |
| Outlook, 2025 to 2035 | ||
| Projected growth | 0.0% Stable | +1.4% Growing, higher |
| Openings a year | 6,300 | 2,200 |
| Getting in | ||
| Typical education | No formal credential | Bachelor's |
| Difficulty modeled | 2.6 / 5 | 2.6 / 5 |
| AI | ||
| Displacement risk modeled | High | High |
| AI exposure modeled, percentile | 74th pct | 58th pct |
Where the skills differ
Only Actors
- Monitoring
Only Stage & Production Designers
- Active Learning
Both lean on reading comprehension, speaking, active listening, critical thinking, writing.
More comparisons
Compare Actors with
Compare Stage & Production Designers with
Pay and outlook: BLS (OEWS 2025, Employment Projections 2025-2035). Skills: O*NET 30.3. Difficulty, displacement risk and AI exposure are modeled estimates. How these numbers are made.