Comedians

As with the other performance arts, there will always be more aspiring comedians than there are job opportunities. However, there are nearly 1,100 comedy clubs across the country (usually in larger cities), and each club needs performers to get their audiences laughing. During the 1990s, the boom in comedy clubs slowed. However, more recently, new venues such as casinos, resorts, and theme parks continue to offer new opportunities for comedians. Of course, the most lucrative jobs will go to those with the best reputations, but thousands of comedians will continue to find steady work in the next decade.

There is also a growing trend for private companies to hire comedians to perform at sales meetings and trade shows. Comedians help to increase interest in products and create an enjoyable sales environment. Talent agencies now increasingly book comedians to work at these events.

The growth of the cable television industry and streaming services such as Netflix has created a need for increasing numbers of writers to work on the growing numbers of new shows. There are a large number of comedy shows on the national networks and on cable television, and these should provide a good market for skilled, veteran comedy writers. Nevertheless, the television, cable, and streaming comedy show markets for unproven and young comedy writers will be quite competitive and difficult to penetrate.