Stage Production Workers

The outlook for jobs in theater companies typically varies depending on the job. However, the coronavirus pandemic has had a major effect on the theater industry in 2020. Many productions have either been postponed or cancelled, and many theaters in the U.S., as well as around the world, have closed temporarily. Slow, if any, employment growth for all theater-related jobs is predicted into 2021. When theaters can safely resume full operations, demand will grow for production workers.

Going forward, the Department of Labor predicts that makeup artists will have faster than average employment growth through 2028, and carpenters will have faster than average employment growth in that same time frame. According to the Theatre Communications Group, there was a slight increase in revenue in the theater industry through 2018, due mainly to growth in contributions. Theater attendance had dropped slightly, though, and government funding has also decreased. Many nonprofit theaters continue to operate under a deficit. Few new or small theaters can pay living wages for stage production workers and technicians, which is why many people working in theater production—especially at small or nonprofit theaters—supplement their incomes with other sources of work.

Today, theaters tend to be concentrated in large metropolitan areas, so the number of job possibilities is greatest there, but so too is the competition for those jobs. Many stage workers start out instead with small theatrical groups. After they develop skills and a local reputation, they may be able to move to bigger, better-paying markets. They may have to work part time, do volunteer work in amateur theater, or support themselves in unrelated fields for extended periods while waiting for better theater jobs.

For the foreseeable future, stage productions, even among the larger theaters, are likely to become less elaborate to lower operating costs. These factors could limit the need for new stage production employees. However, theater remains a popular form of entertainment and an important cultural resource. Those who are skilled in a variety of production areas stand the best chance of employment. For example, someone who knows about both lighting and sound systems, or both set design and props, is more likely to get a desirable position in theater.