Stage Production Workers

The outlook for jobs in theater companies typically varies depending on the job. The U.S. Department of Labor provides the following employment outlooks for various workers at theater companies and dinner theaters from 2023 through 2033:

• fashion designers (including costume designers): 11.4 percent (much faster than average for all careers)
• costume attendants: 7.0 percent (faster than average)
• electricians: 6.1 percent (faster than average)
• carpenters: 6.1 percent (faster than average)
• set and exhibit designers: 6.1 percent (faster than average)
• sound engineering technicians: 0.8 percent (more slowly than average)
• lighting technicians: -4.5 percent (decline)

Theater attendance had declined in recent years and government funding has also decreased. These developments have reduced job opportunities in some areas. 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.