Choreographers Career, Salary and Skills
Choreographers have a BLS-reported national median annual wage of $55,310 based on the 2025 OEWS dataset, with reported national employment of 2,860. Wage data is published for 24 locations.
Occupation description
Create new dance routines. Rehearse performance of routines. May direct and stage presentations.
O*NET code
27-2032.00
Job zone
3
Typical education
High School Diploma or the equivalent (such as a GED)
Experience
Over 2 years, up to and including 4 years
National salary and employment
Median annual
$55,310
Hourly median
$26.59
Employment
2,860
Data year
2025
National salary distribution
Top skills
| Skill | Importance | Level |
|---|---|---|
| Instructing | 4.00 | 4.00 |
| Coordination | 3.88 | 4.00 |
| Speaking | 3.88 | 3.88 |
| Active Listening | 3.88 | 3.88 |
| Monitoring | 3.75 | 3.75 |
| Social Perceptiveness | 3.62 | 3.88 |
| Learning Strategies | 3.62 | 3.50 |
| Reading Comprehension | 3.50 | 3.38 |
| Critical Thinking | 3.38 | 3.38 |
| Time Management | 3.38 | 3.38 |
Typical tasks
- 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.
- Experiment with different types of dancers, steps, dances, and placements, testing ideas informally to get feedback from dancers.
- Seek influences from other art forms, such as theatre, the visual arts, and architecture.
- Direct rehearsals to instruct dancers in dance steps and in techniques to achieve desired effects.
Technology
- Chorel Technology Dance Designer
- Credo Interactive DanceForms
- Email software
- Microsoft Excel
- Microsoft Office software
- Microsoft PowerPoint
- Microsoft Word
- Salesforce software
- Salesforce Visualforce
- Social media sites
- Web browser software
- YouTube
Choreographers salary by location
Areas with the highest reported employment for this occupation.
- Choreographers Salary in CAMedian $75,000 · Employment 410
- Choreographers Salary in TXMedian $46,460 · Employment 380
- Choreographers Salary in New York, NYMedian $170,780 · Employment 340
- Choreographers Salary in NYMedian $173,100 · Employment 340
- Choreographers Salary in SDMedian $40,320 · Employment 250
- Choreographers Salary in LAMedian $51,170 · Employment 210
- Choreographers Salary in FLMedian $36,670 · Employment 180
- Choreographers Salary in OHMedian $66,910 · Employment 120
- Choreographers Salary in Los Angeles, CAMedian $75,000 · Employment 100
- Choreographers Salary in San Francisco, CAMedian $99,430 · Employment 100
- Choreographers Salary in Philadelphia, PAMedian $61,130 · Employment 100
- Choreographers Salary in Sioux Falls, SDMedian $36,220 · Employment 90
Related careers
- Art TherapistsNational median $77,930
- Special Effects Artists and AnimatorsNational median $102,030
- Coaches and ScoutsNational median $47,320
- Instructional CoordinatorsNational median $77,440
- Graphic DesignersNational median $62,960
- Poets, Lyricists and Creative WritersNational median $76,910
- Set and Exhibit DesignersNational median $75,240
- Makeup Artists, Theatrical and PerformanceNational median $97,150
Career and skills data: O*NET 31.0 (onetcenter.org). Salary and employment data: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS, 2025 (bls.gov/oes). Figures are published survey estimates, not real-time market data.