Also called: Comic, Comedian
Writes and performs jokes live in front of audiences.
A working comic writes new material every morning, tests it at two or three open mics or club spots at night, posts clips online, and travels on weekends to headline smaller clubs.
Most comedians earn little from comedy for years; club spots may pay $0-$100. Touring headliners and comedians with big online followings can earn six or seven figures.
Approximate: anchored on Bureau of Labor Statistics data for a broader job group.
No formal education, about 0 years after high school. No degree; years of open mics are the training.
Ways in: Self-taught, On-the-job training. Training cost: Under $15k.
Majors to look at: Theater, English, Communications.
Growing about average. Live comedy and comedy content online are popular.
Low risk for 10 years. AI can write generic jokes, but live stand-up depends on a real person's voice and timing with a crowd.
Classes: Theater, Speech and debate, Creative writing, English.
Official data: O*NET occupation 27-2099.
Career Universe is an early version. Pay, training and AI-risk figures are estimates to start your own research, not verified facts. The research was written with AI research assistants, checked by validation scripts and spot-checked by hand. Check anything important with schools, employers and official sources. How the numbers work.