Also called: Principal Dancer, Prima Ballerina
The top-ranked dancer in a ballet company, performing lead roles like Swan Lake's Odette.
A principal dancer takes morning class, rehearses a lead role for five hours, and performs in front of 2,500 people at night. Physical therapy and ice baths are part of every week.
Approximate; principals at major companies; most dancers earn far less.
Approximate: anchored on Bureau of Labor Statistics data for a broader job group.
No formal education, about 0 years after high school. Intense ballet training from childhood, then joining a company as an apprentice or corps dancer and being promoted to soloist and principal over many years.
Ways in: On-the-job training. Training cost: Under $15k.
Majors to look at: Dance.
Growing about average (about 2% over 10 years). BLS projects modest growth for dancers.
Low risk for 10 years. Live ballet is human performance; AI won't replace dancers, though top roles stay extremely competitive.
Classes: Dance (ballet), Music, Physical education, Theater.
Official data: O*NET occupation 27-2031.
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.