Also called: Stage Director
Leads a play or musical, guiding actors and designers to create a production.
A theater director runs rehearsals for four to six weeks, shaping each scene, blocking where actors move, and working with set and lighting designers on the show's look.
Approximate; directors are often paid per production; Broadway directors earn far more.
Approximate: anchored on Bureau of Labor Statistics data for a broader job group.
Master's degree, about 6 years after high school. MFA in directing is common for regional theater careers.
Ways in: Graduate school, 4-year college, On-the-job training. Training cost: $60k – $150k.
Majors to look at: Theater, Directing, English.
Growing faster than average (about 5% over 10 years). Tracks producers and directors.
Low risk for 10 years. AI helps with research and scheduling, but directing actors in a live production stays human.
Classes: Theater, English literature, Speech and debate, History.
Official data: O*NET occupation 27-2012.
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.