Movies, music, games, theater, news, theme parks, and the internet's creators all run on huge teams, and most of those people are never on camera. For every star there are riggers, foley artists, dialect coaches, stunt performers, animators, and tour managers making the magic happen. This sector covers the famous jobs and the strange backstage ones most people never hear about.
23 fields, 618 careers
Film & Television Production(29): The people who plan, shoot, and run the set of movies, TV shows, and streaming series, from the director's chair to the camera crew.
Reality TV, Game Shows & Talk Shows(16): Unscripted television: reality competitions, docuseries, game shows, and talk shows, where producers find the story in real people instead…
Locations, Logistics & Set Support(25): The hidden army that makes filming physically possible: finding places to shoot, moving trucks, feeding the crew, keeping everyone safe,…
Visual Effects & Post-Production(29): Everything that happens after the cameras stop: editing, color, captions, and the digital magic that adds dragons, explosions, and…
Animation(21): The artists and technicians who make cartoons, animated movies, and digital characters move, from hand-drawn 2D to Pixar-style 3D and…
Stunts & Special Effects(21): The people who make real-world action happen safely on camera: stunt performers, fight choreographers, explosions, fake rain, robotic…
Costume, Makeup & Prosthetics(22): The artists who transform actors into characters: designing and sewing costumes, styling hair and wigs, and sculpting monsters and wounds…
Music & Audio(41): Making music and sound: songwriting, recording, mixing, film scores, sound effects, foley, and the craftspeople who build and tune…
Music Business & Industry(18): The business side of music: record labels, publishing, royalties, licensing, radio and streaming promotion, and the people who make sure…
Concert & Touring Production(34): The road crews who take concerts from city to city: sound engineers, riggers, roadies, lighting designers, tour managers, and drivers.
Performing Arts & Theater(36): Live performance on stages of every size: acting, Broadway, dance, opera, orchestras, and the stage managers, coaches, and crews who make…
Dance(15): Careers built on dance: ballet and contemporary companies, Broadway and tours, competition and ballroom, sports dance teams, and the…
Comedy & Voice Acting(24): Making people laugh and giving characters a voice: stand-up, sketch, late-night writing, cartoon and video-game voices, dubbing, and…
Circus, Magic & Novelty Performance(34): The weird and wonderful world of live variety acts: aerialists, clowns, magicians, puppeteers, fire performers, and sideshow artists.
Theme Parks & Live Events(29): Designing, building, running, and performing in theme parks, festivals, haunted houses, cruise ships, and immersive experiences.
Video Games & Esports(31): Designing, building, and competing in games, from programmers and level designers to pro players, coaches, and shoutcasters.
Content Creation & Influencing(23): The creator economy: YouTubers, streamers, TikTokers, and the editors, managers, and strategists who help them grow.
Broadcasting, Radio & Podcasting(30): Live TV, radio, sportscasting, and podcasts, plus the control-room technicians who keep the signal on the air.
Journalism & News(27): Finding out what's true and telling the public: reporting, editing, investigating, fact-checking, photographing, and forecasting the…
Writing & Publishing(32): Stories on the page and screen: novels, screenplays, TV writing, editing, translating, and the people who turn manuscripts into books.
Talent Management & Agents(22): The business behind the stars: agents, managers, publicists, lawyers, and the assistants and bodyguards who keep careers running.
Film Marketing, Distribution & Exhibition(29): How movies and shows reach audiences: trailers, posters, festivals, sales deals, streaming data, archives, and the theaters that screen…
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.