Actors fall into the Strong Interest Inventory® Artistic Theme Code Category. The Strong Interest Inventory® Test has been revised multiple times since its initial release in 1927, and is now considered the industry leading way to optimize career choice using individual interests. The Artistic Theme Code centers on creating and enjoying art in all its forms, including visual art, music, writing, drama, culinary arts, and even mass marketing and communication. These many different categories have in common the passion for creating something tangible in the workplace, from newspaper articles to theater performances to a beautifully presented plate of food.
Actors play parts of characters over various media, including television, radio, motion pictures, on stage, or in other settings for entertainment, information, or instruction. Before going on stage, they study and rehearse their roles from scripts, and practice and learn lines, stunts, and cues. Often they work closely with directors, other actors, or playwrights to determine an interpretation of the role that is best suited for the actor as well as the character to create a credible performance. This may include using changes in body movements, facial expressions, or gestures to portray serious or humorous interpretations of situations, as well as characters’ emotions or actions. In some cases, actors may also benefit from the ability to sing or dance, especially during dramatic or comedic performances. While most performances are memorized, some actors, especially voice actors, may also need to be able to read from scripts or books to entertain audiences, or to do so in front of an audience without using many stage props.
Having a diverse repertoire of skills is always beneficial for Actors. For instance, being able to tell jokes or perform comedic dances, song, and skits, is a unique skill set, as is being able to impersonate others’ mannerisms or voices. In the same way, being able to act on a variety of different media (e.g., television, motion pictures, on stage), or even being able to do one’s own stunts, even to a limited degree, makes one significantly more marketable in interviews and auditions.
Read about a career in Acting including information such as an Actor’s salary, daily tasks and other career information.
Actors need to be comfortable working with and around many different kinds of tools, including digital and video cameras and tripods, microphones, and recording equipment. Furthermore, they need to be comfortable using personal, handheld, notebook, and tablet computers, as well as a wide range of social networking and digital communication interfaces, including Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Microsoft Office. Familiarity with video editing software, such as Apple Final Cut Pro and YouTube is also helpful.
In order to be successful, Actors need to be highly proficient in English and have a deep understanding of communications, media, and the fine and performing arts (e.g., music, dance, drama, etc.). They need to be confident speakers and writers, highly coordinated, and have highly developed time-management skills. They should be able to make judgments and perhaps even improvise in the moment. Furthermore, they need to be able to memorize large amounts of information, especially lines from a long script, which also means they need strong enough near vision to be able to comfortably read many pages of fine print without becoming tired. Finally, Actors benefit from being able to think creatively and put their own spin on their characters, as well as from the ability to establish and maintain interpersonal relationships, for instance, with other actors, managers, directors, screen writers, choreographers, and so on. In some cases, actors may also work or communicate directly with the public, for instance, in restaurants or stores, in theme parks, or on talk shows and other publicity opportunities. Most actors have a moderate amount of education – 52% hold a high school diploma, while just under 30% attended some college without earning a full degree. An additional 9% earned a bachelor’s degree.
An Actor’s salary is often negotiated on an hourly basis. In the majority of states, they earn $13 to $25 per hour, though there are stark increases in New York and in Nevada because of the high demand for quality performances in Las Vegas and in New York City. It may be difficult for Actors to find employment in much of the central United States because of low demand. The employment rate for Actors is expected to grow by roughly 7,000 individuals (nearly 10%) before 2024. However, because most states are adding under 100 jobs, with the biggest numeric growth in Florida, Maryland, and Texas, competition remains fierce.
Below are some employment trends for Actors:
- Median Salary: $20.43 hourly
- Employment: 64,500 employees
- Projected growth (2018-2028): Little or no change (-1% to 1%)
- Projected job openings (2018-2028): 7,700
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Click on one of these to access more Artistic Theme Code Careers: Art, Drama, and Music Teachers, Broadcast Announcers, Broadcast News Analysts, Choreographers, Cook, Dancers, Fashion Designers, Floral Designers, Foreign Language and Literature Teachers, Interior Designers, Landscape Architects, Makeup Artists, Merchandise Displayers, Models, Multimedia Artists and Animators, Musicians, Photographers, Post-Secondary English Language and Literature Teachers, Post-Secondary Teachers, Preschool Teachers, Radio and Television Announcers, Set Designers, Singers, Sociologists, Sound Engineering Technicians, Tile Setters, Translators & Interpreters, Training and Development Specialists, and Video Game Designers.
Gain access to your best-fit careers, occupational preferences and interests with these career based Strong Interest Inventory® Assessments:
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MBTI® Career Report + Strong & MBTI Combined Career Report + Strong Profile
Use these reports to find a fulfilling career that matches with your personality and interests, and develop a plan for achieving that career.
Set yourself up on the path to a career that fits with your MBTI® personality type as well as your interests and preferences. With these three reports, you’ll discover the ideal career for who you are at a base level, offering you a future of satisfying and fulfilling employment. Read about each report below.
Download sample MBTI® Career Report
Download sample Strong & MBTI® Combined Career Report Plus Strong Profile
Download sample Strong Interest Inventory® Profile Report
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Strong Interest Inventory® & MBTI® Combined Career Report + Strong College Edition Profile
Choose a college major that works best with your interests, and then plan a rewarding career to follow your college career.
You’ll start college off right with knowledge on applying your interests and preferences to college majors and receive a detailed depiction of how your ideal career will mature if you work toward success. With the Strong Interest Inventory® & MBTI® Combined Career Report and the Strong College Edition Profile, you’ll set yourself up for success throughout college and into your career after graduation.
Download sample Strong Interest Inventory® & MBTI® Combined Career Report + Strong College Profile
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Strong Interest Inventory® & MBTI® Combined Career Report + Strong Profile
Use knowledge about your interests, preferences and personality type to start your optimal career and formulate a plan to achieve your dream job.
With the information obtained about yourself from your MBTI® personality type and your Strong Interest Inventory® Report, you’ll learn about how your personality, as well as your interests and preferences, can be used in your life and career to provide fulfillment and happiness. Discover occupations that work with what you like and enjoy, and learn how your personality influences your mental processes and preferences.
Download sample Strong Interest Inventory® & MBTI® Combined Career Report Plus Strong Profile
Download sample Strong Profile
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Strong Interest Inventory® & MBTI® Combined Career Report + Strong College Edition Profile
Choose a college major that works best with your interests, and then plan a rewarding career to follow your college career.
You’ll start college off right with knowledge on applying your interests and preferences to college majors and receive a detailed depiction of how your ideal career will mature if you work toward success. With the Strong Interest Inventory® & MBTI® Combined Career Report and the Strong College Edition Profile, you’ll set yourself up for success throughout college and into your career after graduation.
Download sample Strong Interest Inventory® & MBTI® Combined Career Report + Strong College Profile
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Strong Interest Inventory® Interpretive Report
Delve deeper into what your interests, hobbies, favorite topics, and locations can mean for your career and personal life with the help of this extensive and personalized Strong profile.
Your Strong Interest Inventory® Interpretive Report starts with the same foundational information found in the Strong Interest Inventory Profile, but goes even further into analyzing your likes and dislikes by offering you a detailed look at how following your interests and preferences can help you lead a more fulfilling, satisfied life. The report presents you with the closest matched occupations for people with your interests, an in-depth breakdown of certain areas matched to your Strong Interest Inventory test results, and insight into your likes and dislikes.
Download sample Strong Interest Inventory® Interpretive Report
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Strong Interest Inventory® Profile
Mold your future success by choosing a career that accurately reflects your interests, preferences, favorite topics as well as your likes and dislikes with the help of this profile.
Direct your future based on what you like and enjoy, providing you with a happier, more fulfilling life and career. The Strong Interest Inventory® Profile uses an extensive analysis of your interests and preferences to guide you towards a career that best suits who you are on a personal level. Depending on your likes and dislikes compared to others in specified fields, you may find a fulfilling career previously unthought-of, helping guide you down the road to success and happiness.
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Strong Interest Inventory® & Skills Confidence Profile + Strong Interpretive Report
Discover your interests and preferences as well as your confidence in your abilities to use these interests to your advantage.
Your strengths, interests, and preferences, when understood and well known, can lead you toward a successful and satisfying career. With this custom package, you’ll learn which occupations, strengths, and skills work best with your likes and dislikes and how confident you are in your ability to fulfill the needs of certain occupations, allowing you to formulate a career path that you’ll enjoy for years to come with the help of the Strong Interest Inventory test.
Download sample Strong Interest Inventory® & Skills Confidence Profile + Strong Interpretive Report
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iStartStrong™ Report
Plan your future career based on your interests and preferences, leading you down the path to a successful work and personal life.
Use your interests, preferences, and favorite subjects and leisure activities to assess which career or career field works best with who you are and what you like. Through the web-interactive and thorough iStartStrong™ report, you’ll get set off on the right foot toward finding a career that you’ll enjoy for years to come.
Explore our Strong Interest Inventory® Blog Pages:
- Strong Interest Inventory Realistic Theme Explained
- Strong Interest Inventory Artistic Theme Explained
- Strong Interest Inventory Investigative Theme Explained
- Strong Interest Inventory Social Theme Explained
- Strong Interest Inventory Enterprising Theme Explained
- Strong Interest Inventory Conventional Theme Explained
Assessment Categories
References
- Bureau of Labor Statistics wage data and 2012-2022 employment projections Onetonline.org