Most actors struggle to find steady work, and few achieve recognition as stars.
Some work as extras, actors who appear on screen with no lines to deliver. Some do
voiceover or narration work for animated features,audiobooks, or other electronic
media. In some stage or film productions, actors sing, dance, or play a musical ins-
trument. For some roles, an actor must learn a new skill, such as horseback riding
or stage fighting. Most actors have long periods of unemployment between roles and
often hold other jobs to make a living. Some actors teach acting classes in high sch-
ools, university drama departments, or community programs as a second job.
Actors held about 66,500 jobs in 2010. Most work under pressure and are often under stress about finding their next job. Work assignments are usually short, ranging from 1 day to a few months, and
actors often hold another job to make a living. On location (where a movie is being made), and sometimes in a studio, they may need to perform in unpleasant conditions, such as bad weather or while wearing an uncomfortable costume.
Work experience that is commonly considered necessary by employers, or is a commonly accepted substitute for more formal types of training or education.
The median hourly wage of actors was $17.44 in May 2010. The median wage is the wage at which half the workers in an occupation earned more than that amount and half earned less.
The lowest 10 percent earned less than $8.58, and the top 10 percent earned more than $64.04 in May 2010.