The Datum Report

Occupation 3413 · Associate professional occupations

Actors, entertainers and presenters

Actors, entertainers, presenters, and perfomance artists sing, portray roles in dramatic productions, perform comedy routines, gymnastic feats and tricks of illusion, train animals to perform and perform with them, and introduce and present radio and television programmes.

How people enter it

Entry does not depend on academic qualifications although some drama schools require candidates to have GCSEs/S grades or A levels/H grades or a degree. Entry can be based upon an audition. Membership of the appropriate trade union is usually required. Vocational qualifications in performing arts are available.

What the work involves

• studies script; play or book and prepares and rehearses interpretation
• assumes character created by a playwright or author and communicates this to an audience
• performs singing, comedy, acrobatic, illusion and conjuring routines
• trains animals to perform entertaining routines and may perform with them
• introduces and presents radio and television programmes, reads news bulletins and makes announcements
• conducts interviews and prepares reports for news broadcasts, current affairs programmes and documentaries
• plays pre-recorded music at nightclubs, discotheques, and private functions

Also called

Actor · Commentator (broadcasting) · Costumed interpreter · Disc jockey · Entertainer · Presenter (broadcasting) · Singer

What it pays

Every regional figure

ONS does not publish occupational pay below region. Cells the survey could not support are shown as withheld, with its reason — adding a region split to a specific occupation leaves roughly a tenth of cells publishable.

Common questions

Classified alongside this

Artists · Arts officers, producers and directors · Authors, writers and translators · Dancers and choreographers · Musicians · Photographers, audio-visual and broadcasting equipment operators