There are CU Boulder alumni working as theatre and dance professionals throughout the country and abroad. Graduates from the Department of Theatre & Dance may elect to pursue a career as full-time actors, playwrights, designers, technicians, directors, choreographers, teachers, and dancers.
Theatre and dance graduates, however, have a broad liberal arts background that is sound preparation for a variety of careers, both related to the arts and otherwise. Those interested in arts-related positions should consider employment opportunities with repertory theatre companies, arts councils, dance troupes, schools, studios, service agencies, local opera groups and community festivals. Other students may decide to go on to professional study in theatre or dance, or to pursue certification in Pilates, Alexander Technique or other body therapies, or to work in areas such as business, law or medicine.
Career Services offers free services for all CU Boulder degree-seeking students, and alumni up to one year after graduation, to help students discover who they are, what they want to do, and how to get there. They are the bridge between academics and the world of work by discussing major and career exploration, internship or job searching, and graduate school preparation.
Theatre:
According to the 2019-20 College Salary Report by PayScale Human Capital:
- The average expected salary for someone with a bachelor’s degree in Theatre is $52,000.

The estimated median salaries,
as reported on Tableau, for Theatre graduates for 1 to 5, 6 to 10, and over 11 years out from school.
Dance:
According to the 2019-20 College Salary Report by PayScale Human Capital:
- The average expected salary for someone with a bachelor’s degree in Dance is $51,000.

The estimated median salaries,
as reported on Tableau, for Dance graduates for 1 to 5, 6 to 10, and over 11 years out from school.
At CU Boulder, Theatre and Dance graduates earn more than the nationwide average of comparable majors as reported by PayScale. CU Boulder alumni in these disciplines earn an estimated annual salary of $79,891 and $66,294, respectively, based on a pool of 383 alumni (both BA, left, and BFA, right, for both) who graduated between 1989 and 2018. But both are lower than the average for all CU Boulder graduates with with a bachelor's degree, according to a survey by Esmi Alumni Insight of 25,000 alumni who graduated during the same stretch.
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects that 2016-2026 job growth for actors will be 12%, compared to the 7% average for all jobs; job growth for dancers and choreographers will be 4%.