Choreographers

Create new dance routines. Rehearse performance of routines. May direct and stage presentations.

Most important skills

Instructing
Active Listening
Speaking
Coordination
Monitoring
Learning Strategies
Social Perceptiveness
Reading Comprehension

Key knowledge

Fine Arts
Education and Training
Administration and Management
Production and Processing
Design
Communications and Media
English Language
Psychology

What the work involves

Direct rehearsals to instruct dancers in dance steps and in techniques to achieve desired effects.
Read and study story lines and musical scores to determine how to translate ideas and moods into dance movements.
Design dances for individual dancers, dance companies, musical theatre, opera, fashion shows, film, television productions, and special events, and for dancers ranging from beginners to professionals.
Choose the music, sound effects, or spoken narrative to accompany a dance.
Advise dancers on standing and moving properly, teaching correct dance techniques to help prevent injuries.
Coordinate production music with music directors.
Audition performers for one or more dance parts.
Direct and stage dance presentations for various forms of entertainment.

Strongest interest areas (O*NET): Artistic, Social, Enterprising.

Qualifications and licensing

Most common education: High School Diploma or the equivalent (such as a GED) (33.3% of respondents)
Related experience: Over 2 years, up to and including 4 years (28.6%)
On-the-job training: None or short demonstration (42.9%)
Preparation level: O*NET job zone 3: Job Zone Three: Medium Preparation Needed
Licensing: Not yet verified. Check your state licensing board.

Check before planning

Licensing for Choreographers is not yet verified for any state: check the state licensing board before planning.

Limits

Distributions show what current workers or occupational experts report, not legal minimums.
Requirements vary by employer and state; time to qualify is not estimated.

Source: O*NET 31.0 Database (USDOL/ETA, CC BY 4.0); BLS Employment Projections · dataset 2026.10.8 · method e3-qualification-1.0.0

Work environment

How the typical conditions of this occupation compare with 911 occupations in O*NET (very low = the lowest fifth).

Levels are relative. Most occupations involve a lot of contact with people, for example, so “very low” can still mean regular contact; the last column shows what workers actually reported.

Rankings compare typical U.S. occupation-level work conditions; individual jobs and employers vary. Data: O*NET 31.0 Work Context and BLS wages (May 2025).
Condition	Level	Compared with other occupations	Most common answer (O*NET survey)
Contact with others	High	Higher on contact with others than 77% of occupations compared	76% of surveyed respondents chose “Constant contact with others”
Dealing with the public	Low	Lower on dealing with the public than 65% of occupations compared	38% of surveyed respondents chose “Very important”
Teamwork	High	Higher on teamwork than 73% of occupations compared	62% of surveyed respondents chose “Extremely important”
Freedom to make decisions	Moderate	Lower on freedom to make decisions than 58% of occupations compared	43% of surveyed respondents chose “A lot of freedom”
Time pressure	Moderate	Higher on time pressure than 52% of occupations compared	38% of surveyed respondents chose “Once a week or more but not every day”
Conflict situations	High	Higher on conflict situations than 71% of occupations compared	48% of surveyed respondents chose “Once a month or more but not every week”
Dealing with unpleasant or angry people	Low	Lower on dealing with unpleasant or angry people than 66% of occupations compared	57% of surveyed respondents chose “Once a month or more but not every week”
Consequence of error	Very low	Lower on consequence of error than 94% of occupations compared	43% of surveyed respondents chose “Not serious at all”

Work-pressure profile

Time pressure: moderate
Conflict situations: high
Dealing with unpleasant or angry people: low
Consequence of error: very low

Each part is shown on its own. There is no combined stress score, and conditions vary by employer and role.

Full answer distributions