Dancers
Median Not published
Occupation · SOC 27-2032
Choreographers: pay and where the jobs are
What choreographers earn in the U.S., how pay varies across workers and states, and tools to plan around it.
National pay, May 2025
$55,310 median annual wage
- Mean (average) annual wage
- $73,100
- Median hourly wage
- $26.59
- Mean hourly wage
- $35.14
- Employment
- 2,860
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS May 2025 (released 2026-05-15), SOC 27-2032.
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See where your pay falls among choreographers nationally and in your state. Nothing you type leaves your browser.
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How much do choreographers make?
The median annual wage for choreographers was $55,310 in May 2025, so half of workers earned more and half earned less. The lowest-paid 10% earned less than $34,090 and the highest-paid 10% more than $138,630. As an hourly rate, the median is $26.59. About 2,860 people work in this occupation nationwide. The highest state medians are in New York ($173,100), California ($75,000) and Minnesota ($74,810). New York also comes out on top after taxes and local prices.
Pay ladder
What each step of the pay range for choreographers looks like per month. Take-home here includes federal tax, Social Security and Medicare for a single filer; add your state in the paycheck calculator.
| Step | Annual | Hourly | Monthly gross | Monthly after federal tax & FICA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $34,090 | $16.39 | $2,841 | $2,464 |
| 25th percentile | $41,600 | $20.00 | $3,467 | $2,967 |
| Median | $55,310 | $26.59 | $4,609 | $3,885 |
| 75th percentile | $75,710 | $36.40 | $6,309 | $5,174 |
| 90th percentile | $138,630 | $66.65 | $11,553 | $8,835 |
Choreographers: pay by state
14 states and territories have a published median, sorted from highest to lowest. The last two columns are our estimates: the median after 2026 federal and state taxes, and that take-home restated in national-average prices.
1
$111,159 take-home in national prices
2
$58,750 take-home in national prices
3
$58,371 take-home in national prices
Where a median choreographer paycheck goes furthest after 2026 taxes and BEA price levels.
| State | Employment | Median | 10th pct. | 90th pct. | Median after tax* | In national prices† |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New York | 340 | $173,100 | $48,470 | $333,210 | $119,964 | $111,159 |
| California | 410 | $75,000 | $42,990 | $138,630 | $57,843 | $52,243 |
| Minnesota | 40 | $74,810 | $41,600 | $87,360 | $57,566 | $58,371 |
| Maryland | 80 | $69,140 | $59,320 | $75,760 | $54,552 | $51,974 |
| Ohio | 120 | $66,910 | $41,230 | $81,780 | $54,505 | $58,750 |
| Louisiana | 210 | $51,170 | $43,940 | $61,730 | $42,146 | $47,781 |
| Nebraska | 60 | $49,490 | $48,450 | $73,740 | $40,573 | $45,030 |
| Texas | 380 | $46,460 | $32,810 | $62,130 | $39,511 | $40,709 |
| Indiana | Not published | $44,840 | $41,740 | $82,280 | $36,916 | $39,554 |
| South Dakota | 250 | $40,320 | $27,300 | $64,430 | $34,577 | $39,032 |
| Alabama | 30 | $38,990 | $35,550 | $49,080 | $31,924 | $35,941 |
| Florida | 180 | $36,670 | $31,310 | $64,550 | $31,644 | $30,600 |
| Illinois | 30 | $34,560 | $31,200 | $35,890 | $28,383 | $28,395 |
| Utah | 60 | $33,640 | $28,140 | $69,330 | $28,478 | $28,805 |
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS May 2025 (released 2026-05-15), SOC 27-2032. *Our estimate for a single filer paid biweekly with no pre-tax deductions or local tax, 2026 federal and state rules. †Take-home ÷ BEA Regional Price Parity × 100 (2024 price levels).
Sources
- OEWS May 2025 (oesm25nat.zip) — U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Accessed 2026-10-09.
- OEWS May 2025 (oesm25st.zip) — U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Accessed 2026-10-09.