Clowns


Overview

Clowns

Introduction

Clowns dress in outlandish costumes, paint their faces, and use a variety of performance skills to entertain audiences. They work in circuses, amusement parks, schools, malls, rodeos, and hospitals, as well as on stage, in films, and even on the street. Clowns are actors and comedians whose job is to make people laugh. There are an estimated 50,000 to 100,000 professional clowns worldwide. There are many more amateurs. About 95 percent of clowns work part time and supplement their incomes with other jobs.

Quick Facts


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Median Salary

$64,500

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Employment Prospects

Fair

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Minimum Education Level

High School Diploma|Some Postsecondary Training


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Experience

Experience performing


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Skills

Interpersonal|Performance, Music, and Acting|Public Speaking


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Personality Traits

Athletic|Creative|Social

Earnings

Because the job market for clowns is unpredictable, and because of the freelance nature of clowning, there are no set salaries. The U.S. Department of Labor reports that the median hourly wages for entertainers and performers was $21.53 in May 2018.

Circus clowns generally earn less than other circus performers but receive room and board. They can earn $200 to $500 per week. While those ...

Work Environment

Clowns work irregular hours in varying conditions. They may work indoors or outdoors, on their feet for hours at a time, or in full costume and makeup. Costumes are expensive; a pair of shoes alone can cost $175 to $300. Some clowns have equipment that needs to be transported and kept in good repair.

To find the best jobs, clowns must travel often, staying in hotels and spending long hou...

Outlook

While clowns will never go away, recent developments (such as the closing of Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus in 2017) suggest that the public is less interested in being entertained by clowns than it used to be. Since the number of circuses is limited and declining, clowns are finding more opportunities outside the circus, especially with party and festiv...