Comedians
Overview
Introduction
Comedians are entertainers who make people laugh. They use a variety of techniques to amuse their audiences, including telling jokes, composing and singing humorous songs, wearing funny costumes, and doing impersonations. Comedians perform in nightclubs, comedy clubs, coffee houses, theaters, television shows, films, and even business functions, such as trade shows and sales meetings. Others have YouTube channels and a major presence on other social media channels and promote themselves and share their comedy on the Internet.
Quick Facts
Median Salary
Employment Prospects
Minimum Education Level
Experience
Skills
Personality Traits
Earnings
People who look only at the incomes of well-known comedians will get a mistaken notion of how much comedians earn. Adam Sandler may earn tens of millions for a single movie; other comedy stars may earn $200,000 for one performance, but the vast majority of comedians earn far lower wages. In fact, most comedians must hold full- or part-time jobs to supplement the income from their performances.<...
Work Environment
Full-time comedians usually spend a lot of time traveling between shows. A comedian may have a strong following in the Midwest, for example, and in the course of a week he or she may have two shows in Detroit, two shows in Chicago, and a show in St. Louis. Some people may find this lifestyle exciting, but for many it is exhausting and lonely. Those who perform as part of an improv troupe may al...
Outlook
As with the other performance arts, there will always be more aspiring comedians than there are job opportunities. However, there are nearly 1,100 comedy clubs across the country (usually in larger cities), and each club needs performers to get their audiences laughing. During the 1990s, the boom in comedy clubs slowed. However, more recently, new venues such as casinos, resorts, and theme park...