How Much Do Ballerinas Make? Salary, Explained

So you want the real answer to “how much do ballerinas make?” Here’s the short version: the median pay for ballet dancers was about $30,007 a year, in a range that runs from around $20,604 to $58,723. Where a dancer lands in that range comes down to a few things, like how big the company is, what rank she’s dancing at, where she lives, and how long her season runs.

The honest truth is that ballet pay is all over the map. It can go from cup-of-noodles-for-dinner to genuinely comfortable, sometimes within the same company. So let’s break down what a ballerina actually earns, why the numbers jump around so much, and what the paycheck looks like at each stage of a career. If you’re weighing the money side, our guide on what it costs to be a ballerina is a good companion read.

How Much Do Ballerinas Make?

Here’s the thing about ballet salaries: there’s no single number. Two dancers with the same skill can earn wildly different paychecks depending on which company signs them. So instead of one figure, think of it as a range that shifts based on a handful of factors.

What moves the number up or down:

• Company size and budget. A big-name company with a full season pays a lot more than a small regional one.
• Rank. A brand-new dancer in the back row earns a fraction of what a principal (the lead) earns.
• Location. Bigger cities usually mean bigger budgets, and bigger paychecks.
• Contract length. A lot of ballet is seasonal, so weekly pay doesn’t always run all 52 weeks of the year.

To make this real, here’s what a few actual companies have paid. Notice how much these bounce around.

Tulsa Ballet, corps member Salary: $665/week Benefits: Health insurance, 40 pairs of pointe shoes per year, on-site physical therapist and massage therapist, gym membership and nutritionist

Martha Graham Dance Company, dancer Salary: About $900/week Benefits: Full year-round health coverage

Houston Ballet Average Salary: $62,973

Boston Ballet, first year corps member Salary: $1,262.53 per week

St. Louis Ballet, first year corps member Salary: $325 per week

See what we mean? A first-year corps member at Boston Ballet earns almost four times what a first-year corps member at St. Louis Ballet does. Same job title, totally different paycheck.

More Ballerina Salary and Pay Numbers

If you want the bigger picture, here are the ranges to know:

• The median salary for ballet dancers is $30,007 a year, in a range that spans $20,604 to $58,723 in 2018.
• Freelance gigs typically pay $500 to $1,500 per performance.
• Apprentice salary (a new dancer still learning the ropes): $125 to $800 per week
• Corps de ballet salary (the dancers who perform as a group behind the leads): $325 to $1,500 per week
• Principal dancer salary (the top rank in a company): $53,000 to $150,000+ a year at the top companies

A quick word on those ranks, because the French can be confusing. “Corps de ballet” just means the group of dancers who move together as an ensemble, kind of like the choir behind a solo singer. A “principal” is the star at the top who dances the lead roles. Almost everyone starts in the corps and climbs toward principal over years.

How to Become a Ballerina

Real talk: the only way in is hard work. Most ballet dancers start training around age five or six, and they’ll put in years of unpaid hours perfecting technique before they ever land an audition with a professional company. Becoming the best dancer in your class is a great start, but it’s just the first step.

Once a dancer signs with a company, she usually starts in a junior ensemble or a corps de ballet spot. And the competition doesn’t stop there. For some dancers the path is smooth, but plenty of others go through several auditions before landing a contract.

Until you’ve reached principal, most dancers stretch their paychecks with side work like teaching or fitness instruction. It’s a long road, so be ready for the intense training and the grind, and try not to lose sight of why you started dancing in the first place. Curious what the day-to-day actually looks like? Peek behind the curtain at a day in the life of a professional ballet dancer.

If you’re thinking about going freelance instead, that comes with its own set of challenges.

What Is a Freelance Dancer?

A freelance dancer gets brought in show to show rather than joining one company. The work is less steady, which makes it a tricky path, and most freelancers end up dancing for several different companies to keep the gigs coming.

Here are some tips from John Eirich, a freelance dancer who has juggled gigs with Dušan Týnek Dance Theatre and TAKE Dance, danced as a supplementary dancer with Mark Morris Dance Group, and now dances with Dance Heginbotham:

1. If taxes aren’t taken out of your paycheck, be ready to pay them at the end of the financial year. Eirich keeps a separate savings account just for taxes, and honestly, that’s a smart move.
2. There will be hiatus weeks when you don’t have a gig, so plan for them.
3. Side jobs are just part of the deal. As Eirich puts it, “I’ve worked at Starbucks, at a gym, as a physical therapist assistant. Remember: It’s okay.”
4. Look for dance-world jobs that come with perks you can actually use. “Being a work-study student always lowers the cost of classes. And, if a performing job offers you any sort of dancewear, take it!”
5. Read your contracts carefully for what they offer and what they ask of you, but don’t forget why you’re doing this. “If a show doesn’t pay much, weigh the scheduling with your passion. If you believe in something artistically, you’ll figure it out.”