Teaches actors accents, dialects and vocal technique for theatre, film and TV roles, often on set and in rehearsals. BLS does not publish separate figures for art, drama, and music teachers, postsecondary; it counts them within art, drama, and music teacher, postsecondary (SOC 25-1121), whose median pay is $78,620 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Typical entry-level education: Master's degree.
- SOC 25-1121
- Educational Instruction and Library
- Last updated October 9, 2026
At a glance
Dialect Coach in four numbers
- Median pay
- $78,620a yearBLS OEWS, May 2025Lowest 10% $48KTop 10% $163K
US median, all jobs: $50,980
- Projected growth
- +2.2%Slower than averageBLS EP, 2025–2035This career+2.2%All jobs+3.5%
Projected employment change, 2025–2035 Item Value This career +2.2% All jobs +3.5% - Openings a year
- 8,000116,900 jobs todayBLS EP, 2025–2035
- Jobs in 2025116.9K
- Projected 2035119.5K
Employment, 2025–2035 Item Value Jobs in 2025 116.9K Projected 2035 119.5K - Typical education
- Master'sneeded to enterBLS EP, 2025–2035; mix: O*NET
- Associate's1.4%
- Bachelor's13.9%
- Post-bacc certificate0.7%
- Master's50.7%
- Post-master’s certificate1.6%
- Doctorate31.7%
Highest education held by art, drama, and music teachers, postsecondary Segment Value Associate's 1.4% Bachelor's 13.9% Post-bacc certificate 0.7% Master's 50.7% Post-master’s certificate 1.6% Doctorate 31.7%
Also advertised as: Voice and Dialect Coach, Accent Coach, Voice Coach (Theatre), Dialogue Coach, Speech Coach.
Pay
How much do Art, Drama, and Music Teachers, Postsecondary make?
Every dialect coach in the US, by percentile of annual wage
Median
$78,620
Middle half earn $61,620 to $103,850
- 10th
- $47,570
- 25th
- $61,620
- 75th
- $103,850
- 90th
- $163,350
All US occupations: $50,980
| Percentile | Value |
|---|---|
| 10th | $47,570 |
| 25th | $61,620 |
| Median | $78,620 |
| 75th | $103,850 |
| 90th | $163,350 |
| All US occupations | $50,980 |
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025
- Median annual wage
- $78,620
- Median hourly wage
- N/A
- Mean annual wage
- $94,700
- People employed
- 93,560
Versus all US occupations
At $78,620, Art, Drama, and Music Teachers, Postsecondary earn 54% above the $50,980 median across all US occupations, a difference of $27,640 a year.
Versus educational instruction and library occupations
Inside the Educational Instruction and Library group, where the middle occupation pays $68,270, this is 15% above the group median.
Pay range
The top 10% earn $163,350 or more while the bottom 10% earn $47,570, a gap of 3.4×. That is an unusually wide spread, which usually tracks specialisation, employer type and years of experience.
Rank in the bank
This median pays more than 56% of the 1,741 occupations in the NueCareer career bank.
Highest-paying state
Delaware pays the most at $103,320, and still leads at $103,519 once local prices are taken into account.
Pay by state
Which states pay Art, Drama, and Music Teachers, Postsecondary the most?
State medians come from the same OEWS release as the national figures. The cost-of-living column divides each state median by that state's BEA Regional Price Parity, restating pay in national-average dollars so a high-cost state and a low-cost one can be compared directly.
| State | Median | COL-adjusted | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1Delaware | $103,320 | $103,519 | 150 |
| 2California | $99,410 | $89,785 | 9,820 |
| 3New York | $98,850 | $91,595 | 14,920 |
| 4Vermont | $97,980 | $100,022 | 180 |
| 5Rhode Island | $97,580 | $95,405 | 440 |
| 6District of Columbia | $96,900 | $88,170 | 350 |
| 7Massachusetts | $85,820 | $81,148 | 4,960 |
| 8Maryland | $85,590 | $81,546 | 1,280 |
| 9Michigan | $82,990 | $86,253 | 2,410 |
| 10New Jersey | $80,100 | $73,618 | 3,300 |
Job outlook
Is Dialect Coach a growing career?
Employment change over 2025–2035, against every US occupation
Slower than average. +2.2% projected growth vs 3.5% for all occupations.
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Art, Drama, and Music Teachers, Postsecondary | +2.2% |
| All US occupations | +3.5% |
Source: BLS EP, 2025–2035
Slower than average
BLS projects employment of Art, Drama, and Music Teachers, Postsecondary to change 2.2% over 2025–2035, against 3.5% projected for all occupations. That is 2,600 more jobs.
Annual openings
About 8,000 openings are projected each year, 6.8% of the 116,900 jobs that existed in 2025. Most come from workers leaving the occupation, not from growth alone.
Getting in
How to become a Dialect Coach
Most dialect coaches have a master's degree in voice studies, theatre voice or acting, and training in the International Phonetic Alphabet and approaches such as Knight-Thompson Speechwork. Many began as actors and moved into coaching through graduate study and assistant work with established coaches.
The Voice and Speech Trainers Association (VASTA) is the professional body for the field and publishes the Voice and Speech Review. University teaching positions usually require an MFA, while film and television coaching comes from reputation and referrals from casting directors and productions.
- 1
Typical entry-level education
Master's degree
- 2
Work experience in a related occupation
None
- 3
Typical on-the-job training
None
- 4
Preparation needed (O*NET job zone)
Considerable preparation
BLS Employment Projections, 2025–2035; job zone from O*NET 31.0 Database.
What education people in the job have
O*NET incumbent survey: the highest level of education reported by people already working as art, drama, and music teachers, postsecondary.
- Master's Degree50.7%
- Doctoral Degree31.7%
- Bachelor's Degree13.9%
- Post-Master's Certificate1.6%
- Associate's Degree or other 2-year degree1.4%
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | 50.7% |
| Doctoral Degree | 31.7% |
| Bachelor's Degree | 13.9% |
| Post-Master's Certificate | 1.6% |
| Associate's Degree or other 2-year degree | 1.4% |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
The work
What does a Dialect Coach do?
Dialect coaches help actors speak convincingly as someone from another place, time or background. For a production, they research the target accent using recordings and phonetic analysis, create reference materials and drills, and work one on one with actors during rehearsals and filming to keep sounds, rhythm and intonation consistent.
On film sets they listen during takes and give notes between setups, and they may coach dialogue in an invented language. In theatre and universities, voice and dialect coaches also teach breath, projection and vocal health. Many hold faculty positions in theatre programs while coaching productions, and some coach business clients on public speaking.
Day-to-day tasks
- Research accents and dialects using recordings and phonetics
- Create dialect breakdowns and practice materials
- Coach actors one on one in rehearsal
- Listen during takes and give notes on accuracy
- Teach voice, breath and vocal health
- Coach invented or historical languages for productions
- Teach voice and speech courses in theatre programs
Typical tasks, researched by NueCareer from the sources below.
Working conditions and hours
Dialect coaches work in rehearsal rooms, classrooms, on film sets and increasingly over video calls. Film work brings long, irregular days, while academic roles follow the semester. Much of the work is freelance or combined with university teaching.
Where the work happens
Indoors, climate-controlled
NeverEvery dayIndoors, in a climate-controlled space, every day.
Outdoors in all weather
NeverEvery dayAlmost never works outdoors.
Physical demands
Sitting
NeverAlmost all the timeStanding
NeverAlmost all the timeBending or twisting
NeverAlmost all the time
Working with people
Contact with other people
NoneConstantConstant contact with other people.
Face-to-face discussions
NeverEvery dayDealing with the public
Not importantExtremely important
Pressure and stakes
Strict deadlines
NeverEvery dayConflict situations
NeverEvery dayCost of a mistake
Not seriousExtremely seriousMistakes are not usually serious.
Autonomy
Freedom to decide
NoneA lotA lot of freedom to make decisions without checking first.
Conditions: O*NET Work Context survey. Each item has its own scale, so each dot is read against the two answers that end its own line.
Core skills
O*NET importance, 1 to 5
- Speaking4.6
- Learning Strategies4.1
- Reading Comprehension4.0
- Active Listening4.0
- Active Learning4.0
- Writing3.9
- Monitoring3.8
- Critical Thinking3.6
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Speaking | 4.6 |
| Learning Strategies | 4.1 |
| Reading Comprehension | 4.0 |
| Active Listening | 4.0 |
| Active Learning | 4.0 |
| Writing | 3.9 |
| Monitoring | 3.8 |
| Critical Thinking | 3.6 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
Transferable skills
O*NET importance, 1 to 5
- Instructing4.4
- Social Perceptiveness3.6
- Time Management3.6
- Complex Problem Solving3.4
- Judgment and Decision Making3.3
- Coordination3.1
- Systems Analysis3.0
- Service Orientation2.9
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Instructing | 4.4 |
| Social Perceptiveness | 3.6 |
| Time Management | 3.6 |
| Complex Problem Solving | 3.4 |
| Judgment and Decision Making | 3.3 |
| Coordination | 3.1 |
| Systems Analysis | 3.0 |
| Service Orientation | 2.9 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
Tools and software
- Data base management system software · in demand
- Desktop publishing software · in demand
- Development environment software · in demand
- Document management software · in demand
- Electronic mail software · in demand
- Graphics or photo imaging software · in demand
- Office suite software · in demand
- Operating system software · in demand
- Presentation software · in demand
- Spreadsheet software · in demand
- Video creation and editing software · in demand
- Web platform development software · in demand
“In demand” marks an O*NET Employer-Based Hot Technology, software named in real job postings for this occupation.
Personality fit
What personality type suits a Dialect Coach?
NueCareer estimate (Holland code ASI) built on O*NET's Art, Drama, and Music Teacher, Postsecondary profile, scored 1 to 7
| Axis | Dialect Coach |
|---|---|
| Realistic | 3 |
| Investigative | 5 |
| Artistic | 6 |
| Social | 7 |
| Enterprising | 2 |
| Conventional | 3 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
What the work is built around
Day to day this is work built around teaching, helping and working directly with other people, combined with creating, designing and working without a fixed set of rules.
- Social7.0
- Artistic6.1
- Investigative4.6
- Realistic3.0
- Conventional2.6
- Enterprising2.1
Closest MBTI types
NueCareer fit scores: cosine similarity between each MBTI type's interest vector and this occupation's O*NET interest profile. Not a BLS or O*NET figure; the method is documented on our methodology page.
Explore further
Careers related to Dialect Coach
O*NET related occupations
- Educational Instruction and Library
Art, Drama, and Music Teacher, Postsecondary
$78,620median a year
Most earn $48K to $163K
+2.2%Master's - Educational Instruction and Library
- Educational Instruction and Library
English Language and Literature Teacher, Postsecondary
$78,760median a year
Most earn $48K to $137K
0.0%Doctorate - Educational Instruction and Library
- Educational Instruction and Library
Area, Ethnic, and Cultural Studies Teacher, Postsecondary
$85,020median a year
Most earn $52K to $160K
+2.7%Doctorate - Educational Instruction and Library
More educational instruction and library careers
Median annual pay, with art, drama, and music teachers, postsecondary highlighted
- Nursing Instructor and Teacher, Postsecondary$80,250
- Dialect Coach$78,620
- Special Education Teacher, Secondary School$74,260
- Librarian$68,270
- Career/Technical Education Teacher, Secondary School$66,270
- Kindergarten Teacher$62,680
- Library Technician$44,580
- Tutor$43,350
- Preschool Teacher, Except Special Education$38,140
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Nursing Instructor and Teacher, Postsecondary | $80,250 |
| Dialect Coach | $78,620 |
| Special Education Teacher, Secondary School | $74,260 |
| Librarian | $68,270 |
| Career/Technical Education Teacher, Secondary School | $66,270 |
| Kindergarten Teacher | $62,680 |
| Library Technician | $44,580 |
| Tutor | $43,350 |
| Preschool Teacher, Except Special Education | $38,140 |
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025
Lists Dialect Coach appears on
Questions
Dialect Coach: frequently asked questions
How much do Art, Drama, and Music Teachers, Postsecondary make?
BLS does not publish a separate wage for art, drama, and music teachers, postsecondary. It counts them within art, drama, and music teacher, postsecondary, whose median pay is $78,620 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025). The middle half of that occupation earn between $61,620 and $103,850, and the top 10% earn $163,350 or more.
Do you need a degree to become a Dialect Coach?
Yes. BLS reports a master's degree as the typical entry-level education for Art, Drama, and Music Teachers, Postsecondary, and O*NET rates the preparation needed as considerable preparation. In O*NET's survey of people already doing the job, 50.7% hold master's degree.
Is Dialect Coach a growing career?
It is growing, but slowly: 2.2% over 2025–2035 against 3.5% for all occupations (BLS EP, 2025–2035). BLS still projects about 8,000 openings a year, mostly from workers retiring or moving to other work.
What does a Dialect Coach do?
Dialect coaches help actors speak convincingly as someone from another place, time or background. A typical task: research accents and dialects using recordings and phonetics. Employers most often ask for Data base management system software, Desktop publishing software, Development environment software.
Which states pay Art, Drama, and Music Teachers, Postsecondary the most?
The highest state medians for Art, Drama, and Music Teachers, Postsecondary are Delaware ($103,320), California ($99,410), New York ($98,850) (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
What personality type suits a Dialect Coach?
O*NET scores Art, Drama, and Music Teachers, Postsecondary highest on the Social, Artistic and Investigative interest areas, so the work mixes teaching, helping and working directly with other people with creating, designing and working without a fixed set of rules. On NueCareer's MBTI-to-interest mapping the closest types are INFP, ENFP. Personality is a fit signal, not a gate. The free NueCareer quiz scores your own profile against all 1,731 careers in the bank.