Choreographs and teaches safe stage combat for theatre, opera and film, from sword fights to slaps and falls. BLS does not publish separate figures for choreographers; it counts them within choreographer (SOC 27-2032), whose median pay is $55,310 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Typical entry-level education: High school diploma or equivalent.
- SOC 27-2032
- Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media
- Last updated October 9, 2026
At a glance
Fight Director in four numbers
- Median pay
- $55,310a year, or $26.59/hrBLS OEWS, May 2025Lowest 10% $34KTop 10% $139K
US median, all jobs: $50,980
- Projected growth
- +3.1%About as fast as averageBLS EP, 2025–2035This career+3.1%All jobs+3.5%
Projected employment change, 2025–2035 Item Value This career +3.1% All jobs +3.5% - Openings a year
- 6004,700 jobs todayBLS EP, 2025–2035
- Jobs in 20254.7K
- Projected 20354.9K
Employment, 2025–2035 Item Value Jobs in 2025 4.7K Projected 2035 4.9K - Typical education
- High schoolneeded to enterBLS EP, 2025–2035; mix: O*NET
- Less than high school9.5%
- High school33.3%
- Certificate19.1%
- Some college4.8%
- Associate's9.5%
- Bachelor's19.1%
Highest education held by choreographers Segment Value Less than high school 9.5% High school 33.3% Certificate 19.1% Some college 4.8% Associate's 9.5% Bachelor's 19.1%
Also advertised as: Fight Choreographer, Stage Combat Instructor, Violence Designer, Fight Captain, Stage Combat Choreographer.
Pay
How much do Choreographers make?
Every fight director in the US, by percentile of annual wage
Median
$55,310
Middle half earn $41,600 to $75,710
- 10th
- $34,090
- 25th
- $41,600
- 75th
- $75,710
- 90th
- $138,630
All US occupations: $50,980
| Percentile | Value |
|---|---|
| 10th | $34,090 |
| 25th | $41,600 |
| Median | $55,310 |
| 75th | $75,710 |
| 90th | $138,630 |
| All US occupations | $50,980 |
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025
- Median annual wage
- $55,310
- Median hourly wage
- $26.59/hr
- Mean annual wage
- $73,100
- People employed
- 2,860
Versus all US occupations
At $55,310, Choreographers earn 8% above the $50,980 median across all US occupations, a difference of $4,330 a year.
Versus arts, design, entertainment, sports, and media occupations
Inside the Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media group, where the middle occupation pays $68,060, this is 19% below the group median.
Pay range
The top 10% earn $138,630 or more while the bottom 10% earn $34,090, a gap of 4.1×. 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 27% of the 1,741 occupations in the NueCareer career bank.
Highest-paying state
New York pays the most at $173,100, and still leads at $160,395 once local prices are taken into account.
Pay by state
Which states pay Choreographers 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1New York | $173,100 | $160,395 | 340 |
| 2California | $75,000 | $67,738 | 410 |
| 3Minnesota | $74,810 | $75,856 | 40 |
| 4Maryland | $69,140 | $65,873 | 80 |
| 5Ohio | $66,910 | $72,121 | 120 |
| 6Louisiana | $51,170 | $58,011 | 210 |
| 7Nebraska | $49,490 | $54,926 | 60 |
| 8Texas | $46,460 | $47,869 | 380 |
| 9Indiana | $44,840 | $48,045 | N/A |
| 10South Dakota | $40,320 | $45,515 | 250 |
Job outlook
Is Fight Director a growing career?
Employment change over 2025–2035, against every US occupation
About as fast as average. +3.1% projected growth vs 3.5% for all occupations.
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Choreographers | +3.1% |
| All US occupations | +3.5% |
Source: BLS EP, 2025–2035
About as fast as average
BLS projects employment of Choreographers to change 3.1% over 2025–2035, against 3.5% projected for all occupations. That is 100 more jobs.
Annual openings
About 600 openings are projected each year, 12.8% of the 4,700 jobs that existed in 2025. Most come from workers leaving the occupation, not from growth alone.
Getting in
How to become a Fight Director
Fight directors usually start as actors or movement artists who train in stage combat. The Society of American Fight Directors (SAFD) offers skills proficiency tests in weapons such as rapier and dagger, broadsword, unarmed and knife, and its certification path progresses to Certified Teacher and Fight Director.
Many fight directors hold an MFA in acting or movement and teach in university theatre programs. Intensive summer workshops run by the SAFD and similar organizations are common training grounds, and experience assisting established fight directors on professional productions leads to independent work.
- 1
Typical entry-level education
High school diploma or equivalent
- 2
Work experience in a related occupation
5 years or more
- 3
Typical on-the-job training
Long-term on-the-job training
- 4
Preparation needed (O*NET job zone)
Some 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 choreographers.
- High School Diploma or the equivalent (such as a GED)33.3%
- Post-Secondary Certificate19.1%
- Bachelor's Degree19.1%
- Less than a High School Diploma9.5%
- Associate's Degree or other 2-year degree9.5%
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| High School Diploma or the equivalent (such as a GED) | 33.3% |
| Post-Secondary Certificate | 19.1% |
| Bachelor's Degree | 19.1% |
| Less than a High School Diploma | 9.5% |
| Associate's Degree or other 2-year degree | 9.5% |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
The work
What does a Fight Director do?
Fight directors create the violence audiences see on stage without anyone getting hurt. They choreograph sword fights, unarmed brawls, slaps, falls and weapon use for plays, musicals, operas and some screen projects, shaping each fight to fit the character and story.
They teach actors techniques that look real but keep distance and control, set safety protocols and rehearse fights repeatedly so they hold up across a long run. A fight captain from the cast leads warm-up calls before each performance. Many fight directors also teach stage combat at universities and conservatories, and some specialize in historical weapons or in film fight choreography.
Day-to-day tasks
- Choreograph fight sequences that serve the story
- Teach actors safe stage combat techniques
- Select and inspect stage weapons
- Set safety protocols for violent scenes
- Rehearse fights until they are consistent and controlled
- Train fight captains to run pre-show fight calls
- Teach stage combat classes and workshops
Typical tasks, researched by NueCareer from the sources below.
Working conditions and hours
Fight directors work in rehearsal halls, theatres and studios, often on short contracts for multiple productions. The work is physical and requires demonstrating techniques. Many combine freelance choreography with teaching, and touring or regional work involves travel.
Where the work happens
Indoors, climate-controlled
NeverEvery dayOutdoors in all weather
NeverEvery day
Physical demands
Sitting
NeverAlmost all the timeStanding
NeverAlmost all the timeOn their feet more than half the working day.
Bending or twisting
NeverAlmost all the timeRegular bending or twisting.
Working with people
Contact with other people
NoneConstantConstant contact with other people.
Face-to-face discussions
NeverEvery dayFace-to-face discussions every day.
Dealing 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
- Active Listening3.9
- Speaking3.9
- Monitoring3.8
- Learning Strategies3.6
- Reading Comprehension3.5
- Critical Thinking3.4
- Active Learning3.3
- Writing3.0
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Active Listening | 3.9 |
| Speaking | 3.9 |
| Monitoring | 3.8 |
| Learning Strategies | 3.6 |
| Reading Comprehension | 3.5 |
| Critical Thinking | 3.4 |
| Active Learning | 3.3 |
| Writing | 3.0 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
Transferable skills
O*NET importance, 1 to 5
- Instructing4.0
- Coordination3.9
- Social Perceptiveness3.6
- Time Management3.4
- Service Orientation3.3
- Judgment and Decision Making3.3
- Management of Personnel Resources3.1
- Persuasion3.0
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Instructing | 4.0 |
| Coordination | 3.9 |
| Social Perceptiveness | 3.6 |
| Time Management | 3.4 |
| Service Orientation | 3.3 |
| Judgment and Decision Making | 3.3 |
| Management of Personnel Resources | 3.1 |
| Persuasion | 3.0 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
Tools and software
- Customer relationship management CRM software · in demand
- Office suite software · in demand
- Presentation software · in demand
- Spreadsheet software · in demand
- Web page creation and editing software · in demand
- Word processing software · in demand
- Electronic mail software
- Graphical user interface development software
- Graphics or photo imaging software
- Internet browser software
- Video creation and editing software
“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 Fight Director?
NueCareer estimate (Holland code ARS) built on O*NET's Choreographer profile, scored 1 to 7
| Axis | Fight Director |
|---|---|
| Realistic | 4 |
| Investigative | 2 |
| Artistic | 7 |
| Social | 5 |
| Enterprising | 4 |
| Conventional | 2 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
What the work is built around
Day to day this is work built around creating, designing and working without a fixed set of rules, combined with teaching, helping and working directly with other people.
- Artistic7.0
- Social4.5
- Realistic4.5
- Enterprising3.8
- Investigative2.2
- Conventional2.1
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 Fight Director
O*NET related occupations
- Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media
- Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media
- Educational Instruction and Library
Art, Drama, and Music Teacher, Postsecondary
$78,620median a year
Most earn $48K to $163K
+2.2%Master's - Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media
- Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media
- Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media
- Dancer · N/A median
- Musician · N/A median
- Actor · N/A median
More arts, design, entertainment, sports, and media careers
Median annual pay, with choreographers highlighted
- Art Director$114,850
- Technical Writer$90,390
- Editor$77,920
- Writer and Author$76,910
- Public Relations Specialist$74,750
- Interior Designer$67,190
- Graphic Designer$62,960
- Fight Director$55,310
- Photographer$44,660
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Art Director | $114,850 |
| Technical Writer | $90,390 |
| Editor | $77,920 |
| Writer and Author | $76,910 |
| Public Relations Specialist | $74,750 |
| Interior Designer | $67,190 |
| Graphic Designer | $62,960 |
| Fight Director | $55,310 |
| Photographer | $44,660 |
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025
Lists Fight Director appears on
Questions
Fight Director: frequently asked questions
How much do Choreographers make?
BLS does not publish a separate wage for choreographers. It counts them within choreographer, whose median pay is $55,310 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025). The middle half of that occupation earn between $41,600 and $75,710, and the top 10% earn $138,630 or more.
Do you need a degree to become a Fight Director?
No. A bachelor's degree is not the norm: BLS reports a high school diploma or equivalent as the typical entry-level education for Choreographers. BLS also lists long-term on-the-job training as typical on-the-job training. Employers typically expect 5 years or more of related work experience first. In O*NET's survey of people already doing the job, 33.3% hold high school diploma or the equivalent (such as a ged).
Is Fight Director a growing career?
It is stable rather than fast-growing: employment is projected to change 3.1% over 2025–2035, about the same as the 3.5% projected across all occupations (BLS EP, 2025–2035). BLS still projects about 600 openings a year, mostly from workers retiring or moving to other work.
What does a Fight Director do?
Fight directors create the violence audiences see on stage without anyone getting hurt. A typical task: choreograph fight sequences that serve the story. Employers most often ask for Customer relationship management CRM software, Office suite software, Presentation software.
Which states pay Choreographers the most?
The highest state medians for Choreographers are New York ($173,100), California ($75,000), Minnesota ($74,810) (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
What personality type suits a Fight Director?
O*NET scores Choreographers highest on the Artistic, Social and Realistic interest areas, so the work mixes creating, designing and working without a fixed set of rules with teaching, helping and working directly with other people. On NueCareer's MBTI-to-interest mapping the closest types are ENFP, INFP. Personality is a fit signal, not a gate. The free NueCareer quiz scores your own profile against all 1,731 careers in the bank.