What Does a Stage Manager Do?
A great cast alone isn't likely to save a show if the cues are late, but if everything else is ready, a sharp stage manager can be what holds each performance together night after night. That's because a performance is more than just its actors. Stage managers run rehearsals, keep the prompt book and call every light, sound and scene cue during performances.
Other Job Titles for This Work
Workers in this occupation report titles such as Artistic Director, Director, Executive Producer, Multimedia Producer, News Producer, Producer, Production Director, Radio Producer.
Stage Manager Duties and Responsibilities
The primary responsibilities of a stage manager include:
- Run rehearsals, keeping time, tracking blocking and recording every change in the prompt book.
- Call light, sound, fly and scene-shift cues from the booth during each performance.
- Prepare rehearsal schedules, contact sheets and daily reports for the director and production team.
- Coordinate costume fittings, prop needs and technical requests between departments.
- Supervise assistant stage managers and run crew backstage during technical rehearsals and shows.
- Keep the cast on schedule for calls, fittings and publicity, and note any absences.
- Maintain the show after opening, giving notes so performances stay true to the director's staging.
- Plan and walk through emergency procedures with cast and crew before audiences arrive.
- Tape out the set on the rehearsal room floor and set up props for each scene.
- Communicate with the house manager about start times, holds and late seating.
Required Skills and Qualifications
To succeed as a stage manager, you will need the following skills and qualifications:
- Calling cues with precise timing
- Prompt book and paperwork organization
- Reading scripts, scores and ground plans
- Clear, calm communication under pressure
- Scheduling and time management
- Tact with actors, directors and crews
- Basic knowledge of lighting, sound and rigging
- Bachelor's degree in theater or stage management
Education and Training
Actors' Equity Association membership is needed for professional contracts in many cities, and the union represents stage managers as well as actors. Most stage managers hold a bachelor's degree in theater or stage management. Nearly everyone starts as an assistant stage manager, often on community and school productions.
Salary and Job Outlook
Typical pay: varies widely for this role, and BLS does not publish pay for it separately. In the wider BLS group it belongs to (Producers and Directors), the middle half of earners made $62,670 to $134,800 a year, and the median was $90,360.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, Producers and Directors.
BLS projects employment of producers and directors, the wider group that stage managers are counted in, to grow about 4 percent from 2025 to 2035, with roughly 12,100 openings a year. Pay for the whole group had a median of about $90,400 in May 2025, and many stage managers earn less, especially in regional and nonprofit theater. Work often runs show to show.
Outlook source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections, 2025 to 2035, Producers and directors.
Stage Manager Pay Range
| Earners | Annual pay |
|---|---|
| Bottom 10% earn less than | $45,780 |
| Bottom 25% earn less than | $62,670 |
| Median (half earn more, half less) | $90,360 |
| Top 25% earn more than | $134,800 |
| Top 10% earn more than | $198,540 |
Highest-Paying States for Stage Managers
The states with the highest median pay for this occupation are California ($129,790), New Jersey ($119,840), New York ($107,550), District of Columbia ($104,270), Connecticut ($88,260). Pay is lowest in Mississippi ($48,100), West Virginia ($46,660), Arkansas ($38,820).
Median pay in all 50 states with BLS data
| State | Median annual pay |
|---|---|
| Alabama | $63,340 |
| Alaska | $54,060 |
| Arizona | $67,320 |
| Arkansas | $38,820 |
| California | $129,790 |
| Colorado | $78,060 |
| Connecticut | $88,260 |
| Delaware | $72,650 |
| District of Columbia | $104,270 |
| Florida | $79,920 |
| Georgia | $79,950 |
| Hawaii | $66,190 |
| Idaho | $61,150 |
| Illinois | $81,080 |
| Indiana | $59,870 |
| Iowa | $58,550 |
| Kansas | $60,600 |
| Kentucky | $54,550 |
| Louisiana | $62,920 |
| Maine | $71,320 |
| Maryland | $79,350 |
| Massachusetts | $80,970 |
| Michigan | $65,720 |
| Minnesota | $76,360 |
| Mississippi | $48,100 |
| Missouri | $66,460 |
| Montana | $52,580 |
| Nebraska | $52,580 |
| Nevada | $78,480 |
| New Hampshire | $61,560 |
| New Jersey | $119,840 |
| New York | $107,550 |
| North Carolina | $63,700 |
| North Dakota | $57,870 |
| Ohio | $69,350 |
| Oklahoma | $61,600 |
| Oregon | $87,460 |
| Pennsylvania | $75,460 |
| Rhode Island | $84,250 |
| South Carolina | $56,030 |
| South Dakota | $60,260 |
| Tennessee | $73,020 |
| Texas | $71,710 |
| Utah | $76,350 |
| Vermont | $55,660 |
| Virginia | $65,900 |
| Washington | $81,550 |
| West Virginia | $46,660 |
| Wisconsin | $66,390 |
| Wyoming | $60,420 |
What the Work Is Like
O*NET surveys people who work as producers and directors about their daily conditions. Of those surveyed:
- 100% use email every day
- 100% say teamwork is very or extremely important in their job
- 85% are on the phone every day
- 76% say being exact and accurate is very or extremely important
- 76% usually work more than 40 hours a week
- 73% work indoors in a climate-controlled space every day
- 73% work against deadlines every day
Education Workers Say the Job Needs
| Education level | Share of workers |
|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree | 57% |
| High school diploma or GED | 15% |
| Associate's degree | 13% |
| Post-secondary certificate | 11% |
Tools and Software Stage Managers Use
Tools and equipment
Software
Is This Job a Good Fit for You?
People who do well in this job tend to enjoy creative work and self-expression as well as leading, persuading and making business decisions.
Skills O*NET rates most important: Active Listening, Reading Comprehension, Speaking, Critical Thinking, Monitoring, Social Perceptiveness.
Knowledge areas used most: Communications and Media, English Language, Telecommunications, Computers and Electronics, Administration and Management.
Preparation: O*NET places this occupation in Job Zone 4 of 5, which means considerable preparation.
Related Careers
These jobs use similar skills, according to O*NET's related-occupation data:
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Sources
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections, 2025 to 2035.
- O*NET 30.1 Database, occupation 27-2012.00 (Producers and Directors). View on O*NET OnLine.
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