Theater performance schedules dictate work hours, and actors often work in the evenings and on weekends. Some are employed by traveling shows and may be on the road for several months at a time. While the need for actors in television, films and online productions is expected to grow faster than most jobs between 2016 and 2026, the picture is less rosy for theater actors. Many smaller theaters have seen cuts in funding, although larger, well-known venues continue to provide a fairly stable number of acting jobs. The competition can be intense for those jobs, however, and because actors must audition for each role, their salaries and job prospects can be unpredictable.
