How to become an actor: training, first credits, unions and what it costs

To become an actor, you train, get in front of audiences or cameras as often as you can, put together a headshot, resume and audition profile, and audition until you book paid work. There is no exam, license or required degree; the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics notes that most actors get some formal preparation but a bachelor's degree is not usually required, and that many start in school plays or local theater (BLS).

What the job involves, per the BLS: reading scripts, auditioning, memorizing lines, rehearsing and performing under a director, in studios, theaters, theme parks or on location. Some actors work as extras, with no lines, or do voiceover and narration (BLS). This guide lays out the path in order, what to do if you are starting with no experience or no acting school, when unions come in, what the first steps cost, the extra rules for minors in California, and how to start in Los Angeles.

It is hard, and it helps to know how hard before you plan. The BLS figures, from the Occupational Outlook Handbook page last updated September 14, 2026 (BLS):

• About 67,500 actor jobs in the U.S. in 2025.
• 0% projected growth from 2025 to 2035, with about 6,300 openings a year, mostly from actors moving to other work or leaving the labor force.
• Median pay of $29.05 an hour (May 2025). The lowest 10% earned under $16.50 an hour and the top 10% over $143.68.
• Short jobs: assignments usually last from one day to a few months, part-time work is common, and hours can include early mornings, nights, weekends and holidays.
• Few stars: the BLS says many actors struggle to find steady work and few become stars.

Note that the pay figure is hourly. Because jobs are short and gaps between them are long, an hourly rate says little about a year's income; the actor pay guide explains union scale and how to turn rates into a realistic yearly estimate. Plan for a second income, and know that the BLS lists persistence next to creativity, memorization and physical stamina among the qualities the job needs (BLS).

The order matters more than the speed. Each step gives you what the next one asks for:

1. Train. Take an ongoing class, not a one-day seminar. The BLS says it often takes years of practice to develop the skills, and many actors keep training through workshops and mentoring throughout their careers (BLS). The beginners guide covers what a first class should look like.
2. Perform anywhere you can. School plays and local theater are where many actors start (BLS). Add student films, showcase productions and class scenes. Each credit goes on your resume and, on camera, can become reel footage.
3. Get a headshot. One clear, current photo that looks like you on a good day. See the headshots guide for what casting expects.
4. Write your resume. List real credits and training only. The acting resume guide shows the format, and the free resume builder lays it out for you.
5. Set up a casting profile. An Actors Access profile is free to create and keep, and includes two headshots, your resume and special skills, and role-match alerts (Breakdown Services). Free submissions send your name and résumé; PLUS adds your photo and media. The Actors Access guide walks through setup. The casting calls guide compares the main sites.
6. Audition steadily. Submit to roles that fit you, prepare properly and learn to cold read and self-tape. Keep notes on what you submitted to and what came back.
7. Cut a reel once you have footage. A short reel of your best on-camera work helps casting and agents see you act; the demo reel guide explains length and order.
8. Look for representation when you have material. The Playground, an LA school, advises building headshots, a reel and training before seeking an agent or manager (The Playground). The agent guide covers how to submit and what agents may legally charge.

Skip the shortcuts that cost the most: paying an "agency" up front to represent you, or buying expensive photos before you have trained. Before you pay anyone who promises representation or auditions, read the agent guide's section on what California law lets an agency charge.

Everyone starts with an empty resume. These are the realistic first credits, roughly from easiest to get to most useful:

• Class work. It is not a credit, but it is where you learn to break down a scene and take a note, and teachers and classmates are often your first network. Audit a class before you pay.
• Background work. Central Casting states that no experience is required and that union and non-union performers are welcome; you must be legally authorized to work in the U.S., and you sign up online (Central Casting). Extras have no lines (BLS), so it is set experience and a paycheck, not an acting credit; see how to become a background actor.
• Community and small theater. LA theater companies audition year-round and often with less competition than film, according to The Playground (The Playground).
• Student films. USC, UCLA, AFI and Chapman students cast their films through school sites, Facebook groups and bulletin boards. They usually pay little or nothing, so be selective: ask to read the script and see the director's previous work (The Playground). A good student film gives you footage for a reel.

A beginner's resume with training, two theater credits and a student film is a normal starting point. Do not pad it: casting directors can check, and an invented credit is a fast way to lose trust.

No. The BLS says a degree is not usually required, while noting that most actors get some formal preparation, through an acting conservatory or a college drama or theater program (BLS). Ongoing private classes are the other common route. The choice is about how you want to learn and what you can afford:

• A degree or conservatory gives you years of full-time training, productions and a cohort, at the cost of tuition and time.
• Ongoing classes let you train while you work another job and audition. You can switch teachers or techniques as you learn what works for you, from Meisner to Stanislavski.
• Improv is a common, lower-cost way in that builds listening and spontaneity; see how to start improv in LA.

Whichever route you take, keep training once you are working. The BLS notes that many actors continue through workshops and mentoring for their whole careers (BLS). The class-choosing checklist helps you compare schools.

You do not need to be in a union to start. Actors' Equity is the union for stage actors and stage managers, and it names SAG-AFTRA among its sibling unions (Actors' Equity). Joining is something you qualify for through work, not something you buy at the start.

Actors' Equity lists three ways in (Actors' Equity):

• An Equity contract: being hired on one. Some contracts require a length of employment before you can apply.
• Open Access: having worked professionally as an actor or stage manager in a theatrical production within Equity's jurisdiction, with a copy of the contract and proof of pay (a pay stub, W-2 or 1099).
• Four A's affiliation: at least one year in a sibling union such as SAG-AFTRA, in good standing, with qualifying work.

Equity asks for an initial payment of at least $600 with an Open Access or Four A's application (Actors' Equity). SAG-AFTRA sets its own eligibility rules and fees; check them on sagaftra.org before you plan around them, since they change and this guide could not verify them directly. Union work pays contract minimums, which the actor pay guide summarizes.

There is no set price to become an actor, but the main costs are predictable. Budget for:

• Classes. Usually the biggest line. Arlo's Price Index shows what LA classes cost by type, and the class prices guide explains how schools charge. Free and low-cost options exist; see free acting classes in LA.
• Headshots. A session with a photographer, plus prints if you need them; the headshots guide covers what to look for before you pay.
• Casting sites. An Actors Access profile is free; Actors Access PLUS, for unlimited submissions to its breakdowns, is $68 a year or $9.99 a month, with 20% off the annual plan for SAG-AFTRA members (Breakdown Services).
• Reel editing, once you have footage worth cutting.
• Union joining, later: Equity's initial payment is at least $600 (Actors' Equity).

Pay-to-meet casting workshops are optional and controversial: The Playground calls them effectively paid auditions and advises using them sparingly (The Playground). If you try one, read the casting workshops guide first for what California law allows.

Child and teen actors follow the same path with a parent doing the paperwork, plus one legal step: in California, all minors working in the entertainment industry must register for an entertainment work permit with the Labor Commissioner (California DIR).

• 6-month permit: free, and renewable every six months.
• 10-day permit: $50, online only, for first-time registrants; renewals and 16- and 17-year-olds are not eligible.
• Who applies: to apply online, a parent or guardian creates the account in their own name. Minors aged 14 to 17 must also complete sexual harassment prevention training.

Those details are from the DIR page as of October 24, 2026 (California DIR). For background work, Central Casting requires a parent or guardian to create and manage the account of anyone under 18 (Central Casting). For age-appropriate training, see the kids and teen classes guide; for Coogan accounts, on-set hours and vetting agents, see how to become a child actor.

The Playground, a Los Angeles acting school, lists six ways actors in the city find auditions: casting websites, agents and managers, theater companies and showcases, student films, networking and industry events, and casting director workshops. Its advice is to choose two or three and stay consistent rather than trying all six at once (The Playground).

A sensible first three months in LA: enroll in one ongoing class (browse all LA acting classes or start with scene study or improv), set up your free casting profile, audition for theater and student films, and get headshots once a teacher has seen your work. When you need audition material, Offbook has monologues and scenes. Add an agent search once you have credits and footage. If you are relocating, the guide to moving to LA for acting covers move-in costs, getting around and when the move makes sense.