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Stand-Up Comedian
Entertainment & SeasonalYou stand alone on a stage with a microphone and try to make strangers laugh, which is either the most exhilarating or the most humiliating experience a human can have — sometimes both in the same set. You'll bomb in front of audiences, rewrite jokes obsessively, and spend years playing open mics for free before anyone pays you. The top 1% gets Netflix specials. The other 99% has a day job.
Salary Range
Low
$10k
Median
$35k
High
$100k
10-Year Growth
average
US Workers
14K
Education
None — years of open mics, bombing, and developing a thick skin ARE the education
Environment
indoor
Tools & Technical Skills
- ▸Set writing and joke structure
- ▸Microphone technique and stage presence
- ▸Crowd work and improvisation
- ▸Self-produced video and social media content
- ▸Open mic and showcase booking
- ▸Audio/video recording of performances
People & Mindset Skills
- ▸Resilience to bombing
- ▸Self-awareness and observational skills
- ▸Timing and delivery
- ▸Networking in comedy community
- ▸Self-discipline for writing
Learn the skills
Courses and certifications to get you job-ready
Self-produced video and social media content
What you'll actually do
- 01Write jokes and bits in a notebook, on your phone, on napkins — whenever something funny hits you
- 02Perform at open mics for free in front of 8 people, 5 of whom are other comedians waiting for their set
- 03Bomb spectacularly and analyze what went wrong instead of crying in the parking lot (or both)
- 04Record every set and listen back, which is the comedic equivalent of watching game film
- 05Network with bookers, other comedians, and club owners who hold the keys to stage time
- 06Develop material about your own life until your personal pain becomes public entertainment
Related Shifts
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