How To Become A Stage Manager: What It Is and Career Path

What is a stage manager and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

3 min read

Wherever you go to a play or musical concert, stage managers are responsible for a large part of your pleasurable experience. They organize the day-to-day activities involved in running a theatre and putting on a show.

A day in the life of a stage manager may include creating rehearsal schedules, meeting with production heads, and communicating with the production crew. He/She may also be responsible for finding and preparing a rehearsal space. As a stage manager, you'll also need to keep accurate records of everything from props to the play's expenses.

Stage managers' responsibilities are very flexible and depend on whatever the play needs. Much more than a manager, you'll be a problem solver, fixing issues as they arise and ensuring that the performance stays on course.

There are no specific qualifications for this role. However, you'll need skills like problem solving and proactivity. Educational background in fields like drama, music, and performing arts may also be an advantage.

ScoreStage ManagerUS Average

Salary

3.9

Avg. Salary $50,142

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability Level

9.2

Growth Rate 8%

Growth Rate 0.3%

Diversity

5.0

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.17%

Asian 6.40%

Black or African American 7.97%

Hispanic or Latino 14.64%

Unknown 5.60%

White 65.23%

Gender

female 55.73%

male 44.27%

Age - 39

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 39

Stress Level

9.2

Stress level is very high

7.1 - high

Complexity Level

9.6

Complexity Level is advanced

7 - challenging

Work Life Balance

2.8

Work Life balance is poor

6.4 - fair

Key steps to become a stage manager

Explore stage manager education requirements

Most common stage manager degrees

Bachelor's

71.8 %

Associate

12.1 %

High School Diploma

8.1 %

Start to develop specific stage manager skills

Skills	Percentages
Stage Management	9.07%
Audio Equipment	8.73%
Control Room	8.00%
Technical Aspects	7.90%
Technical Rehearsals	6.72%

Complete relevant stage manager training and internships

Accountants spend an average of Less than 1 month on post-employment, on-the-job training. New stage managers learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a stage manager based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real stage manager resumes.

Research stage manager duties and responsibilities

Direct and manage production of plays in company's annual Shakespeare festival.
Manage team of developers to create web-base learning and support applications using ColdFusion, SQL, SharePoint, DreamWeaver.
Host all backstage tours for the public and VIP's.
Work on ASM for summer season for this company.

Prepare your stage manager resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your stage manager resume.

You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a stage manager resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

Choose From 10+ Customizable Stage Manager Resume templates

Build a professional Stage Manager resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your Stage Manager resume.

Apply for stage manager jobs

Now it's time to start searching for a stage manager job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

Browse job boards for relevant postings
Consult your professional network
Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
Watch out for job scams

How do stage managers rate their job?

-/5

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Stage Manager reviews

A zippia user wrote a review on Jul 2023

Pros

Experiencing shows first hand that you helped build.

Cons

Long hours, weird hours. Physically demanding.