Annual Salary
£19,000 to £30,000
Average UK salary in 2022 was £33,200
(source Office for National Statistics)
Swap to Performing arts or Games or go back to all job sectors
Stagehands help to get things ready on set for performances in the theatre, at concerts and in TV and film studios.
Average UK salary in 2022 was £33,200
(source Office for National Statistics)
You could work: freelance / self-employed; away from home
There will be
0.5% more Stagehand jobs in 2027.
As a stagehand, you could:
You could work in a theatre, at a TV studio or at a film studio.
Your working environment may be physically demanding, cramped, noisy and at height.
You can get into this job through:
You can do a foundation degree or degree in a subject like:
You'll usually need:
You can take a college course, for example:
The skills you'll learn on these courses could help when you look for a trainee job with a stage or production company.
You'll usually need:
You could apply to do a Creative Industries Production Technician Level 3 Advanced Apprenticeship.
This can take around 2 years to complete and is a mix of workplace learning and off-the-job study.
You'll usually need:
You may be able to start in a theatre or venue as a member of the casual backstage staff and work your way up.
You can contact a theatre's resident stage manager or master carpenter to find out about possible opportunities.
Any backstage experience you have from school, college, amateur or fringe productions will be helpful.
You may have an advantage if you've got skills and experience in carpentry, electrical work, sound or lighting.
You can find out more about working and training as a stagehand from Get Into Theatre and the Association of British Theatre Technicians.
You can get more information on working in creative careers from Discover Creative Careers.
With experience, you could lead a crew of stagehands and scene builders. You could also take further training to become a production carpenter, sound or lighting engineer. You could do a creative industries production manager degree apprenticeship to become a stage manager.
You could also work freelance for theatre venues, TV or film studios, touring theatre companies and large-scale concert tours.
Creative Choices has more information about careers in the theatre and the performing arts.
You'll need: