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Ushers, Lobby Attendants, and Ticket Takers: Career Overview
Assist patrons at entertainment events by performing duties, such as collecting admission tickets and passes from patrons, assisting in finding seats, searching for lost articles, and helping patrons locate such facilities as restrooms and telephones.
What Do Ushers, Lobby Attendants, and Ticket Takers Take On?
The day-to-day responsibilities of ushers, lobby attendants, and ticket takers include:
- Greet patrons attending entertainment events.
- Sell or collect admission tickets, passes, or facility memberships from patrons at entertainment events.
- Clean facilities.
- Settle seating disputes or help solve other customer concerns.
- Examine tickets or passes to verify authenticity, using criteria such as color or date issued.
- Provide assistance with patrons' special needs, such as helping those with wheelchairs.
- Guide patrons to exits or provide other instructions or assistance in case of emergency.
- Refuse admittance to undesirable persons or persons without tickets or passes.
What Ushers, Lobby Attendants, and Ticket Takers Need to Know
Successful ushers, lobby attendants, and ticket takers rely on a mix of skills and domain knowledge.
Most Important Skills
The abilities that matter most in this role, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:
Top Knowledge Areas
Related Job Titles
People in this occupation may also be known by titles such as:
- Admittance Attendant
- Attractions Associate
- Concessionist
- Docent
- Door Attendant
- Door Captain
- Door Tender
- Doorman
Job Outlook
There are roughly 400,303 ushers, lobby attendants, and ticket takers working in the United States today. Employment is projected to decline by -3.0% over the projection horizon.
Salary for Ushers, Lobby Attendants, and Ticket Takers
| Statistic | Value |
|---|---|
| Annual median | $23,818 |
| Hourly median | $11.45 |
| 10th percentile | $20,000 |
| 25th percentile | $22,000 |
| 75th percentile | $27,074 |
| 90th percentile | $30,330 |
Pay can vary substantially based on experience, location, and industry.
Pay by State
| State | Annual median salary |
|---|---|
| District of Columbia | $40,160 |
| Washington | $37,730 |
| Colorado | $36,660 |
| New York | $36,250 |
| California | $35,990 |
| Massachusetts | $35,070 |
| Maine | $35,010 |
| New Jersey | $34,430 |
| Oregon | $33,740 |
| Connecticut | $33,220 |
| Montana | $32,860 |
| Minnesota | $32,060 |
| Maryland | $32,050 |
| Idaho | $31,220 |
| Arizona | $31,090 |
| Alaska | $30,840 |
| Rhode Island | $30,780 |
| Vermont | $30,460 |
| Illinois | $29,910 |
| Delaware | $29,680 |
| South Dakota | $29,470 |
| Hawaii | $29,120 |
| Georgia | $28,970 |
| Missouri | $28,810 |
| Pennsylvania | $28,740 |
| Ohio | $28,410 |
| Florida | $28,360 |
| Nevada | $28,270 |
| Indiana | $28,200 |
| Virginia | $27,680 |
| Wisconsin | $27,600 |
| Texas | $27,340 |
| North Carolina | $27,300 |
| Wyoming | $27,240 |
| New Mexico | $27,140 |
| South Carolina | $27,090 |
| Nebraska | $27,060 |
| Arkansas | $26,890 |
| Michigan | $26,660 |
| North Dakota | $26,510 |
| New Hampshire | $26,460 |
| Tennessee | $26,310 |
| Utah | $25,570 |
| Mississippi | $25,440 |
| Louisiana | $24,800 |
| Oklahoma | $24,390 |
| Kentucky | $23,900 |
| Iowa | $23,100 |
| Kansas | $22,840 |
| West Virginia | $22,730 |
| Puerto Rico | $21,750 |
| Alabama | $21,570 |
| Guam | $20,380 |
Where Ushers, Lobby Attendants, and Ticket Takers Earn the Most
Pay for ushers, lobby attendants, and ticket takers vary by region. Top regions by median wage:
| Region | Median annual wage | Share of U.S. jobs | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|
| Far Western US | $34,772 | 20.5% | 1.43 |
| New England | $34,146 | 4.0% | 0.92 |
| Middle Atlantic | $33,894 | 14.7% | 1.00 |
| Rocky Mountains | $32,559 | 4.4% | 1.21 |
| Plains States | $28,445 | 6.4% | 0.95 |
| Great Lakes | $28,409 | 11.8% | 0.83 |
| Southwest | $27,855 | 16.3% | 1.31 |
| Southeast | $27,064 | 21.2% | 0.97 |
Top Metro Areas
| Metro area | State | Median annual wage | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | CA | $42,450 | 830 |
| Kahului-Wailuku, HI | HI | $41,940 | 70 |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | WA | $41,730 | 2,240 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | CA | $39,580 | 1,870 |
| Flagstaff, AZ | AZ | $37,940 | 110 |
| Napa, CA | CA | $36,810 | 40 |
| Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO | CO | $36,660 | 2,270 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | NY | $36,440 | 7,370 |
Which Industries Hire Ushers, Lobby Attendants, and Ticket Takers
The bulk of ushers, lobby attendants, and ticket takers are found across these industries:
| Industry | Employment | Median annual wage |
|---|---|---|
| Information | 52,070 | $29,490 |
| Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation | 40,430 | $32,410 |
| Accommodation and Food Services | 4,980 | $34,680 |
| Educational Services | 3,730 | $28,530 |
| Other Services (except Public Administration) | 1,150 | $35,480 |
| Retail Trade | 50 | $32,640 |
| Health Care and Social Assistance | 40 | $34,000 |
The table below shows some of the most common industries where those employed in this career field work.
Tech Stack
- Spreadsheet software: Microsoft Excel (hot technology)
- Office suite software: Microsoft Office software (hot technology)
- Electronic mail software: Microsoft Outlook (hot technology)
- Presentation software: Microsoft PowerPoint (hot technology)
- Word processing software: Microsoft Word (hot technology)
Work Environment
Daily working conditions for ushers, lobby attendants, and ticket takers is shaped by the following characteristics:
- Contact With Others
- Indoors, Environmentally Controlled
- Face-to-Face Discussions with Individuals and Within Teams
- Deal With External Customers or the Public in General
- Physical Proximity
Education and Training
Most ushers, lobby attendants, and ticket takers positions require a high school diploma or equivalent as the typical entry-level education. This occupation sits in Some Preparation Needed (Job Zone 2), indicating the level of preparation typically expected.
Similar Occupations
Similar Occupations
- Lodging Managers (Supplemental)
- Meeting, Convention, and Event Planners (Supplemental)
- Dining Room and Cafeteria Attendants and Bartender Helpers (Supplemental)
- Hosts and Hostesses, Restaurant, Lounge, and Coffee Shop (Primary-Short)
- First-Line Supervisors of Entertainment and Recreation Workers, Except Gambling Services (Supplemental)
- Amusement and Recreation Attendants (Supplemental)
- Locker Room, Coatroom, and Dressing Room Attendants (Primary-Long)
- Baggage Porters and Bellhops (Primary-Short)
References
Data on this page comes from the following authoritative sources:
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) for employment and wage data by state and industry.
- BLS Employment Projections for total employment and growth forecasts.
- O*NET (Occupational Information Network) for skills, knowledge, tasks, work activities, work context, technology, and education-zone data.
SOC code: 39-3031.00 (Ushers, Lobby Attendants, and Ticket Takers).
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