How to become a Circus Performer or Trainer
Entertains by performing a variety of circus acts, or trains circus performers.
Main tasks
- Creates and performs new circus routines
- Rehearses circus routines and refines skills in activities such as acrobatics, juggling, stilt walking and aerial work
- Follows safety guidelines to ensure that routines are conducted in a manner that minimises risk to performers
Ways in
- University: Creative Arts & Design degrees, Offered by 38 universities in Australia
- TAFE and VET: Advanced Diploma of Professional Dance (Elite Performance) (CUA60120); Certificate III in Community Dance, Theatre and Events (CUA30220); Certificate II in Dance (CUA20120); Certificate IV in Animal Behaviour and Training (ACM40322); Diploma of Musical Theatre (CUA50220); Diploma of Professional Dance (Elite Performance) (CUA51520); Certificate I in Dance (CUA10120)
Pay · Outlook · AI and this job
- Typical full-time pay: $87,984 a year
- About 7,900 people work in this job group now, and about 8,800 are projected by 2035. (+11.7%)
- AI is more likely to help with parts of this job than to do it. Jobs and Skills Australia rates its automation exposure as low.
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Questions people ask
How do I become a Circus Performer or Trainer?
Ways in include: Creative Arts & Design degrees; Advanced Diploma of Professional Dance (Elite Performance); Certificate III in Community Dance, Theatre and Events.
How much does a Circus Performer or Trainer earn in Australia?
Median full-time pay is $87,984 a year (Jobs and Skills Australia).
Is a Circus Performer or Trainer a growing career in Australia?
Yes. Employment is projected to grow 12% by 2035, from about 7,900 to about 8,800 people (Jobs and Skills Australia).
Do you need a degree to become a Circus Performer or Trainer?
Not always. 31% of people in this job hold a bachelor's degree or higher. Ways in include: Creative Arts & Design degrees; Advanced Diploma of Professional Dance (Elite Performance); Certificate III in Community Dance, Theatre and Events.
Will AI change the work of a Circus Performer or Trainer?
AI is more likely to help with parts of this job than to do it. Jobs and Skills Australia rates its automation exposure as low.
Sources
- Jobs and Skills Australia: Occupation data (ANZSCO), from ABS Labour Force and Census (February 2026), CC BY 4.0, retrieved 2026-10-04
- Jobs and Skills Australia: Generative AI Capacity Study, interactive table data (September 2025), CC BY 4.0, retrieved 2026-10-04
- Jobs and Skills Australia: Employment Projections (Victoria University) (May 2025 to May 2035), CC BY 4.0, retrieved 2026-10-04
- Australian Taxation Office: Taxation Statistics, Individuals Table 15A (2023-24), CC BY 2.5 AU, retrieved 2026-10-04
Updated 2026-10-04