Where a stand-up comedian can go next
5 destinations recorded, ranked by how much of the target role a stand-up comedian already meets. The closer to the top of Table 1, the less there is to learn.
Stand-up comedians tell humorist stories, jokes and one-liners typically described as a monologue, act or routine. They often perform in comedy clubs, bars, nightclubs and theatres. They may also use music, magic tricks or props to enhance their performance.
Also known as stand up comedian, comic, humorist, stand up, stand up comic, comedian, stand-up, stand-up comic.
Professionals 25 skills on file 5 career moves 1 above 60% overlap Closest: variety artist, 71%
- 70% and above · short step
- 50 to 70% · real move
- Below 50% · substantial retraining
Table 2 · A bigger jump
Possible, but expect real retraining rather than a sideways step.
Table 3 · What the job itself asks for
A stand-up comedian needs 19 required skills and areas of knowledge. These 10 are the ones fewest other jobs share, so they say the most about the work.
- create an artistic performance communication, collaboration and creativity
- tell a story communication, collaboration and creativity
- engage the audience emotionally communication, collaboration and creativity
- act for an audience communication, collaboration and creativity
- show professional responsibility management skills
- use declaiming techniques communication, collaboration and creativity
- work independently as an artist communication, collaboration and creativity
- acting techniques arts and humanities
- interact with fellow actors communication, collaboration and creativity
- perform live communication, collaboration and creativity
Table 4 · Jobs that lead here
The reverse view: occupations whose skills already cover much of what a stand-up comedian does. The figure is how much of this job each one brings.
- singer 78% covered · difficulty 24.9
- actor/actress 76% covered · difficulty 27.4
- puppeteer 67% covered · difficulty 36.1
- musician 62% covered · difficulty 40.8
- dancer 60% covered · difficulty 43
- performance artist 56% covered · difficulty 47
- circus artist 52% covered · difficulty 50.1
- stunt performer 44% covered · difficulty 57.2
- prompter 43% covered · difficulty 58.3
- stand-in 37% covered · difficulty 63.3
Look up another occupation
Stand-up comedian is filed under Professionals, ISCO major group 2. The full index lists all ten groups.
How these figures were compiled
Overlap is how much of the target role is already part of a stand-up comedian’s work. It is directional: the figure for the reverse move differs. Every entry above opens the full comparison for that move: what carries over, what is missing, and where to start. The full method.