When a scene calls for a fall, a fight, or a crash, you're who actually performs it — doubling for actors and executing dangerous action that has to look real. Action that's really performed, not faked.
The work is demanding and exacting: relentless training, learning choreography, doubling for performers, and pulling off stunts safely on the first or fifth take. The danger is real, even when it's carefully controlled, and hours of preparation back a few seconds on screen. Trust in your crew is everything.
The work tends to be freelance, competitive, and hard on the body. Bookings are uneven, injuries add up, and a stunt career has a real physical shelf life. Who you know and your reputation shape the work, and the available roles can vary with what's being produced.
It tends to suit people who are athletic, disciplined, and cool under real risk. If you need stability or want to spare your body, it's a punishing path. But if executing dangerous action flawlessly is the kind of work that lights you up, it can be exhilarating.
Your job belongs to your employer.
Your career belongs to you.
Where this role sits in the broader career landscape — and where it can take you.
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Roles like this one sit within a broader occupational category. The numbers below reflect that full landscape — helpful for context, but your specific experience will depend on level, specialty, and where you work.
Roles with similar work and overlapping career paths
View all Arts & Media roles →When a scene calls for a fall, a fight, or a crash, you're who actually performs it — doubling for actors and executing dangerous action that has to look real. Action that's really performed, not faked.
Median pay for a Stunt Woman is about $78K nationally, with the field ranging roughly from $37K to $199K depending on experience, employer, and metro (BLS).
Core skills for this role include Speaking, Reading Comprehension, Active Listening, Social Perceptiveness, and Time Management.
Most people in this role hold a less than high school.
Employment in this field is projected to grow about 0.3% through 2034, with roughly 184,070 people working in it today (BLS).
Closely related roles include Performer, Actor, and Extra.
Your job belongs to your employer.
Your career belongs to you.