Ushers, Lobby Attendants, and Ticket Takers Salary

The median ushers, lobby attendants, and ticket takers salary in the United States is $32,910 per year ($15.82/hour). Salaries range from $23,560 at the entry level to $42,470+ for the top 10% of earners. There are 121,770 ushers, lobby attendants, and ticket takers jobs nationwide. Employment is projected to grow 1.2% through 2034.

Last updated: June 2026 Β· Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

Median Salary
$32,910
per year
Hourly Rate
$15.82
per hour
Employment
121,770
jobs in the U.S.

Salary Distribution

10th percentile
$23,560
25th percentile
$28,310
Median
$32,910
75th percentile
$36,940
90th percentile
$42,470

Job Growth (2024-2034)

+1.2%
Slower than average

Annual Openings

30,800
jobs/year (growth + replacements)

Education Required

No formal educational credential

Training Needed

Short-term on-the-job training

Ushers, Lobby Attendants, and Ticket Takers Career Guide

Interview questions, resume templates, and a career ladder written specifically for ushers, lobby attendants, and ticket takerss.

Ushers, lobby attendants, and ticket takers staff movie theaters, live-entertainment venues, sports stadiums, and concert halls β€” AMC Theatres, Regal Cinemas, Cinemark, Live Nation venue operations, MSG (Madison Square Garden), Fenway Sports Management, and stadium concessionaires like Legends Hospitality and Aramark Sports. Compensation is hourly and often part-time with event-based scheduling; benefits come at 25-30 hrs/week at most chain theaters and full-time supervisor levels at venues. BLS median $32,910 with p10 $23,560 and p90 $42,470 across 121,770 jobs. Entry $23-28k at chain theaters and mid-market venues; established $30-36k with weekly hours at busy multiplexes or steady venue work; senior $38-42k+ at head-usher/supervisor level in stadium ops or premium concert venues, or the union path at Broadway houses and major-league sports venues.

Core Skills Hiring Managers Screen For

Ticket scanning & auditorium assignment
Handheld scanners (Boca 26, Vivotek) or POS-integrated scanners at chain theaters (AMC/Regal/Cinemark) and Ticketmaster or SeatGeek scanners at stadiums. Speed matters β€” a 2,000-seat auditorium admitting 500 people in 12 minutes means 7 seconds per scan without letting the line bunch.
Crowd flow & queue management
Line the queue in a cinema lobby without blocking the food line, sequence stadium entry through metal detectors, choreograph a concert-hall exit through 6-12 doors after a Live Nation show. Miss the pattern and you have crush points and a safety incident.
Emergency response & evacuation
Fire alarm procedure, medical response (know where the AED is, know where the on-site medic is), active-threat response training. Every venue runs an annual drill; hiring managers ask what you'd do if a fire alarm hit during a sold-out AMC IMAX show.
Customer recovery & escalation
Guest with a bad seat, guest who bought the wrong show time, guest who wants a refund on a Live Nation ticket bought through StubHub. Recover with a clear script (apologize, offer specific alternative, escalate to manager) rather than arguing.
Auditorium turnover & cleaning
Between-show cleaning at a cinema β€” pick up popcorn, wipe seats, scan under rows for lost phones, reset the ADA companion seats. Typical turnover target 8-12 minutes at AMC or Regal, 15-20 at a live venue with more premium seating.
Concessions cross-training
Most theater usher roles include cross-training on the concession counter β€” POS operation, popcorn machine, ICEE / slushie, hot food. Union stadium ushers stay separate but chain-theater ushers rotate every shift.
ADA & accessibility service
Wheelchair seating placement, hearing-assist device pickup and return, guide-dog accommodation, closed-caption device (CaptiView, Sony Access Glasses) handoff. Every chain theater has ADA-mandated equipment; ushers own the handoff and troubleshoot when devices don't work.

How to Become a Ushers, Lobby Attendants, and Ticket Takers

  1. 1
    16+ (14-15 with a work permit in most states), pass a background check
    Chain theaters (AMC, Regal, Cinemark) all hire at 16 with a work permit as young as 14 in some states. Stadium and Live Nation venue work usually requires 18+ due to alcohol-service exposure. Background check is standard β€” no felony convictions in the last 7 years at most employers.
  2. 2
    Apply through the chain's ATS or the venue concessionaire's site
    AMC (careers.amctheatres.com), Regal (careers.regmovies.com), Cinemark (careers.cinemark.com), Live Nation (livenationentertainment.com/careers), Legends (legends.net/careers), Aramark (careers.aramark.com). Applications are online, screening is fast, interviews are typically 15-30 minutes with the theater / venue manager.
  3. 3
    Start on part-time shifts (16-25 hrs/week), evenings and weekends
    $11-14/hr at chain theaters in most metros; $14-17/hr at stadium concessionaires; $16-22/hr at premium venues (MSG, Fenway, Broadway houses). Benefits eligibility typically kicks in at 25-30 hrs/week.
  4. 4
    Cross-train on box office, concessions, and premium formats (IMAX, Dolby Cinema, luxury recliner houses)
    $0.50-1.50/hr premium at chain theaters; more responsibility at venue level. Cross-trained employees get scheduled more hours because managers can slot them anywhere.
  5. 5
    Advance to shift lead / head usher / supervisor
    $15-22/hr at chain theaters as shift lead; $22-30/hr at premium venues and stadiums as head usher; $42-55k salary as theater manager or Live Nation venue operations supervisor at 5-10 years.

Career Progression

Usher / Ticket Taker (0-1 yrs)
0-1 yrs$22-27k ($11-13/hr, part-time hours) β€” near or below BLS p10
  • β€’Ticket scan at the auditorium entrance or venue gate
  • β€’Directional service β€” 'auditorium 8 is down the hall on the right'
  • β€’Between-show cleaning and auditorium reset
  • β€’Escort ADA guests to accessible seats and hand off hearing-assist / caption devices
Next: Cross-trained crew member after 3-6 months (concessions + box office).
Cross-trained Crew / Ticket Seller / Concession Cashier (1-3 yrs)
1-3 yrs$28-33k ($13-16/hr, 25-35 hrs/week) β€” near BLS p25-p50
  • β€’Rotate across usher, box office, concession, and lobby stations by shift assignment
  • β€’POS operation for ticket sales, gift cards, and concession orders
  • β€’Cash-drawer reconciliation at end of shift
  • β€’Handle first-line guest complaints and escalate to shift lead when needed
Next: Shift lead / head usher after 2-3 years of reliable attendance and cross-training.
Shift Lead / Head Usher (3-6 yrs)
3-6 yrs$32-38k ($15-18/hr, near-full-time hours) β€” near BLS p50 to p75
  • β€’Deploy 4-15 ushers across auditoriums or gates for a shift
  • β€’Own cash-drawer counts, safe drops, and shift-end reconciliation
  • β€’First-line guest complaints; escalate to theater / venue manager on refund requests
  • β€’Cover the manager during breaks and Sunday-open / late-night close shifts
Next: Assistant manager or venue supervisor at 5-8 years.
Head Usher / Premium Venue Supervisor (5-9 yrs)
5-9 yrs$38-44k ($18-22/hr with regular hours + shift-lead premium) β€” BLS p75 to p90
  • β€’Lead a 10-30 person usher team at a stadium, Broadway house, or premium concert venue
  • β€’Own crowd flow plan, emergency evacuation drill compliance, and ADA service standards
  • β€’Coordinate with concessionaire, security, and building operations
  • β€’Interview, hire, and onboard new ushers; write standard-work documents for the venue
Next: Assistant Manager / Venue Operations Manager at 8-12 years.
Theater Manager / Venue Operations Manager (salaried, 8+ yrs)
8+ yrs$42-70k salary + bonus (moves off BLS occupation into 11-9081 Lodging Managers / 11-9099 First-Line Supervisors of Managers)
  • β€’Own the P&L for a location β€” box office revenue, concession margin, labor cost, ticket volume
  • β€’Hire, schedule, and manage 25-80 staff across usher, box office, concession, and cleaning
  • β€’Own health and fire inspections, ADA compliance, and cash-handling audits
  • β€’Represent the location in district-level performance reviews and marketing campaign rollouts
Next: District Manager / Regional Ops at 12+ years.

Interview Questions & Answers

5 free questions below. Career Kit unlocks 16 total plus resume bullets for every level.

Q1. A sold-out IMAX show fire alarm goes off at the peak of the movie. Walk me through what you do.situational
First 10 seconds β€” you don't wait to see if it's a false alarm. Open both auditorium doors, turn up house lights, activate the emergency PA if you have that authority, and direct guests to the nearest exit (marked with the illuminated exit signs, not the way they came in). Move calmly and clearly β€” panicked ushers cause crushes, calm ushers guide 320 people out of a 400-seat IMAX in under 4 minutes. Radio the theater / venue manager. Once outside, hold the crowd at the assembly point (usually the parking lot 100+ feet from the building). Do not re-enter until the fire department clears the building. AMC, Regal, and Cinemark all drill this quarterly; if you've never drilled it, hiring managers will screen for whether you understand the sequence.
Q2. How do you handle a guest who paid $18 for a ticket but sat in someone else's assigned seat?situational
Walk over calmly, don't loom over the seated guest. Verify with your handheld scanner whose ticket matches which seat. If the seated guest has the wrong seat, apologize for the confusion, show them their actual seat on the ticket, and walk them there. If both guests believe they have the same seat, escalate to the box office β€” a double-scan is usually a Ticketmaster or Regal Crown Club glitch and the box office resolves it (often by comping a premium seat). Never argue with a guest in the auditorium in front of other patrons; every disagreement handled loudly turns into a manager escalation and a Yelp review.
Q3. Explain how you'd manage a 500-person entry line at a concert.technical
Structure: (1) At least two lanes β€” general admission and VIP / accessibility. (2) At the head, one ticket-taker or scanner per lane, plus one 'greeter' calling forward the next guest by holding up a green paddle to keep flow moving. (3) Metal detectors and bag check upstream of the ticket scan (at Live Nation, MSG, Fenway, all stadium concessionaires), sequenced so security bottleneck doesn't back up onto the sidewalk. (4) Signage 6-10 feet before the queue splits, spelling out which lane is which. (5) A rover who walks the queue, answers questions, flags any medical issue to the on-site medic. Target throughput 400-600 guests per lane per hour on a smooth entry. Miss the pattern and you have a security choke and delayed show start.
Q4. A guest is unhappy with their seat and asks for a refund at the door. What do you say?situational
Two-step recovery. First β€” offer a specific alternative before jumping to refund. 'Row F is sold out but I have two seats in Row H center that just opened up β€” can I re-seat you there?' Nine times out of ten this resolves it. Second β€” if they still want a refund, escalate to the box office / venue manager. Never issue refunds yourself unless you have that authority in writing. Note the reason (missed showtime? poor sightline? shorted seats?) so the manager has context. Do not argue about whether they should have looked at the seat map before buying β€” that's a lecture and lectures generate one-star reviews.
Q5. Why ushering / venue work instead of retail or fast food at the same wage?closer
Two honest answers. First β€” schedule. Movie theater and stadium work is heavy on evenings and weekends but light on weekday mornings, which fits students and second-job workers. Second β€” culture. Events, sports, and film are more interesting environments than retail or fast food; ushers see thousands of guests a shift and the pace is dynamic. Pay is roughly on par with entry retail ($11-14/hr), but tips are minimal (except in some union Broadway houses and premium suites), so it's not a money-motivated job in most cases. Hiring managers respect a candidate who's honest about the schedule fit rather than pretending they've dreamed of ushering since childhood.

Resume Template β€” Cross-trained Crew / Ticket Seller (1-3 yrs)

Copy these bullets into your resume as a starting point. Career Kit includes bullets for every level of the ladder.

Cross-trained Crew / Ticket Seller (1-3 yrs)
  • β–ΈCross-trained AMC crew member rotating across usher, box office, and concession stations at a 14-auditorium multiplex.
  • β–ΈAveraged 8:20 auditorium turnover against a 10:00 target across 320+ shift assignments over 18 months.
  • β–ΈZero cash-drawer variances over $2 across 140+ box office shifts; passed 4 quarterly audits with clean reports.
  • β–Έ$13.75/hr + $0.50 IMAX-certified premium + 25-30 hrs/week qualifying for benefits. 96% attendance record.

What Gets You Rejected

  • βœ—Cannot articulate an emergency response β€” fire, medical, or active threat. Every venue drills this; if you can't answer, you signal you've never worked a real event.
  • βœ—Weak customer-recovery instincts β€” argues with guests, escalates unnecessarily, or refuses to escalate when it's warranted.
  • βœ—Attendance or punctuality issues β€” event schedules run on staffing ratios and one no-show tanks the shift.
  • βœ—Cash-handling variances or POS shortcuts β€” chain theaters and venue concessionaires track cash-out variance by employee and use it in performance reviews and promotion decisions.
  • βœ—Uncomfortable with the physical demands β€” long standing shifts, heavy lifting on stanchion setup or trash disposal, running between stations during peak surges.

Salary Negotiation Levers

  • βœ“Premium-format certification (IMAX, Dolby Cinema, ScreenX) adds $0.50-1.50/hr at chain theaters. Get certified in the first 90 days.
  • βœ“Cross-training across usher + box office + concession makes you scheduled 25-35 hrs/week vs 12-18 for usher-only, doubling weekly gross without a wage change.
  • βœ“Shift differentials β€” overnight / late-night close pays $1-2/hr more at 24-hr multiplexes and event venues. Weekend evenings tip 5-15% higher tips at Broadway union houses and premium venues.
  • βœ“Union positions β€” Broadway houses (IATSE Local 306), Chicago live theater, LA union stagehand ushers, MSG event ushers β€” pay $22-32/hr with health benefits, pension contribution, and steady scheduling. Auditions and waitlists are competitive but the wage premium is real.
  • βœ“Move to a stadium or premium concert venue β€” Legends Hospitality, Aramark Sports, Live Nation, and MSG all pay $2-6/hr above chain theater rates for the same tenure.
  • βœ“Sign-on bonuses of $200-500 are common at hard-to-staff stadium concessionaires during football season and at multiplexes during holiday hiring surges.
  • βœ“Path to shift lead / venue supervisor β€” get the timeline in writing (typically 12-24 months to shift lead, 3-5 years to salaried theater manager) with the specific performance criteria for promotion.

Ushers, Lobby Attendants, and Ticket Takers Resume Review β€” $29

Personalized resume review from someone who has hired ushers, lobby attendants, and ticket takerss. Purchase, email your resume to support@weblabra.com, and receive detailed written feedback within 7 days.

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  • βœ“ Missing skills / keywords flagged
  • βœ“ Formatting + ATS-readability feedback
  • βœ“ 7-day turnaround, 100% refund if we miss it

Ushers, Lobby Attendants, and Ticket Takers Career Kit β€” $19

  • βœ“ All 16 interview questions with expert answers
  • βœ“ 7 real questions aggregated from Glassdoor, Blind, Reddit, LinkedIn
  • βœ“ Interview format intel for 10 top employers
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  • βœ“ Resume bullets for every level of the career ladder
  • βœ“ 30–60–90 day plan for your first role
  • βœ“ Cover letter templates specific to this occupation
  • βœ“ Detailed salary negotiation script
  • βœ“ Ranked list of certifications with cost + ROI
  • βœ“ Downloadable PDF for offline access
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Ushers, Lobby Attendants, and Ticket Takers Salary by State

Best Cities (cost-adjusted) β†’

Salary Map β€” Click a state for details

$22K
$41Kβ–  No data

Top Paying States

Washington
$41K
+25%
Colorado
$38K
+17%
District of Columbia
$38K
+15%
California
$38K
+15%
New York
$37K
+13%
New Jersey
$36K
+9%
Maine
$36K
+9%
Connecticut
$35K
+6%
Alaska
$35K
+5%
Illinois
$35K
+5%
Vertical line = national median. Click a state for full details.
StateMedianvs. National
Washington$41,010+24.6%
Colorado$38,380+16.6%
District of Columbia$37,930+15.3%
California$37,870+15.1%
New York$37,110+12.8%
New Jersey$35,990+9.4%
Maine$35,850+8.9%
Connecticut$34,940+6.2%
Alaska$34,680+5.4%
Illinois$34,560+5.0%
1–10 of 50

Ushers, Lobby Attendants, and Ticket Takers Salary by Metro Area

Metro AreaMedianvs. National
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA$44,760+36.0%
Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA$44,250+34.5%
San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA$42,860+30.2%
Bozeman, MT$39,120+18.9%
Wenatchee-East Wenatchee, WA$39,100+18.8%
Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO$38,380+16.6%
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ$38,310+16.4%
Napa, CA$38,230+16.2%
Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA$38,090+15.7%
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA$37,870+15.1%
1–10 of 197
Data Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS). Data reflects the most recent annual survey.
How does this compare to pro athletes?
A ushers, lobby attendants, and ticket takers earning $32,910/year would need 1811 years to match Stephen Curry's NBA salary, or 1945 yearsto match Patrick Mahomes' NFL contract.
See all sports & celebrity salaries β†’
πŸ“ˆ See how ushers, lobby attendants, and ticket takers salaries have changed over the past decade.
View Ushers, Lobby Attendants, and Ticket Takers salary trend (2011–2024) β†’