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Career Profile

Voice actor

Voice actors use vocal and performance skills to bring scripts, characters and messages to life by interpreting scripts, conveying emotion and adapting their delivery across different audiences, styles and media formats.
Creative and Media
Future demand
Moderate
Most common education level
Bachelor degree

What does a voice actor do?

Voice actors use their voice to bring scripts, characters, and messages to life across a range of media. This can include work in animation, film, television, radio, advertising, video games, audiobooks, podcasts, and corporate or educational content. Voice actors interpret scripts, convey emotion and tone, and adapt their vocal delivery to suit different audiences and formats.

Voice actor jobs may be freelance or contract-based and are often project-focused. Many voice actors work from home studios or recording facilities, and collaborate with producers, directors, sound engineers, and creative teams.

Is a career as a voice actor right for me?

A career in voice acting may suit you if you enjoy performing, storytelling and creative expression. Strong vocal control, clarity and the ability to interpret scripts are important for delivering engaging and believable performances. Voice actors also need confidence when performing independently or taking direction, helping them bring a range of characters, stories and messages to life.

Other skills and attributes that are important for this role include:

Creativity and innovation
Creative expression, storytelling and original thinking.
Communication
Clear written and verbal communication skills, supported by strong interpersonal skills.
Adaptability
An ability to manage change positively and perform effectively in changing environments.
Professionalism
The ability to take initiative, demonstrate personal drive, and maintain a professional attitude.
Teamwork
An ability to work effectively and collaborate with a range of stakeholders.

How to become a voice actor

There is no single way to become a voice actor. Training in acting, performance, communication or media can help you develop your vocal and performance skills, while practical experience, a strong demo reel and industry connections can help you establish yourself in the field. 

Here is one path you could take to become a voice actor:  

  1. Develop foundational skills through acting, voice or performance training.
  2. Consider completing a qualification in acting, creative arts, communication, media or a related discipline.
  3. Build your skills in voice technique, diction, microphone technique and script interpretation.
  4. Create a professional demo reel and gain practical experience through auditions, student projects or independent productions.
  5. Build industry connections and continue developing your skills through auditions, networking, training and professional voice work.

How long does it take to become a voice actor? 

There is no fixed timeframe to become a voice actor. Some people begin gaining work soon after training and practice, while others choose to complete a three-year bachelor's degree in a related field, such as theatre or creative arts, before entering the industry. Building a sustainable career often takes time, with ongoing skill development, industry experience and persistence playing an important role in long-term success.

Start your journey with UniSQ

Kick-start your voice acting career with a UniSQ theatre or creative arts degree and develop the performance, storytelling and vocal skills needed to bring characters, scripts and stories to life across a range of media.

Bachelor of Theatre
Go to degree
Creative Arts degrees
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Need help planning your career journey?
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Responsibilities and work settings

Day-to-day responsibilities

Interpreting scripts and using vocal techniques to convey characters, messages and emotions.

Recording voice performances for advertisements, animation, audiobooks, video games and digital media.

Adapting tone, pace, accent and delivery to suit different audiences and production requirements.

Collaborating with directors, producers and creative teams to prepare, perform and refine voice recordings.

Where you might work

Arts and creative organisations

Digital business and marketing agencies

Media, publishing and broadcasting organisations

Software development and technology companies

Government agencies, departments and councils

Voice actor FAQs

There are no mandatory voice actor qualifications, however many professionals hold qualifications in acting, drama, communication, media, or creative arts. Training helps develop performance skills, vocal technique, and industry understanding.

Voice actor jobs may include character voice work, commercial voice overs, narration, audiobook recording, e-learning content, animation, and video game performance. Work is often freelance and project-based, with opportunities varying by industry and location.

Voice acting can be a rewarding career for those who enjoy creative performance and flexible work. Success often depends on skill development, adaptability, and the ability to secure consistent work across different projects and platforms.

A voice actor’s day may involve practising scripts, recording auditions, working on paid projects, editing audio, communicating with clients or agents, and continuing vocal training to maintain and improve performance quality.

Related careers

Actor
Drama teacher

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Disclaimer: UniSQ’s Career Finder is a guide only. While reasonable care is taken to ensure accuracy, career information may change over time. Career statistics are sourced from Your Career and Jobs and Skills Australia. © Commonwealth of Australia. Licensed under CC BY 4.0. Salary figures listed on this page are in Australian Dollars (AUD).