Kramer's professional acting career started in the late 1970s, while she was still in school. She guest-starred in several television shows, such as Starsky and Hutch, Dynasty, Bosom Buddies, and Knots Landing. Kramer graduated from the American Academy of Dramatic Arts/West, where she has later taught as a guest instructor. Kramer starred in the NBC sitcom We Got It Made in 1983. Her big break came in 1984, when she landed a starring role in Hunter, a creation of television mogul Stephen J. Cannell. After a rough start, the show became an international hit, and was broadcast for seven consecutive seasons. Kramer starred in six of them, appearing in a total of 130 episodes. In an interview with Jay Leno in 1989, Kramer admitted that she had not believed the show would be as long-lived as it was.