Professional performers command the respect of their audience.
Shhhh, be quiet--the performance is about to begin and magic is afoot. Whether it's laughing. crying or raising an angry fist, professional entertainers make you feel about the human condition. Professional performers include actors, dancers, singers, musicians, comedians and hosts across multimedia industries such as TV, radio, cable, sound recordings, music videos, commercials, audio books and digital media. Pay ranges are influenced by the venue, experience and employer of the artist.
National Averages
Most professional performers work irregularly
According to Pay Scale, a professional performer's annual pay ranges between $34,035 to $74,362. This includes an annual salary range from $37,208 to $71,000 with annual bonuses that range from $506 to $4,000. The national average annual commission of a professional performer ranges from $1,323 to $6,878.
U.S. Labor Statistics
Successful actors have higher incomes
According to the U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor and Statistics Occupational Handbook, 2010-11 Edition, the median hourly wage of actors in 2008 was $16.59. That same year, half of all working performers earned between $9.81 and $29.57. Artists employed by performing arts companies in 2008 earned a median hourly wage of $14.48, while those working in the motion picture industry fared better, earning a median hourly wage of $28.72.
Union Actors
Salaries and hours of unionized actors are covered in collective bargaining agreements
The American Federation of Television and Radio Arts (AFTRA) union for entertainers ensures that all its members working in the television and motion picture industry with speaking parts earn a daily minimum salary of $782 or $2,713 for a 5-day work week as of 2009. Although AFTRA actors' wages are usually determined by the union, an actor may negotiate for a salary higher than the minimum.
AFTRA Contract Rates 2010-11
Principal performers on camera earn more
As of 2010-11, the AFTRA rates for principal performers in a dramatic series for a single performance (other than a series) are $249 for 5 minutes or less; $915 for 30 to 45 minutes; and $1,578 for 90 to 120 minutes.
Union rates for performers in TV serials are $233 for 5 minutes or less; $813 for 30 to 45 minutes; and $1,163 for 60 to 90 minutes.
Principal performers in commercials earn $696 for single or separate announcements. Singing or dancing groups with 3 to 5 performers earn $510 per commercial.
Background actors earn $143 per commercial, while hand models and physical demonstrators earn $370.
Circus Performers
Circus performers entertain audiences with a display of acrobatics
Circus performers include jugglers, stilt walkers, trapeze artists, mimes, fire dancers, sword swallowers and actors. They perform at big-top circuses, theaters, festivals, carnivals, musicals, street shows and night clubs.
According to Jobs 4 U, a careers database in the United Kingdom, as of 2010 part-time circus performers earn 50 to 300 pounds per show.
Experienced circus performers might earn as much as the annual equivalent of between 12,000 to 20,000 pounds.
Elite circus performers may earn as much as the annual equivalent of up to 30,000 pounds.
Musicians and Singers
Professional musicians and singers get paid to play
According to Pay Scale, as of 2010-11, the annual salary of musicians and singers ranges from $20,639 to $54,576. Annual bonuses range from $204 to $3,000.
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