How do you make a living as a comedian?
Making money telling jokes can be a slog, especially since so many people are willing to do it for free.
“Most comedians you see on a given night in the comedy hubs of L.A. and New York are barely getting paid, if at all…how does one make a living as a comedian?” writes Jake Kroeger (of the Comedy Bureau) in How do comedians make a living?
Since the profit margins are thin at the lower rungs of comedy, taking on multiple gigs is a necessity. “The swings are huge between year to year. I’ll make anywhere from $500 to $2,000 a year on comedy,” says L.A. comedian-writer Ellory Smith. The official poverty line according to the IRS is far above that, so Ellory moonlights (though it should be “daylighting” for comedians) as a babysitter, copywriter, or even working at a shady doughnut shop. “$30 to $40k would change everything for me,” she says.
If you Google what it takes to comfortably live in L.A., the results point to double or triple that amount, which should give you some idea of how sparingly many comedians live in a city where comedy is supposed to flourish. Ellory adds, “I have pretty much accepted that I might always have a day job, especially because I don’t come from money and need to find a way to survive.”
Interesting piece. One thing touched on is how much payments can vary depending on the gig. Corporate/college/opening-for-a-big-name gigs can pay great while alt shows at bars frequently give ya a drink ticket and a few bucks. It’s tough to plan the ebb and flow of that. I’ll also put in a plug for SiriusXM residuals; get regular airplay on an album and you can see nice residuals on a consistent basis.
More from me about working day jobs and doing comedy:
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