Average wage for musical theatre performers?

Question

i desperately want to be a musical theatre performer but i am worried that i won't be able to survive well on just the one job. i have heard that performers get paid very poorly and was just wondering if anybody knows how much you get paid a year.

Answer 1

Equity are pushing for a £550 p/w minimum, but I don't know how successful that will be.

Answer 2

Yes, it varies greatly, even with equity jobs. The contract depends on the type of theatre it is, how big the audience is, etc.

Usually, most contracts will start around $500 per week and than increase from there, again depedning on the type of contract.

Many actors will supplement their income with things on the side, such as teaching or waiting tables.

Answer 3

Most actors have second jobs to live on. Even if you're a muscial performer, there's no guarentee of long term positions. Equity was introduced so all registered members get a base wage for their work. Equity lowest is around the £350 p/w mark, which is not a bad wage. I was able to run a home on that kind of money by myself, and I was living with my partner who was a student at the time.

but unlike minimum wage, equity isn't an excuse for theatre companies to underpay their staff for work that deserves better pay, as happens with a lot of jobs now.

What the actual pay you get is depends on a number of things, who you are, what your role is, where you're performing, what the box office takings are, what contract you agreed too. All sorts of things, but never will you get under that base equity limit.

As I said, majority of actors take second jobs, not so much because pay in acting is bad, but because roles can be few and far between and you can't live from role to role on the money you earn from one productino to another. But the money you do make from acting, when you're actually woeking, is very decent.

Answer 4

I don't Know

Answer 5

There is no guaranteeing that you will get work for a year for a start.  West End shows employ people on a contract by contract basis.  If you are lucky enough to get on one of the long running ones, then you might be lucky.  Look at Gone With The Wind, closing after approximately 5 weeks.  Some shows just don't make it.  As for pay, there is a basic equity minimum.  Above that, it all depends on what role you have, your experience and how good your agent is at negotiating.  Every company will have a ceiling price that they will pay for a performer.  Most actors will have another job that they do to keep them going between roles.  Some teach, some work in pubs, some office temp.  I am currently working with an actor who has been filming a tv series and also working as occasional lighting board operator for the show I am working on.  If musical theatre is your passion, you will find a way to survive.

Answer 6

It is probably impossible to find an answer to your question due to the great varience in wages from all over the country.  Actually if you are getting Equity wages, you could live on them. The real problem is that there are so few jobs compared with the number of applicants that it is extremely difficult to get a professional job.