How much does an A&R (artist & repertoire) earn?

Question

I havent been able to find this answer anywhere. How much does an A&R, someone who finds new talents for record labels earn?

Answer 1

Short answer: between $0 and $1million, but read on...

This varies significantly based on the A&R person's past success and on the employer.  The bigger companies (BMG, Universal, etc) tend to pay big money to their top few people, who tend to be presidents or VPs within the firm.  I'd guess the very best make $500,000 per year or more.  A&R people at independant labels can make almost nothing, and many have paychecks based largely on the success of the artists they find.

If you aspire to go into A&R, you will find the problem is that it is an increasingly nebulous job description, and a very unstable career choice.  The major labels are in trouble, and the system that's been established for years has been shaken to its foundation as record companies contract and re-organize.  Even the top A&R guys have little job security and change organizations frequently.  Picking artists is in many ways more luck than skill, and a once "hot" A&R can suddenly go cold for a few years and find his job in jeopardy.  Furthermore, A&R jobs are becoming less common as responsibility is being spread among entertainment lawyers, managers, and social networking/music websites.

I hope this does not discourage you from a career in the music industry!  There are plenty of good career options there - just don't focus on one specific, endangered job description.