Members Rick6 Posted December 8, 2010 Members Share Posted December 8, 2010 This may be of interest. It includes a couple of number for live sound work. http://www.berklee.edu/pdf/parents/music-industry-salaries.pdf Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Shaster Posted December 8, 2010 Members Share Posted December 8, 2010 Interesting to see the different avenues listed together. Besides the "win the lottery jobs" listed, it looks like the lawyers are doing quite well - although not as well as I had heard. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members agedhorse Posted December 9, 2010 Members Share Posted December 9, 2010 There's an awful lot of variation, so the list is misleading. The FOH engineer position minimum of $50k is only for acts that are out there selling some tickets. I can say with absolute certainty that there's a whole lot of FOH guys earnig significantly less than $50k. In fact, I'll bet that 70% of those who call themselves FOH engineers (either out with an act or working at a venue in that capacity) are making less. Same applies to live theatre. I know folks that make $12k and I know folks that make $200k. Thre's way more down at the $12k level. How many folks here on this forum make less than $50k (that's not gross sales but either profit or salery you pay yourself or are paid)? BUT, it sure looks good on the marketing side... yeah study at our school and lookie at what you COULD make (if you win the lottery) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members dcastar Posted December 9, 2010 Members Share Posted December 9, 2010 This is meant to be shown to parents, to get them to spend $100k to send their kids to Berklee as a... SEE THERE IS MONEY IN MUSIC. Then again, there is money in music, but you need to actually WORK for it. Sometimes a concept lost on the new generation entering the work force. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Shaster Posted December 9, 2010 Members Share Posted December 9, 2010 Yep, in music, if you work and study as hard as a brain surgeon, you will make money - about as much as the cleaning staff at the hospital. But what, quit showbiz? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Crownman Posted December 9, 2010 Members Share Posted December 9, 2010 I know I don't make anywhere near 50k for running sound. Never have, probably never will. I can live with that and I knew it when I started doing this. That's why I don't do it full time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members agedhorse Posted December 9, 2010 Members Share Posted December 9, 2010 I know I don't make anywhere near 50k for running sound. Never have, probably never will. I can live with that and I knew it when I started doing this. That's why I don't do it full time. The issue I have is that they are selling the parents based on rather inaccurate facts. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members W. M. Hellinger Posted December 9, 2010 Members Share Posted December 9, 2010 Here's some stats from govt. surveys: http://www.bls.gov/oes/2008/may/oes274014.htm#ind http://www.bls.gov/ncs/ocs/sp/nctb1361.txt I didn't find any hard stats on pay rates for a band's soundperson... as most of the reported "sound engineering" professions seem to be related to motion picture, radio & teevee, software development, etc... It appears that a median pay rate for roadies, i.e.: Laborers and freight, stock, and material movers, hand, might be approx. $11/hr. (approx. $22k/yr). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Rick6 Posted December 9, 2010 Author Members Share Posted December 9, 2010 I have a day job in another field. The professional society puts out an annual salary survery. The numbers are astronomical. I don't know anybody making that kind of money on a regular basis. If I made as much money as the salary survery says I do, I would hire a guy to post for me on here. And those numbers aren't selling anybody anything. Maybe, when people get a salary survery, they figure it refers to their hopes and dreams or their inflated view of self-worth. I don't know. but the numbers are strange. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members W. M. Hellinger Posted December 9, 2010 Members Share Posted December 9, 2010 I have a day job in another field. The professional society puts out an annual salary survery. The numbers are astronomical. I don't know anybody making that kind of money on a regular basis. If I made as much money as the salary survery says I do, I would hire a guy to post for me on here. And those numbers aren't selling anybody anything. Maybe, when people get a salary survery, they figure it refers to their hopes and dreams or their inflated view of self-worth. I don't know. but the numbers are strange. There's no doubt in my mind that pay scale stats are skewed. Concerning the following US Dept of Labor Bereau of Labor Statistics for May 2008 covering "Sound engineering technicians"... here's the industries with the highest levels of employment in this occupation: Industry Employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage Motion Picture and Video Industries 5,640 $29.14 $60,600 Sound Recording Industries 3,580 $25.09 $52,190 Radio and Television Broadcasting 2,070 $22.15 $46,070 Performing Arts Companies 900 $21.32 $44,340 Cable and Other Subscription Programming 590 $27.81 $57,850 Ok, so nationwide, there's 5,640ea. sound engineers working in motion picture and video industries, 3,580ea. working in sound recording industries, 2,070 ea. in all of Radio & teevee broadcasting, 900ea. employed by performing arts companies, and 590ea. employed with cable and other subscription programming operations. Ok, well... that's the top 5 fields of employment for sound engineers. The 5th largest employment field (cable) only employes 590. So... based on the stats, in all of the US, there must be less than 590 total fader jockeys working with touring bands and nightclub acts... right? Or for every 1 fader jockey working with a band, there's 10 fader jockeys working in the motion picture industry... right? I don't think so. I suspect that payscale stats are generally compiled from those folks reporting income, or compiled from those folks reporting net profit income. I suspect that folks who are "mixing for beer" or $20 cash under the table are probably not included in the stats. I also doubt that the stats include ammended "income" figures for companies who don't include the real depreciation expenses of operating their company until after the foreclosure auction... and stuff like that. The annual income for a medical doctor ( General Practitioners) in WA state is approx. $150K. So does that reported average $150K include all the doctors that are getting paid relative peanuts during their internship? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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