The Salary of a Magician

Even magicians can't conjure up excessive salaries.

Behind the intrigue, mystique and mirrors, professional magicians have to put food on the table like everyone else. Though advanced-level salaries can be lucrative, the world of professional magicians is a competitive place and a challenging one to enter. Determining the average salary of a magician is difficult, as it is for many jobs in the entertainment industry. Numerous variables affect a magician's earnings, including experience, location, expenses and the consistency of work, which is subject to unpredictable highs and lows.

Entry Level

A 2011 sampling of earnings by the online database Salary Expert reported the average salary range of a magician at about $20,000 to $40,000, depending on location. For instance, the site reported average yearly earnings of $21,038 in Indianapolis and $39,926 in Chicago. In 2007, professional London-based magician Alex Ward estimated beginning earnings at around 12,000 pounds per year. Adjusted for inflation and September 2011 exchange rates, that comes to about $26,600.

Advanced Level

A 2010 WalletPop article on MSNBC estimates the median salary of a successful professional magician at $49,000 per year. In a 2009 Marketplace article, full-time professional magician Glenn Gary said that “$100,000 is a good salary for today's magician,” though he also stated that there are “some magicians making $1 million.” September 2011 reports from the salary database Indeed put magician salaries as high as $158,000, making them 117 percent higher than the average salary in America.

Hourly and Per-Gig Wage

Though most magicians don't get paid by the hour, the Department of Labor's Bureau of Labor Statistics compiled a document of estimated hourly wages for entertainers and performers in 2010. According to the BLS, entertainers and performers earned a mean hourly wage of $18.60, with hourly earnings of $8.69 at the bottom tier and $33.27 in the top percentile. In 2010, professional magician Mitch Williams reported earnings ranging from $400 to $3,000 per gig. Location, season and type of gig all affect per-gig earnings, however.

Expenses and Considerations

Most magicians must pay out of pocket for supplies, including new tricks and wardrobe. Other costs include promotional expenses and, at advanced levels, assistant and manager pay. Ward says a website and business cards are essential. Travel expenses may be negotiated. Magicians face lower earnings in the autumn and winter seasons, until Christmas and New Year's bring new gigs. Spring and summer, popular times for weddings and birthday parties, tend to bring the most earnings.

References

• MSNBC; 10 Fun Jobs That Pay Well; Aaron Crowe; November 2010
• Marketplace; Day in the Work Life: Magician; Judith Ritter; May 2009
• “The Independent”; I Want Your Job: Magician; Alex McRae; October 2007
• Indeed: Magician Salary
• Salary Expert: Magician Salaries
• Bureau of Labor Statistics: Occupational Employment Statistics: Entertainers and Performers

Resources

• Pro-Magic: Professional Magicians Network