How Much Would I Make As an Actress on Broadway?
Despite Broadway being a stronger lure for Hollywood stars in recent years, actresses of established repute still have to take a pay cut to work on Broadway. Nevertheless, notable names will ultimately get paid a lot more than an actress just getting started there. A minimum weekly salary, however, has been set by the Actor's Equity Association -- no matter if an actress is debuting on the stage or is a seasoned starlet.
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Median Hourly Wages
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All actors received a median hourly wage of $16.59 in 2008 says the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. But much of that will vary depending on your experience and how notable your name is. It also shows that stage actors make less when compared to the hourly rate of those who work in movies. That hourly rate was $28.72 in 2008.
Actor's Equity Association Minimum Rate
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A 2010 article on Playbill.com by Robert Simonson analyzed actors' salaries on Broadway along with comparisons to notable names starring on the stage. The article reminds that the Actor's Equity Association has long set a bare weekly minimum salary for all stage actors. It stands at $1,605 a week as of 2011. This minimum salary applies to both genders and doesn't discriminate whether it's an actress's debut or if she's working in the chorus. It's recommended that an actress never accept a salary on Broadway below the AEA's minimum rate.
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Larger Salaries
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"USA Today" published a piece titled, "The Curtain Hides Actors' Salaries," by AP reporter Michael Kuchwara in 2003 and tried to find out what notable names were making on Broadway. In many cases, well known names starring on Broadway don't reveal their salaries, though it was rumored that some can make up to six figures a week. But the article cites a press agent named Adrian Bryan-Brown who says that most stars don't get that much due to the extreme costs of putting on a Broadway show. In 2003, anywhere from $30,000 to $35,000 a week was more logical for an established name. This applied to well-known actresses such as Bernadette Peters and Vanessa Williams.
Negotiating Higher Salary
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If an actress has a good agent, she can work to get that salary increased. This is what agents are for, and it can frequently work to an actress's benefit -- even if she's just starting on Broadway. If a show the actress is acting in becomes a hit, the chances of a pay increase are better. Ultimately, most large pay increases apply to how many tickets the show will sell based on name recognition and the producer's own estimates.
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References
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