Sponsored message
Logged in as
Audience-funded nonprofit news
radio tower icon laist logo
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
Subscribe
  • Listen Now Playing Listen

This is an archival story that predates current editorial management.

This archival content was written, edited, and published prior to LAist's acquisition by its current owner, Southern California Public Radio ("SCPR"). Content, such as language choice and subject matter, in archival articles therefore may not align with SCPR's current editorial standards. To learn more about those standards and why we make this distinction, please click here.

Arts & Entertainment

Here's What Everyone Is Making In The Showbiz, From Caterers To Execs

cash-money.jpg
C.R.E.A.M. (Photo by Minerva Studio via Shutterstock)

One year ago, Congress defunded public media. Now that we're 100% community funded, please become a sustaining member or increase your existing membership today.

Living smack dab in the middle of Hollywood, we can't help but wonder what people make in the entertainment biz—from TV actors to scribes and craft services. A new report detailing those salaries surprised us with a few new facts, like how horses make more money than many of us (*single tear*), and A-list actors still make major bank for movie flops.

The Hollywood Reporter just released their second annual report on Hollywood salaries, gathering information from the Sony hack and through talking with execs, producers, payroll industry folks, and others in the industry. They covered everyone: from makeup artists to publicists and even warm-up comedians who open TV tapings.

While newbie TV actors can make $15,000 to $20,000 per episode, more seasoned TV actors can rake up anywhere from $75,000 to $150,000 per episode. Craft services people earn about $1,200 a week for "dispensing celery sticks and Twizzlers to the cast and crew," THR says, but then again, we imagine they also have to deal with some annoying food requests and complaints on a daily basis. (Hungry people = Hulk smash.) If you're a famous scribe, you can get up to $1 million per film script, while TV staff writers can make up to $37,368 for an hourlong script or $25,408 for a half-hour. Even Meryl Streep took in $5 million even for her flop Ricki And The Flash (which has a 64% rating on Rotten Tomatoes), but she's a queen so we wouldn't expect anything less. Head of Marketing gets around $1 million per year. And if you're wondering, just being a horse that stands in a background shot can earn the animal (well...animal trainer) $500 a day. BoJack Horseman must be swimming in a pile of money.

One year ago, Congress voted to defund public media, eliminating a critical $1.7 million from our budget every year going forward. But they couldn’t silence us, and we’re not going anywhere. LAist is now 100% community funded and that means we’re taking our future into our own hands and turning to you to keep local reporting strong.

You come to LAist because you want independent reporting and trustworthy local information. Our nonprofit newsroom doesn’t answer to shareholders looking to turn a profit. Instead, we answer to you and our communities. We are free to follow facts wherever they lead and to hold power to account without fear or favor. Our only loyalty is to our readers and listeners and our mission: to inform, engage, and strengthen Southern California’s communities.

If this story helped you, please become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
Senior Vice President News, Editor in Chief

Make your tax-deductible donation today