According to valid reports, the average hourly pay for a haunted house actor in the United States is $11.36 an hour. Although you will find actors that make as much as $15.14 and some as low as $6.73; nevertheless, a good number of haunted house actors make around $8.89 to $14.42 across the United States.
A haunted house is a house that is alleged to be occupied by the spirits of the deceased who might have been previous residents or somehow attached to the property.
Their presence is clouded with cold spots, creaking or knocking sounds, hallucination, negative energy, and many more instances. Howbeit, as the popularity of spooky tourism has expanded in recent years, many production companies are making shows that are related to paranormal activities.
Halloween has proven to be the ideal time for people to visit haunted houses. Within this period, many events, parties, and shows are usually put up. The actors will need to work up to 5 to 8 hours daily and will have to do their make-up in between this time and leave home at midnight.
Factors That Determine How Much Haunted House Actors Make
Just as was noted above, there are a wide range of factors that will impact the exact amount these professionals make in the United States. Those factors include;
1. Location
Truth be told; this is one valid factor that will have a say in how much haunted house actors make in the United States. You have to understand that wages tend to vary significantly depending on the state and city, as well as the cost of living in the location.
2. Type of Haunted House
It is important to note that no two haunted houses are ever the same. These businesses tend to vary and will most times target different demographics. Also know that these businesses vary in size and the services they offer, and this will factor in when considering how much actors make.
3. Experience
Not just in the haunted house business, keep in mind that experience plays a valid role when it comes to workers’ remuneration in almost all business industries. Actors who possess more industry experience will get better pay when put in comparison with those who are just new to the industry.
4. Role Complexity
This is another factor to consider when evaluating how much a haunted house actor can make in the United States. Actors are known to play varying roles all to the benefit of the business, and as such, actors with lead roles or roles that necessitate more physical demands or specialized skills will most definitely enjoy better pay compared to others with lesser or backup roles.
5. Hours Worked
Most often, these professionals are paid by the hour and it is important you take this into account when considering the potential income they make in a day. Keep in mind that the number of hours worked can determine how much a haunted house actor can make in the United States.
6. Seasonal Nature
Haunted houses are known to be quite seasonal. Within the end of September, a good number of seasonal haunted houses start to open up in most places in the country.
7. Attraction Reputation
This particular factor is common across the business world. It simply entails that more popular establishments that draw in more crowds will pay more as against new businesses that are experiencing low turnout.
Tips and Bonuses
This is another valid factor to take into consideration. In this line of work, it is possible to get tips from visitors for doing a good job. Tips and or performance-based bonuses can supplement actor’s base pay and indeed boost their take-home every day.
Conclusion
It was reported that Americans spent around $7 billion on Halloween and $300 million on haunted houses. These scary houses can be located in makeshift, temporary houses, corn mazes, or even old prisons or asylums.
Employees who are most often referred to as actors tend to dress up in costumes and pop out at customers to give them a fright. Nevertheless, keep in mind that a wide range of factors tend to impact the exact amount these professionals make in the United States.