I just found out last night that the Santa at the mall where I work makes TWO HUNDRED DOLLARS AN HOUR! :thud:
Our Santa showed up about a week before Thanksgiving… so assuming he works 33 days for the holidays, at only 8 hours a day, that’s FIFTY TWO THOUSAND dollars. He works much longer hours than that on most days, especially now that the mall is open until 11 every night.
I used to think that Santas were kinda creepy :oo:, but now I’ll be more like Heyyyyyyyy Santa :eyebrow:
That can’t be right…and if it is…that is disgusting…
What mall can afford that…and if they can…they should have gold and crystal lined bathrooms that never stink, or run out of paper, with free feminine products and baby care!!!..Heck…you could even pay someone $20 an hour just to wipe a$$es!
Well…that is probably extreme…but a Mall Santa certainly would have to be pretty pristine for that kinda cash!
Yeah, somehow I don’t think that can be right. :teehee:
Are you sure it’s not $200 a day?
well this is from some other people at hallmark… they were talking about it again tonight, and it was still 200 an hour. I’ll have to talk to santa next time i see him in the smoker hallway :teehee:
Yes It can be 200 an hour. :pout: The Santa in one of the malls where we live decided not to have the Santa back this year. They had a new one that came with the picture people. Well the customers were gonna boycott because the regular Santa had been there for so long it was like second generations going to see him.
I think he was rehired but ya he was paid 200 an hour. Nice job for the holidays.
:waving:
I think I’m in the wrong business. Even being seasonal work that’s good pay.
I worked as the picture taker for Santa in 1993. Santa got paid $20 an hour and I didn’t think that was enough. You don’t understand what the guy has to go through to be Santa. He is peed on, thrown up on, pooped on, scratched, kicked, has his hair pulled, etc.
And then we had to take a picture. It was terrible. If you kid is still afraid of men with beards DO NOT TAKE THEM TO SANTA you will terrorize them for a memory YOU want not, not a memory they want. The kids also attacked us, parents attacked us to take a good picture all the while their kids are screaming terrified.
I always felt bad for the kids who weren’t afraid as well because they had to go after the bad ones. If Santa got dirty, well we had to go clean him up with a new suit and make ALL the non scared kids wait, so in the end everyone suffers. So yea if that Santa is getting paid $200 an hour HE SOOO DESERVES IT!!
I just heard a story on NPR this morning about how much Santa’s bring in. For a person who really looks like Santa it could be quite lucrative. They say that good Santa’s make between $10,000 and $40,000 a season in the Northeast of the USA. I’m not sure about other areas because NPR was just talking about the northeast. You must remember though that a “good” Santa really looks like Santa all year long and his earning ability is significantly decreased the rest of the year. most “Santas” are pretty creative with their employment the rest of the year. The particular Santa they interviewed said that most businessmen think he’s nuts because his look keeps him away from high paying jobs the rest of the year, but he said that he would rather put value on bringing joy than make tons of money the rest of the year being miserable. I thought that was a great sentiment and he seemed to really enjoy his work so more power to him in making some money during this holiday season.
Something tells me you may have a hard time fooling people that you’re Santa 
:shock: I’m sure it’s very exhausting to be Santa, and they deserve a good pay, but… 200$ an hour??? :passedout: A pediatric nurse also gets pooped on, and I doubt they’re making that much money! :shrug:
I wish I could do that job! But, I’m a female, 5’2, 98 pounds and no beard. So I guess I’m not really Santa material. :teehee:
This is really horrible but I read a story about a mall Santa who had to shoot up heroin just to sit there all day. Clearly he should have found another job! I stay home with my kids all day and I get all the same kicking, scraming, pooping, barfing and insults and I don’t get paid a cent!!! :roflhard:
Just saw on the news this morning that the Service Industry in Washington, DC is in desperate need of maids etc. for the Inaugration. They are paying as much as $50.00 an hour for housekeeping, bus boys etc. Of course the jobs only last from Jan 16. thru Jan 20th. 
May not be worth the trip. I think I will pass on this one.
Yeah - I believe it was Tysons Corners actually attempted to break a contract with their Santa and he was in risk of losing his house b/c of it…they’ve brought him up from TN every winter for like 15 yrs and actually had him on contract until 2012. He grows his own beard, and is responsible for his own suits (which apparently cost upwards of $200 each and he has to own more than one and have them dry cleaned), housing etc while in the area. If I rememeber the article correctly he makes $175/hr. I said “attempted” to break his contract b/c like any good american he sued and got his job back.
If only my husband could grow a good beard - sigh
Hey, with the cost of those lousy pictures they take, they probably CAN pay Santa! I remember the good ole days when you could take your own pictures if you wanted.
No kidding. I didn’t even take my kids to see Santa this year. Horrible mom, huh! One saw him at preschool and the other saw him at school too. I figured the 14 month-old would just scream anyway. I got the evil eye when I tried to take a photo last year so I didn’t even bother. I don’t need to waste $20 on a crappy photo and a couple of hours in line for 2 minutes of arranging the kids and they don’t even get time to talk to the grump!
Kelly