LOS ANGELES (CelebrityAccess) – Live Nation’s (LN) On the Road Again program is rolling out new minimum wages for staff at clubs across the United States and Canada in an ongoing effort to support developing artists and the crew that works behind the scenes to make shows happen.
Moving forward, base pay for hourly club staff will start at $20 per hour, while supervisor roles will begin at $25 per hour – with opportunity for advancement in the company. These increases will impact more than 5,000 crew members who cover many different roles to support shows, including box office attendants, production crews, artist hospitality, guest services, ushers, parking attendants, cleaning crews, sustainability coordinators, and more. The new base wages are over 250% higher than the federal minimum wage and exceed the highest state minimum wages, including those in California, New York, Washington State and the District of Columbia (DC).
Michael Rapino, Live Nation Entertainment CEO and President, said, “Shows wouldn’t happen without the unsung heroes who work in the background to help support artists and fans. In addition to developing artists, clubs also help industry professionals learn the ropes, and many of our promoters and venue managers worked their way up from smaller venues. The live music industry is on track for years of growth and offers a great career path, and by increasing minimum wages, we’re helping staff get an even stronger start as they begin their journey in live.”
LN prides itself on providing advancement opportunities and developing leaders from within. And at venues participating in On the Road Again, nearly half of all crew members were elevated from part-time into full-time roles over the past two years.
This wage increase is the latest initiative from On the Road Again, a program created with the legendary Willie Nelson to support developing artists and hardworking crews. Through the initiative, all headline and support acts playing LN clubs continue to receive $1,500 in travel bonuses on top of nightly compensation and 100% of merch profits.
