People who look only at the incomes of well-known comedians will get a mistaken notion of how much comedians earn. Adam Sandler may earn millions for a single movie; other comedy stars may earn $200,000 for one performance, but the vast majority of comedians earn far lower wages. In fact, most comedians must hold full- or part-time jobs to supplement the income from their performances.

The U.S. Department of Labor classifies comedians as either actors or writers and authors for occupational purposes. In May 2018, actors who were classified as "independent artists, writers, and performers" earned a mean hourly wage of $39.90. The bottom 10 percent of all actors earned $9.05 per hour and the top 10 percent earning more than $61.74 per hour, reflecting the part-time, low-wage circumstances of most actors and most comedians.

Those just starting out will earn very little (remember, most club owners do not pay comedians who are auditioning) and start at as little as $15 to $20 for a 20-minute set. Some clubs may also cover travel costs. Other comedians will be expected to "pay to play"—and then bring in family and friends to help the club owner turn a profit! Despite this meager pay, beginners working in clubs will be in a good position to learn the craft and make valuable contacts.

In large comedy clubs, a headline comedian can expect to earn between $1,000 and $20,000 per show, depending on his or her drawing power. In contrast, those who perform as an opening act might earn between $125 and $350 per show. Headline comedians at smaller clubs will earn between $300 and $800 per show. Comedians hired to perform college shows earn around $500 per show, although there are a few exceptions. Buzz Sutherland earned $350,000 in 2011, with his largest source of income coming from the lucrative college circuit.

Those who write for well-known comedians are paid about $50 for every joke used. (Of course, many jokes are rejected by the performer.) Full-time comedy writers for the Tonight Show and other television shows can expect to earn between $50,000 and $150,000 or more per year, depending on their skill, experience, and the budget of the show. According to the Web site, Glassdoor.com, the typical writer/producer salary at the Comedy Central television network is $74,000.

Comedians who entertain at trade shows and sales meetings can earn several hundred dollars per show, yet these assignments tend to be infrequent.

Other sources of income for comedians besides stand-up performances are podcasts, YouTube, and television, and the earnings from these performances vary widely. For example, top comedians may earn $60,000 or more in annual advertising revenue from their podcasts. However, other less prominent comedians may earn as little as $200 per month for their performances running advertisements on YouTube.

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