Arts workers earn (a little) more money

An ArtsHub exclusive release of a national report on what arts jobs earn the most and how much you can expect be paid across the sector.
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Arts workers are earning more but at the cost of receiving professional development, a national survey of small to medium arts organisations has revealed.

The survey, conducted by Theatre Network Victoria, found sharp disparities across the industry.

The highest salaries went to General Managers/Executive Producers (GM/EP) who at the top end received $120,245. This was almost 20% more than the top Artistic Director, who earned $102,000. The average salary for a General Manager/Executive Producer is now $71,950, compared to $64,934 in 2011 (an increase of 11%), while for Artistic Directors it is $70,418, up from $62,088 in 2011 (a 13% increase).

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Richard Watts OAM is ArtsHub's National Performing Arts Editor; he also presents the weekly program SmartArts on Three Triple R FM. Richard is a life member of the Melbourne Queer Film Festival, a Melbourne Fringe Festival Living Legend, and was awarded the Sidney Myer Performing Arts Awards' Facilitator's Prize in 2020. In 2021 he received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Green Room Awards Association. Most recently, Richard received a Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) in June 2024. Follow him on Twitter: @richardthewatts