How long it took for top musician salaries to match average jobs in 2018
Top musicians’ salaries equal our annual income in mere hours, yay.
Well if it isn’t more data to make us feel inadequate about our salaries on a Friday.
I mean, let’s face it: we KNOW top musicians make shitloads more than we do, but there’s something about seeing it in comparison to stick that thorn deeper.
A new study published by MIDINation highlights the glaring difference in the earnings of top-tier musicians vs average folk.
The study placed focus on 5 professions spanning from the average earnings (truck driver) to the well-rewarded (software developers), as well including musicians and singers- you know, to make them ultra-aware that they’re not Beyoncé.
The results
Here are the average annual salaries, taken from the Bureau of Labor Statistics:
MIDINation then used revenue data from Forbes to make a list of the 30 highest-grossing music acts, with them making between $39 million and $118 million in a year.
Combined these 30 acts made $1.87 billion in 2018.
Here are the comparisons as per MagneticMag:
- U2, the highest grossing act of 2018, made the average annual minimum wage in 67 minutes – less a typical workout.
- Calvin Harris, the world’s best-paid DJ, took under 19 hours to gross more than a software developer’s annual income.
- Flying from London to New York takes about 8 hours and 15 minutes. In that time, Beyoncé would make an average musician’s annual income. Ed Sheeran would do even better – he’d make a software developer’s yearly wages.
- The Rolling Stones, a perennial presence on these lists, still made $39 million despite sporadic touring. That’s good enough to make a nurse’s salary in under two work days (16 hours), and a musician’s income in a little over 12 hours.
- The longest non-stop flight in the world, from Singapore to Newark, NJ, takes 19 hours. That’s enough time for The Chainsmokers to make nearly twice the income of an average musician.
Don’t quit your day job unless you can match top musicians’ salaries. 😛
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