How much do girls realistically expect to make stripping?

avatar for theDirkDiggler
theDirkDiggler
Illinois
I know this varies considerably by region and even club type and shift, but you can state your local averages, or what you think they are as even dancers don't even know how much other dancers are really making. But considering that most girls start almost as soon as they can, like barely 18 or out of high school, any other job will realistically pay not much over minimum wage and not very many hours either. The average young woman, with or without education, doesn't make the average median personal income for all women, which is around $25k a year (or just over $2k a month before taxes) as of 2017 per wikipedia.

I know about 20 years ago, a girl just had to be hot and she would expect to make $500 on a random night. That was when the average minimum wage was less than $5. But there was also more stigma (although there's still quite a bit, but it's cooler now in today's younger pop culture) to the profession despite less contact/mileage/extras in general. Back then $500 a night sounded like a huge amount of money and yet many girls still didn't seriously consider doing it. Nowadays, $300 is probably closer to the average goal and a girl can't make that just by being hot. I do think that dancer fees and tip outs are a little higher now (as clubs have felt the pinch as well), but i think they've been high for awhile now, like over 10 years.

I guess what i'm getting at is what do you think is the starting point in terms of money that a prospective stripper would decide to do this and keep on doing it?

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avatar for Call.Me.Ishmael
Call.Me.Ishmael
6 years ago
We talked about this moments ago.

https://www.tuscl.net/discussion.php?id=…
avatar for theDirkDiggler
theDirkDiggler
6 years ago
I was talking less about actual earnings, but the incentive to work in the industry, but that discussion is related i guess. If a hot young girl initially thinks she can easily make $500 sitting pretty, than that probably isn't realistic. She'll almost certainly adjust her expectations after working unless she's a natural. The question then becomes when whatever realistic amount is made, does she quit or stick to it considering her other options? If she really needs a good paying job, possibly having a bad family life, that might be the "best" option for her unless she's absolutely sucks at it and can make more or similar as a waitress at Denny's (or Hooters).
avatar for Jascoi
Jascoi
6 years ago
just for the sake of comparison...my job as a union truck driver... $200 a day is probably a pretty good average of the low mileage runs and the much longer runs. so if a girl clears 200 she's doing OK in my book.
avatar for theDirkDiggler
theDirkDiggler
6 years ago
I don't know how long you've been doing that, but i hope you still have a decent pension coming to keep doing what you're doing, SC wise.

I used to think that $200 was like nothing for a stripper. I know of young girls at just regular restaurants (not five star or anything) and sports bars (and not breastaurants) as well as bartenders (and not striptenders) making similar amounts on weekends. Then a very hot semi-baby stripper spent a decent amount of time with me at a table and mentioned that some girls had big expectations, but she was happy with a $200-$300 a night, working about 4 times a week. She gave superb dances afterwards and i could easily see myself giving her, her "goal" every time i saw her.

I also talked with another very pretty stripper at another club and she mentioned that she only worked a few times a month and only picked up another shift if she didn't make a couple hundred on the previous Saturday to pay for her nursing school. She didn't give very high mileage in her dances, unfortunately, and i know that if she finishes her professional schooling, she is done stripping.
avatar for OldWhiteGuy
OldWhiteGuy
6 years ago
Top girls at Desire making triple figures a year. (According to their customer/accountant)
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twentyfive
6 years ago
Out of curiosity why do you guys care ? Are you planning to marry one of these girls?
avatar for theDirkDiggler
theDirkDiggler
6 years ago
Why do you care that other people care? In my case, there's been a slew of hot baby strippers coming in that give amazing dances. This is the first stretch i have seen in years, maybe ever. And they seem to be sticking around too. I've been used to giving the vast majority of my SC budget to my ATF for several months as a semi-onegina PL, at least when i visit her, but i don't think i'll need to spend anywhere near as much with this new crop for the same or better results.
avatar for shailynn
shailynn
6 years ago
We have several strippers who participate in this forum. We as PLs can speculate all day but really they are the ones that can answer that question.

It all depends. I personally know (and witnessed) a stripper clear $19,000 in 21 days in a tourist trap city, then on the other hand a stripper in the same city clear $7,000 on a 4 day weekend, only to return the following weekend and actually lose money because she didn’t even cover her tip outs and travel expenses.
avatar for skibum609
skibum609
6 years ago
In my 35+ years doing family law I have probably seen 15,000 financial statements. Of those only 14,999 contained lies. No matter what a dancer tells me about her earnings I simply don't believe them. No self-employed person in the history of the world has ever answered that question honestly.
avatar for jackslash
jackslash
6 years ago
A young woman with no college and no skills can probably make $15K to $20K before taxes doing some menial job. The same young woman can earn $50K to $100K with no taxes by becoming a stripper. It's a good career choice.
avatar for shailynn
shailynn
6 years ago
^^^ why do I hint sarcasm in that statement! Lol
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flagooner
6 years ago
This is a great topic. This is a huge consideration in my decision whether I should get a divorce and propose to my CF.
avatar for nicespice
nicespice
6 years ago
$200-300 seems like a low average for night shift in my area.

There have been times that if it’s a “rougher” night, I’ve gritted my teeth and pushed through so that $200 is what I net after tip out. And then I dip out because I’m psychologically done with the crowd for the night.

I’ll explain why $200 is very realistic even during a very crappy night.

Luckily, I work in clubs where I can leave early without $ penalty. (And yes, I’m well aware I might have walked out on prince moneybags showing up during those times. Oh well.)

A typical thought process for me is like this:
*I like to show up to the club with $60 always. That is my average house fee + tip out. This is so that I know, worst case scenario, I will never catch negative attention for not making tip out.
*My goal is to net $200.
*I also want another $60 in “reserve” that I will not count in my earnings because it’s money going to my next shift.

To net $200, I usually just need to make $260.

I will ignore stage money for this, because that money is too variable.

That is just 13 dances a night for me to make “quota”

I’ve never timed the average song length of my club, but I think it’s like 3.5 minutes which is 45.5 of “active work.” I need to pull off.

Because my scenario is a frustrating night, I’ll say it takes on average 5 songs before one dance. And that I’ve been unsuccessful in stacking more than one dance with any one customer. That is 3.8 hours of “chit chat time”

I usually go on stage 1-2 times per night. I’ll say it’s twice in this case. Stage is six songs in a set. Two sets is 12 songs, so 3.5*12=42 minutes.

In that scenario, it would take a little over five hours to break $200.

But most of my nights aren’t quite that terrible. I’ve guessed before that my true average is something like $450-550. And I wouldn’t consider myself a hardcore hustler either.

Maybe I’m just lucky where I live, if I were to expect $200-300 all the time. Granted, I’ve made those shift numbers all the time. But I’ve also had plenty of nights where I’ve done much better than that.
avatar for twentyfive
twentyfive
6 years ago
@theDirk it’s a stupid way to monger, you should spend what you can afford, years ago I realized that most don’t do very well, a few do, but that’s true everyplace. I really do understand why many of you guys spend as much as you do, but if it’s more than you can afford comfortably, it’s so much easier and less mentally stressful to find women that want to be with you, I mean you wouldn’t put up with the demands from a wife, why break yourself I’ve a transacted relationship.
avatar for shailynn
shailynn
6 years ago
Nicespice, Juice is sending your club his application. I hope you don’t mind that it’s written in crayon.
avatar for NinaBambina
NinaBambina
6 years ago
When I first decided to dance, my goal was to make $400 a night.

My first shift ever, I didn't hustle and only left with like $75 or $80. I was very discouraged. The next shift, I talked to a girl who was also knew to stripping (we had both auditioned and started on the same night) and she said she made like $500. I saw that she would work the room and talk to lots of customers. My mistake the first night was sitting too long with non-spenders. So, that night, I tried to hustle a little more and made like $360 or so. That's when I realized my $400/night goal was totally attainable.

After that, I was consistently making over $400 a night. My earnings increased over time, I got my hustle down, and now I'm averaging closer to double than what my expectations/goals where coming in, and that's working at a non-extras club in Detroit of all places.

I also have not had to cross a single boundary I set for myself before I started stripping.
avatar for NinaBambina
NinaBambina
6 years ago
New*

Sorry for the typos you guys I just cram typed a brief and now my brain is apparently taking a break.
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pitts1
6 years ago
I think another factor with annual earnings is how many days/nights per week the dancer chooses to work. This may change week to week or be consistent. One of the benefits of the profession is the flexibility to be off more nights than you work or to work extra nights - although I would imagine 6 to 7 nights per week would be exhausting, both mentally and physically.
avatar for nicespice
nicespice
6 years ago
“Nicespice, Juice is sending your club his application. I hope you don’t mind that it’s written in crayon.”

Lol. If he managed to pull off a DJ gig with 20-60 girls a night, then that’s at least 200-600 he would be making. Probably more. I’d say it’s an even better gig than dancing.
avatar for nicespice
nicespice
6 years ago
But I’m not saying the numbers are necessarily wrong here.

Nina and I may have better numbers that what others are saying for their current favorites. But I also think there’s a selection bias and that we are a bit more strategic than others. Or work in better clubs or something. I don’t bother asking other dancers what they make.
avatar for theDirkDiggler
theDirkDiggler
6 years ago
Who knew the girls would come through? Texas and Detroit are generally considered good stripper areas at least from the PL perspective. I had a favorite years ago that was a non extras girl at one of the more extras laden clubs in the area and she was largely successful there in the year or so that she was there. She was clearly a big fish in that little pond and still had regulars, me included at the time.

She lived near the quad cities (Iowa/Illinois) but traveled all the way to Harvey, IL where she was still a top earner. She had tried working at the clubs closer to her but she said the girls there thought that $400 was a good night and she basically scoffed telling me that she made that on a slow week night at her then current club near Chicago. But supposedly some of the extras girls there could make 2 grand a night, but that wouldn't be a usual occurrence. That club has since become a shadow of itself and then sold and turned into an urban party club, sigh. She quit long before that happened though. Last i heard she was in Arizona which i didn't think was a stripper's area in terms of making money, at least cleanly.

Anyway, most of my past favorites were top earners/bad bitches in their respective clubs. So to a degree that painted my perception of what a popular/attractive stripper expects to make to stay in the profession. Usually over $500 a shift. Occasionally, i would have a favorite that was still very hot and gave very good dances, but she would tend not to have a good hustle or something and was generally grateful with a few hundred.

Unfortunately, those favorites generally wouldn't last long. Some of them would leave to do other jobs, camming, nannying even. One became a blackjack dealer. In the last few years, the whole area seems slower and the general turnover is higher, so it's probably harder to make very good money at any of the clubs. Just less customers and less spending customers but still more demanding.

Overall, i'm generally pleased with this new development. I'll probably spend even more than before as i've never had this many quality choices before, but i'll manage somehow.






avatar for Subraman
Subraman
6 years ago
^^^ In any club I've been to, there's those girls who are way at the end of the curve making way more than an "average" girl at that club. My sense is, depending on the club, might be making double, triple or even more the amount than is average. So asking the highest earners completely distorts the picture
avatar for theDirkDiggler
theDirkDiggler
6 years ago
@nicespice
The fees and tip outs are much higher near Chicago, especially at the higher end clubs (my preference). Up to $200 for a late weekend night and usually over $100. They also take around 25% to 33% of what the girl makes in dances. To net $300, a girl probably has to sell over $500, probably closer to $600 in dances and/or VIPs/rooms. Even more if she does VIPs as the club takes a considerably higher percentage with them, around 40% to almost 50%.
avatar for NinaBambina
NinaBambina
6 years ago
When I worked at Admiral I was tipping out a good $200+ a night for the best shift, not including the cut you give for selling VIP, but I'd still leave with around 1K or so on a a Fri or Sat night.
avatar for PaulDrake
PaulDrake
6 years ago
@nicespice - I think your numbers are legit for nightshift. Where most of us go during dayshift on slower days.
avatar for nicespice
nicespice
6 years ago
The Admiral did seem interesting. And I’ve never worked at such a lower mileage club like that before, so VIP seems like it would be a ridiculously easy upsell. I had been interested in going to just to see what it was like and also explore the city. But I ended up hanging out in Dallas instead
avatar for skibum609
skibum609
6 years ago
One of my favorite day shift dancers at desires tells me she makes about $800 in a 6.5 hour day shift, unless I am there and t hen its $650, because she wastes time on me. I admit I am not a big spender, except when it comes to vacations with my wife.
avatar for NinaBambina
NinaBambina
6 years ago
Nicespice I am still planning on going back there before season is over in CHI, maybe we could meet up.
avatar for theDirkDiggler
theDirkDiggler
6 years ago
I suppose if a dancer was accustomed to Detroit levels of contact and mileage, then even a fraction of that would probably be leaps and bounds beyond what the average PL at the Admiral would realistically expect. So it could be possible to develop good regulars there despite not being a "regular's" club. But considering how much money that place takes from the girls, and the general lack of very expensive options and not that much tipping, unless a girl was able to trick a PL into doing a suite for $200 more than the regular $300 hour booth for the same exact dance, it would take a lot of "work" to clear $1k.

However, a popular girl can make around $300 or maybe even more just from the stage. Also i think they keep all of the $10 from floor dances, so technically, a girl could do just floor dances all night and receive a lot of rain and make $1k that way. Which is probably what it would take now as the greedy mofos just raised prices from 3 low contact dances for $75 to 3 for $100. I think they also raised half hour and hourly rates by $25, except for the $500 suite which still is the same, surprise. Cover and valet have also raised by $3 from $25 to $28 and $12 to $15. "Entertainer tax" or some BS. Haven't gone since the price changes, but i've seen quite a few of their girls at PoleKatz and Gold Club recently so maybe they've slowed down a bit.
avatar for NinaBambina
NinaBambina
6 years ago
Also thedirkdiggler - some floor dances are $20. It literally depends on what area of the club the guys is at, on whether it's $10 or $20. At least that was the case last time I was there. So, you can make tipout alone if you do enough of those. They're also a good way to tempt a guy into buying a VIP.
avatar for theDirkDiggler
theDirkDiggler
6 years ago
I did forget about the "VIP" mezzanines where the dances were essentially double for the same thing. I don't know if the bouncers were more likely to let things (although still not much) go during those dances, but i think the girls keep all of the $20 as well. Of course, i never paid extra to sit in those sections and just stayed on the plebeian level where the main stage was anyway.
avatar for GeneraI
GeneraI
6 years ago
Nina if u and nicespice come to chicago, swing by polekatz and I'll drop some cash on you both. I dont analyze every nickel I spend to get the absolute best value for my time in the club, I just like to have a good time and if I drop a grand doing it, that's between me and my bank account.
avatar for NinaBambina
NinaBambina
6 years ago
Sounds fun! Thanks General ;) Maybe when I'm in CHI I could even meet you there and hang out, spend some money on some strippers with you.
avatar for Jascoi
Jascoi
6 years ago
money buzziness. girl... make it while you can. in this delightful hobby it takes LOTS of money to enjoy it the way I want tooo.
avatar for nicespice
nicespice
6 years ago
@nina “ I am still planning on going back there before season is over in CHI, maybe we could meet up.”

When does it end?

The answer from me is most likely no, since school is starting up tomorrow and I’m occupied during monday-Wednesday’s. Oh and my boyfriend is still in Texas for a couple more weeks. But it seems like it would be super fun!

“One of my favorite day shift dancers at desires tells me she makes about $800 in a 6.5 hour day shift, unless I am there and t hen its $650,”

Having regulars helps with stability, but there’s also that opportunity cost question that comes up during peak times. Sometimes I wonder what is better myself. But I am a night shift gal and I prefer the quick hustle.

@general

“I dont analyze every nickel I spend to get the absolute best value for my time in the club, I just like to have a good time and if I drop a grand doing it, that's between me and my bank account.”

That seems like it would be really fun! Would you be able to make it to Miami in January maybe?
avatar for GeneraI
GeneraI
6 years ago
Nicespice you're going to get me in trouble if I start flying across the country to see beautiful women. ;-)
avatar for nicespice
nicespice
6 years ago
It’s not just me. It’s going to be several TUSCLers (supposedly)
avatar for GeneraI
GeneraI
6 years ago
I'd maybe fly down there to see you...and to beat the ever-living shit out of twentyfive...hummm. maybe you are on to something.
avatar for NinaBambina
NinaBambina
6 years ago
"The answer from me is most likely no, since school is starting up tomorrow and I’m occupied during monday-Wednesday’s."

I understand. When I went it was usually summer and I was out of school, or could just go on the weekends because I'm only a few hours away from there.
avatar for nicespice
nicespice
6 years ago
Yes. Hopefully the Admiral is still just as good as it has been!
avatar for Icey
Icey
6 years ago
Never believe the inflated stories of 1k on a bad night. A lot of bitches end up leaving the club losing money.
avatar for Pyroxl
Pyroxl
6 years ago
Haven't seen location discussed but in cities, it can be difficult to go below that amount, at 40, 50+ per chopped song.
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twentyfive
6 years ago

I'd maybe fly down there to see you...and to beat the ever-living shit out of twentyfive...hummm. maybe you are on to something.

Line forms to the right, have your I’D out and toe tag completely filled out.
avatar for flagooner
flagooner
6 years ago
LOL
avatar for Dominic77
Dominic77
6 years ago
Jackslash posted, "A young woman with no college and no skills can probably make $15K to $20K before taxes doing some menial job"

While not scientific, the girls I've talked to confess they typically make $24K to $48K dancing a year. Grim reality.
avatar for NinaBambina
NinaBambina
6 years ago
"A lot of bitches end up leaving the club losing money."

Then those 'bitches' shouldn't be strippers.

I'm not gonna show my tits in a room full of people and give lap dances to make $200-300 a night. I could make that much, or better, bartending or doing bottle service at a regular nightclub.
avatar for flagooner
flagooner
6 years ago
Plus welfare, food stamps, ...
avatar for NinaBambina
NinaBambina
6 years ago
Flagooner I think you accidentally posted in the wrong thread.
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twentyfive
6 years ago
What a senile old guy flagooner is ;)
avatar for flagooner
flagooner
6 years ago
"While not scientific, the girls I've talked to confess they typically make $24K to $48K dancing a year. Grim reality."

Plus welfare, food stamps, ...
avatar for twentyfive
twentyfive
6 years ago
^ Dont forget cash payments from presidental election campaigns, or is that just porn stars ;)
avatar for theDirkDiggler
theDirkDiggler
6 years ago
=> I'm not gonna show my tits in a room full of people and give lap dances to make $200-300 a night. I could make that much, or better, bartending or doing bottle service at a regular nightclub.

That was my thought process regarding strippers and probably most of my current and former favorites as well. But i guess nowadays and IRL $200-$300 a night jobs are harder to come by or maybe these girls that seem satisfied with this amount don't really hate stripping or maybe even like it more than a regular job.
avatar for Dominic77
Dominic77
6 years ago
@Flagooner,
I suspect they are being more honest with me that with the tax man. Hell, straight waitresses at Denny's I knew growing up will lie on cash tips to the IRS.
avatar for NinaBambina
NinaBambina
6 years ago
Lol Dominic77 - at one of the regular restaurant/bars I used to work at before stripping, at the end of each shift everyone had to write down in a book how much they made in tips, for tax reasons. They could claim whatever they wanted. The more you claimed to have made (like, if you were honest), the smaller your checks would be (not that it mattered, servers' hourly wage isn't shit). Anyway once I was flipping through the book to write down my earnings and while trying to find my page, I saw one of the servers had claimed $0 in tips every day of every week. Some of the others claimed like $20 or $50 each shift. Lol. I was actually honest, and would write down how much I actually made, or a rough estimate.
avatar for theDirkDiggler
theDirkDiggler
6 years ago
=> While not scientific, the girls I've talked to confess they typically make $24K to $48K dancing a year. Grim reality.

Again, this could vary considerably by region and club and of course dancer, but $2k to 4k a month working about 3 shifts a week or 12 a month would come out to about $167 to $333 per shift. This would be averages or medians actually since the girls that often go negative or the ones that often make well over $1k can really skew the averages.

It's totally believable to me, as whenever i go to a club, the majority of girls don't seem to be making a lot of money. So a big a part of it comes down to how hard a girl wants to work, or how far she is willing to go, in addition to being attractive/desirable.
avatar for goldmongerATL
goldmongerATL
6 years ago
I have done extensive reasearch on this subject and find the answer to be 42.
avatar for Dominic77
Dominic77
6 years ago
@Nina,
Yes, self reporting every night. They clamined whatever was a CC receipt (paper trail), of course. Then they claimed 15% of gross receipts, but not a penny more. They figured anything over their $1/hr (or w/e) sub min-wage, plus 15%, the government could have that. But when (not if, when, and it happened every night) they earned over 15%, they rationalized themselves to be working single mothers, and kept 100% of the extra tips to themselves for busting their ass.

I've also read a similar rationalization either on Tuscl or the pink site, where the dancers will 100% claim stage tips or LD money, but draw the line at claiming OTC to the IRS, saying, they can get a cut of that, but if I sell my ass, they damn sure aren't getting a cut of that. And really, as a pro-honesty guy myself, I can't really blame them, esp. not in that tax bracket (30%).
avatar for Dominic77
Dominic77
6 years ago
@theDirkDiggler posted: "It's totally believable to me, as whenever i go to a club, the majority of girls don't seem to be making a lot of money. So a big a part of it comes down to how hard a girl wants to work, or how far she is willing to go, in addition to being attractive/desirable."

I think so, too. We're a depressed rust belt town / region. I used to joke with them on the odd chance that it came up, and I'd joke that they probably made more than me. In sort of a truth or dare, they all said they would quite dancing full time immediately if they could make per year what I make in a vanilla job ($50K or $60K). Mostly because they were envious (their words) I had a future after 30. I think the last part was most of it.

I also think that without extras here, that it a BIG part about why I get approached for OTC so much. Sadly, it's about the only extra way for dancers to augment their earnings. Like if she's making $167 or $333 a shift, it's going to be hard to turn down the possibility of an extra $200 or even $100 that night from a safe and discrete guy like me and all she has to to is extend her shift once in a while by one more hour. Though I like to think (lie to myself?) that she's running The System(tm) on me just in reverse, instead of her being high-volume hoe, like @rickdugan throws shade to me about. ;)
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