Following the enactment of Live Nation’s “On The Road Again” initiative, which saw the company stop taking a percentage of artists’ merch at participating venues, they’ve announced an increase in the minimum wage of their club employees.
The minimum wage for all Live Nation club venue employees will be increased to $20 per hour, with supervisor roles seeing a pay bump to a minimum of $25 per hour, the company announced. The increase will affect over 5,000 Live Nation employees serving in various roles at their venues, including box office staff, parking attendants, ushers, cleaning crews and more.
Live Nation says the initiative was launched “to support developing artists as well as the hardworking crews.” They’ll now pay their employees over 250% more than the federal minimum wage and eclipse the highest state minimum wages in California and New York.
It’s a big move for Live Nation CEO Michael Rapino, who is notably all-in on the future of live music.
“Shows wouldn’t happen without the unsung heroes who work in the background to help support artists and fans,” Rapino said. “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.”
