Australian Amusement Fanatics

Anyone got any idea as to what sort of a pay packet a showmen would make for a week?

Would depend on the company you worked for. I did some casual work for a few showmen when I was younger (15 - 17) And it varied from 5 dollars a hour, which was when I was 15 and only doing very local stuff to around 15 dollars a hour + bonuses. It really depends on the company and how hard you work though. Also depends if you work on a game or ride.

Some owners I know pay a slightly lower rate of pay per hour (7 or 8 dollars) plus 20% of what you earn. So that can sometimes be an incentive to work harder to attract the customers. That mainly applies for games though. Also capital shows have a tendancy to pay higher from what I've been told.

So realistically you can earn anything from 300+ in a week if you are full time. If you are casually doing a show it would be around 10 dollars a hour or there abouts.

it's more than a weeks worth in retail... and more fun!

700-1000$ a week in the west.

So would u get more if u had a truck licence an hiab ticket. Ive got a Bdouble license, an plenty of experience.

That really surprises me - I would've thought the pay would've been much higher. But yes your right HUSS, much more fun then a retail job!

Yeh it definately is alot more fun. Especially when your younger like me and only do a few events here and there

I recall in the mid eighties I was getting around $90 a week, sometimes we could do up to three shows a week.

We were fed and housed though. Shame we weren't paid by the hour it would have been good money

Cheers

RU

Wow times have changed since then! I get around 250 - 300 for a weekend show that I do. Been in my job for almost 3 years now, and loving it Might end up traveling in a few years, but I don't think just yet... still got alot to do first

Hurricane wrote:Wow times have changed since then! I get around 250 - 300 for a weekend show that I do. Been in my job for almost 3 years now, and loving it Might end up traveling in a few years, but I don't think just yet... still got alot to do first

G'day Hurricane,

I think if you still have youth on your side why not travel. I'm sure things have changed a lot since my days, when I left things were starting to change, people were starting to get reasonable sort of money, probably no where near what they should have been receiving for the hours put in, paying tax wasn't even thought of.

It wasn't as if you would get a group certificate every year, although some of the showmen did do the right thing, like Bells, there staff all paid tax but I would say they would have been one of the very few.

Mainly just the bigger ones, Wittingslow etc etc.

Is there anyone on here that has travelled??

Cheers

RU

my staff get 100 - 120 per day and a half day for setting up

Lol, I remember by boyfriend only getting what fell over the top of the buckets of the money machine, I might have only got 20 bucks for working a weekend, but that was in the 70's. When I moved on and did a few capitals, I got paid fair wages for the time. Most of the time I enjoyed what I did, funny still working with the public to this very day, it definitely put me on a path where I interact with people.

princess wrote:Lol, I remember by boyfriend only getting what fell over the top of the buckets of the money machine, I might have only got 20 bucks for working a weekend, but that was in the 70's. When I moved on and did a few capitals, I got paid fair wages for the time. Most of the time I enjoyed what I did, funny still working with the public to this very day, it definitely put me on a path where I interact with people.

Always used to get a few bucks checking under the Tilt-A-Whirl and checking the seats of the octopus, just had to make sure that you were up early to beat every other bugger.

The money machine your talking about Princess, is that the one that used to slide back and forth?? You would try and direct the money (usually 20 cent pieces) to land in front of the slide, one of the blokes I worked for used to have one, only pulled it out at xmas when we used to do a xmas carnival at Port Fairy.

Cheers

RU

RoundUP wrote:is that the one that used to slide back and forth?

It sure was RoundUp, I remember having to clean them with Mr Sheen, everytime I smell Mr Sheen, it takes me right back.

As of the 1st Jan 2010 the Amusement Industry has had an award wage.

http://www.airc.gov.au/awardmod/awards/amusement.pdf

What does that mean?

Tayz wrote:What does that mean?

It means there are "laws" with regards to pay and working conditions.

redhot wrote:

Tayz wrote:What does that mean?

It means there are "laws" with regards to pay and working conditions.

Quite thorough ones too