How Much Do DJs Get Paid? (Clubs, Festival & Superstar DJs)

Passion doesn’t pay the bills.

Figuring out what DJs get paid for festivals and clubs and even knowing how much Superstar DJs get paid are all essential considerations for a possible career.

Key Points

DJs have the potential to make a lot of money, depending on their experience and popularity.

Social media has given rise to the phenomenon of ‘Superstar DJs.’
An EDM DJ is a type of DJ who plays electronic dance music.
The highest-paid EDM DJs in the world can make millions of dollars annually.

However, the entry-level DJ makes significantly less than that. You can expect to make between $12 and $28 per hour if you’re just starting.
If you’re more experienced, you can make up to $115,500 per year.
Radio DJs tend to make more money than EDM DJs — the top DJs make millions of dollars annually.

Mobile DJs can get paid per show or hour. Wedding DJs and club DJs are paid per hour, depending on the venue.

Whether you’re a long-time music fan or thinking of breaking into the industry we answer how much can you expect to get paid, and your chances of making good money.

Table of Contents

EDM DJing

The Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival
How much do DJs make in Ibiza?
Who are the highest-paid DJs?

How do EDM DJs make money? A variety of income sources
DJs, Social Media, and the ‘Superstar DJs’
How much money do EDM producers make?

How much money do radio DJs make?
Is DJing a good career?
How can you start EDM DJing?

Final thoughts
- Further Reading
Sources

Although creative fields such as DJing vary in how much or how often they pay, there are some general guidelines. Let’s start at the top with the EDM DJ.

EDM DJing

An EDM DJ is a type of DJ who plays electronic dance music.

An EDM DJ typically plays various electronic dance music genres, including house, techno, trance, dubstep, and more. Pay can be per hour or show basis.

They often use various electronic musical equipment to create sound, including turntables, mixers, and controllers. EDM DJs perform as club DJs at music festivals and other live events.

How much do EDM DJs get paid per show?

The amount EDM DJs can expect to earn per show depends on various factors.

According to kiiky.com:

A single gig can get a regular/small DJ anywhere from $1,000 to $20,000. The more prominent and famous DJs would get $20,000 to $100,000—the worldwide ones like the top 10, $100,000 to $2 million. The Chainsmokers earn about $200,000 for each gig.

As you can see, EDM DJs can expect a wide range of their pay.

Still, this field is lucrative for those willing to put in the hard work and sharpen their skills to become top performers.

According to ZipRecruiter, which tracks jobs and employment, the mean annual salary for a full-time club DJ is $49,607 per year, which averages approximately $23.85 per hour.

Pay varies based on locale. For instance, $200 a night in Los Angeles is pretty standard, whereas, in New York, big clubs can pay anywhere between $500 to $1,000 for a performance.

How much do BIG club DJs make per show?

Top well-known DJs can expect to pull in a significantly higher rate than those just starting in the field.

Big DJs such as tWitch from the Ellen Degeneres Show can enjoy a sky-high net worth of approximately $5 million, according to an article covering his earnings on thelist.com.

Naturally, that’s every DJ’s dream. As we mentioned, the Chainsmokers report making about $200,000 per show, which is no small potatoes.

As a DJ just starting, having a multimillion-dollar net worth is a great goal to hold as an aspiration. DJs like tWitch time, dedication, social media, vital networking, and years of slugging away in more minor roles to land these kinds of gigs.

How much do rave DJs make?

The amount that rave DJs make can vary greatly.

As edmfestivalinsider.com points out:

Some names are well established and will bring a massive following of fans to watch them perform live. Others are just starting or building a follower and will need to put on a bigger show to reach the top level. Festivals like Ultra, Tomorrowland, or EDC, pay within a range.

At the Vegas Night Club, Hakkasan paid Deadmaus $425,000 per show.

The Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival

Coachella is in Indio, California, one of the world’s most popular and well-attended festivals.

How much do DJs make at Coachella?

The event features some of the biggest names in the music industry and carries a hefty price tag for performers. Coachella’s average DJ performance fee is $30,000, with some headlining DJs earning as much as $100,000 per set.

The Electric Daisy Carnival, another major music festival held in Las Vegas, Nevada, also offers high DJ performance fees. The average cost for a DJ at this event is $25,000, with some headlining DJs earning up to $75,000 per set.

Other notable music festivals that offer high DJ performance fees include Ultra Music Festival (Miami, Florida), Tomorrowland (Belgium), and Creamfields (United Kingdom).

How much do DJs make in Ibiza?

In Ibiza, the average hourly wage of a DJ is $35 per hour. But an experienced professional with a solid reputation could earn as high as $55.

Some of the most popular and in-demand DJs can make upwards of 10,000 euros per night, while more unknown or local DJs may only make a few hundred. It depends on a wide variety of factors.

Who are the highest-paid DJs?

The highest-paid DJs are those who can command the highest fees for their performances. The most successful DJs can generate the most income from their music careers.

The richest DJs in the world are typically able to bring in millions of dollars each year.

As musicindustryhowto.com shares, the highest-paid DJ per gig as of 2022 is Calvin Harris, whose net worth is about $240 million.

Calvin Harris is a Scottish DJ, record producer, and singer. He is known for his singles “We Found Love,” “This Is What You Came For,” and “Feels.” He began playing piano at the age of nine and started DJing at the age of 15. He released his first studio album, I Created Disco, in 2007. His second album, Ready for the Weekend, was released in 2009. His third album, 18 Months, was released in 2012. Harris has also released several singles, including “We Found Love,” “This Is What You Came For,” and “Feels.”

Although it’s hard to say precisely how much he gets paid per gig (per night) — his net worth alone shows that he probably rakes in a pretty penny for festivals or shows that want him to be DJing.

Other DJs who qualify as top earners for their services in the field include:

Tiesto, who enjoys a net worth of about $170 million
Steve Aoki, who ranks at about $100 million in his net worth
David Guetta has a net worth of about $85 million, according to musicindustryhowto.com

How do EDM DJs make money? A variety of income sources

Although every professional is different, EDM DJs have several ways to make money.

The first way EDM DJs can make money is to play gigs at other festivals across the globe.
EDM DJs can also make money by producing and releasing remixes of popular songs or producing their music. There are two ways to make money off your music: streaming royalties and music sales. This revenue stream is helpful because it allows EDM DJs to earn a passive income.

You can earn money through streaming time on various platforms or by fans buying downloads of your songs while you work on other projects (or even while you sleep!).
EDM DJs can also make money by dropping merch lines and letting their fans show their support through hoodies, bags, hats, t-shirts, and more with the EDM DJs’ branding. Merch for EDM Djs can look like simple items branded with the EDM DJ logo.
Alternatively, they can hire a graphic designer to design custom, specialized items for their fans.

DJing at shows, on radio stations, or playing at small events such as house parties, corporate events, wedding DJs, and birthday parties.
Finally, some EDM DJs may make money per hour by teaching classes or giving private lessons.

By combining different income streams, EDM DJs can earn a decent living.

If one income stream, like playing shows, dries up, another, such as music sales or merchandise, can pick up the slack.

Social media has given rise to the phenomenon of ‘Superstar DJs.’

DJ Sasha wrote the following article on the topic of DJing. It was initially published in DJ Magazine on the 11th of November 1999.

These days, being a DJ is a lot more than just playing records. It’s about being a celebrity, a fashion icon, a social media star, and, most importantly, a brand.

In the past, DJs were just people who played music in clubs. But now, thanks to the power of social media, DJs have become some of the most famous people in the world.

The rise of the superstar DJ has been fuelled by the growth of EDM (electronic dance music) and the popularity of festivals such as Tomorrowland and Ultra, where they play.

As mentioned earlier, Superstar DJs such as Calvin Harris, Avicii, and Tiesto are now household names, and their music is played worldwide.

However, not everyone is a fan of the superstar DJ phenomenon. Some say that it has made DJing too commercialized and taken the focus away from the music.

Others argue that the rise of the superstar DJ has made it harder for new DJs to

How much money do EDM producers make?

According to ziprecruiter.com, the average annual pay that an Electronic Music Producer can expect per year in the United States is approximately $58,844.

Pay breaks down to a little over $28 per hour, $1,100 per week, and $4,900 per month.

Since this is the average, some EDM producers make significantly higher than this estimate while others make substantially lower. Depending on your geographic location, you may be able to expect to earn more or less than this figure.

However, it’s a good starting point for determining whether shifting careers to EDM production is the right move to support your standard of living.

Annual salaries can skyrocket as high as $115,500 or bottom out as low as $11,000, so it’s essential to be realistic when planning financially for a future in EDM production.

Still, the wide range of pay for EDM producers indicates that there could be plenty of opportunities for EDM producers to advance and up their income depending on their level of skill, geographic location, and years of expertise.

How much money do radio DJs make?

Radio DJs’ earnings tend to be higher and more reliable in some cases because the radio industry is unionized.

As salary.com shares:

“The average Radio DJ salary in the United States is $40,029 as of June 28, 2022, but the salary range typically falls between $32,986 and $48,873. Salary ranges can vary widely depending on many important factors, including education, certifications, additional skills, and years you have spent in your profession.

With more online, real-time compensation data than any other website, Salary.com helps you determine your exact pay target.”

The average salaries hide huge variations. The top radio DJs in major markets can make up to $8 million annually.

Some famous radio DJs include:

Howard Stern
Ryan Seacrest
Rush Limbaugh

Steve Harvey

Is DJing a good career?

Yes, it can be a great career, but it is not for everyone.

Being a successful DJ takes a lot of skill, dedication, and hard work. It might not be the right career if you are unwilling to invest time and effort.

However, if you are willing to put in the work, the job can be a very rewarding career. You can make a good living doing what you love, travel the world, and meet new people. If you are passionate about music and enjoy working with people, then DJing could be the perfect career.

How can you start EDM DJing?

If you want to start a new job in EDM, there are many different paths you can take to reach this goal. However, there are some tried-and-true roads towards getting your foot in the door in EDM. Luckily, djtechreviews.com/ offers a few pointers for getting started.

First, immerse yourself in the EDM community and launch a social media account.

Get familiar with the terminology, trends, and general culture of the EDM community before you try breaking into it. Go to parties, events, and festivals, and engage with the online EDM community, as well, to build connections and get involved.

Once you’ve established yourself as a fan in the EDM community, you can study other EDM DJs and watch how they perform to get an idea of how you could do it.

The goal here isn’t to copy anyone but to get down to the basics so that you can make it your own later. Pay attention to what the crowd seems to like and dislike, as well as your preferences and dislikes.

After you’ve spent time watching and learning, you can throw yourself into DJing by recording your mixes and playing them back. Of course, as you grow as an EDM DJ, you will need to take other practical steps, such as purchasing professional gear and booking gigs. However, if you just want to break into EDM DJing, these are a significant first few steps.

Final thoughts

DJs can make a lot of money, depending on their experience and popularity, and social media has given rise to the phenomenon known as ‘Superstar DJs.’

An EDM DJ is a type of DJ who plays electronic dance music. The highest-paid EDM DJs in the world can make millions of dollars annually. The average DJ makes less than that.

You can expect to make between $12 and $28 per hour if you’re just starting.

If you’re more experienced, you can make up to $115,500 per year.

Radio DJs tend to make more money than EDM DJs, with the top ones making millions of dollars annually.

Wedding DJs and club DJs get paid the least, often per hour.