POLL: How did 2009 treat you?

[Scott Pollak]

Okay, so lately the discussion has been quite animated regarding prices.
How about a totally anonymous poll to see what we really made last year?
People are always talking about how much you can or can't make doing this.
Let's see what folks REALLY made. It's completely anonymous so no one has a clue how much anyone else is making. And please be honest. We need to know what one can honestly expect in this career. I'll post my own in the poll after we get a few responses so it won't be evident that the first response is mine.

Thanks.

[CarsonHeim]

I made exactly $0.00 in 2009.... who can beat THAT?

[Glenn Moore]

I can...I had to pay people to let me do their VO....ok joking....actually 2009 almost matched 2008 to the dollar. Neither were near as good as 2007. Here is hoping 2010 can allow everyone to bounce back. January is already off to a great start.

Glenn

[Scott Pollak]

Glad to hear your January is going well, Glenn. So is mine. I can only hope it stays this way!

Carson, dear.... well, uh, you can only go in one direction from last year!

[Michael J. Schoen]

I had my best year ever in VO in '09 -- mainly because I hustled more -- plus a couple of good opportunities that fell my way and I didn't screw up. (repeat business).
I haven't completely calculated the take yet -- but I would be shy about discussing numbers anyway.
With the economy slowly coming out of the hole it's been in, it would appear 2010 (twenty-ten, please) will be there for the taking.
Good luck to all.

[Diane Havens]

I think you posted a poll like this once before, didn't you, Scott? Results appear similar -- I remember that gap between $50-100K. I guess that supports the idea that the gap between rich and poor is growing.

[Scott Pollak]

I did, indeed, Diane, a year or more ago, and may make it an annual thing. I'm pleasantly surprised to see (at this writing) 4 folks in the 6-figure club! (No, I'm not one of them!) That's a very good thing and I don't recall seeing that many there for the last poll.

If nothing else, it's a real-world snapshot of what people DO make, voicing for a living.

[Diane Havens]

And this is only from VO work -- not from on-camera, radio or other assorted extra-curricula activities -- correct?

I myself was down slightly last year and I have to attribute some of that to my volunteer work, of which I did very much last year -- my biggest time commitment was helping manage Hearthebill.

[Chrisrice]

Here's the link to the previous poll:

How Much Does a V/O Artist REALLY make?

[jandrade]

I agree with Michael in that 2010 will be much better. I too was down from the previous year. It seemed like I really had to pound the pavement and go look for the work a lot more as opposed to 2008. But I think that was good because when it gets better this year I will have that many more clients, and hopefully more repeat business.

I hope everyone has a very blessed suscessful year.

Joseph