Live Nation club employees are getting a raise, and they can thank Willie for that.
The multi-international concert giant is joining the growing list of American companies hiking hourly wages. As part of the On the Road Again program, created with Willie Nelson, LN club venue employees will earn a base pay starting at $20 per hour, with supervisors at $25.
In Pennsylvania, it will affect hundreds of employees at The Roxian in McKees Rocks Philadelphia’s The Fillmore, Theatre of the Living Arts, Punch Line Philly and The Met.
Nationwide, it will impact more than 5,000 employees in the box office, production crew, artist hospitality, guest services, ushering, parking, cleaning and more.
“Shows wouldn’t happen without the unsung heroes who work in the background to help support artists and fans,” Michael Rapino, Live Nation Entertainment, CEO and President, said in a statement. “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…”
This wage increase is the latest initiative from On the Road Again, which, in September, implemented a program where all headline and support acts playing Live Nation clubs receive $1,500 in travel bonuses on top of nightly compensation and 100% of merch profits.
“Touring is important to artists so whatever we can do to help other artists, I think we should do it. This program will impact thousands of artists this year and help make touring a little bit easier,” Nelson said in a statement.
Earlier this year, UPMC, the state’s biggest nongovernmental employer, announced that it would raise its starting wage to $18 an hour by 2025.
Also this year, Walmart, the nation's largest private employer, raised starting wages from $12 to $18 per hour to $14 to $19.
Pennsylvania’s minimum wage has been at $7.25 per hour since 2009, but according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, only 1 percent of workers in the state are at or below the minimum wage.
A Forbes story noted that according to a survey by Willis Towers Watson, “employers are planning to increase worker pay by 4.6% in 2023 due to high inflation and a tight labor market, making it the highest annual jump in 15 years.”
First Published: November 28, 2023, 4:58 p.m.
Updated: November 28, 2023, 6:10 p.m.