“How much does it cost to be a stripper” may seem like an odd title for an article.  Most people are more curious about how much strippers make.  But the fact is strippers are required–yes required to spend lots of money before they even get the first dollar tucked inside their G-String.  Many days, the daily grind for a stripper is  grinding on enough men to simply cover her costs.

Here’s a brief summary of just how much it costs a dancer to get on stage and entertain you.

WORK CARD AND BUSINESS LICENSE $615

Strippers in Las Vegas are required by law to have a work card also known as a Sheriff’s card.  Obtaining a Sheriff’s card requires fingerprinting, a background check and various other items.  Each item has a non-refundable fee which must be paid by the dancer.  The total costs according to the LVMPD web site is $114.25.  I often hear reports from dancers that the fees end up being more than those posted on the web site.

A dancer cannot apply for a Sheriff’s card without a referral from a strip club.  So before she actually can be a stripper she has to audition at a club which then refers her to get her work card.  This means she has to buy stripper shoes and costumes/outfits before she can even apply for a license.

Additionally, the state of Nevada requires a business license for strippers.  Each dancer is considered a sole proprietor.  The annual license fee was raised to $500 in 2015.

HOUSE FEES

Strippers actually pay the club a “house fee”  every day for the privilege of dancing in that club.  House fees in Las Vegas range from $40 before 4:00 P.M. to as much as $180 for a weekend prime time shift.  Some dancers prefer to work the crowd and skip going on stage.  They have to pay an extra fee, often as much as their house fee to do so. And if a dancer misses her turn on stage because she is with a customer, she is fined and has to pay a fee for missing her turn on stage.  So a stripper in Vegas has to sell somewhere between 2 and 9 dances just to cover her costs of showing up for work that day.  Then there are…

MANDATORY TIPS

Back in 2002, some Vegas Strippers formed a group much like a labor union and eliminated many of the “mandatory” tips.  So while the tips aren’t mandatory in legal terms, they are very much required unless the dancer wants to be miserable and not make any money.  Here’s the list of tips dancer are “expected” and often required to give in Vegas clubs.

Valet Tip:  Most clubs have a valet service for dancers.  A few clubs require the strippers to valet their cars; others make it optional.  Depending on the club the dancer is expected or required to use the valet and tip the valet attendant.

House Mom Tip:  Every strip club has a “house mom” who provides snacks, emergency supplies, and moral support to the dancers.  In many clubs, the house mom previews the dancer’s costume to make sure she is legally compliant and etc before going on the floor.  Depending on the club, the dancer is required or expected to tip the house mom.

DJ Tips:  All strip clubs expect and some require the strippers to tip the DJ.  I can always tell which strippers tip the DJ well vs. those who don’t.  When a dancer who tips the DJ well is on stage, the DJ plays the music that dancer requested and she thus gives a better performance.  Also the DJ encourages and pumps up the crowd to get to the stage and tip the dancer when she tips him well.

Think about that for a second.  On Friday and Saturday nights, Sapphire has 400-500 dancers; Hustler CH3, and Spearmint Rhino have 200-300 dancers.  If each dancer only tips the DJ and House mom $2 each, they are making an awful lot of money in tips from strippers.

Host Tips: The guys in suits inside the strip club are hosts, not bouncers–although they certainly double as bouncers.  These guys are there to make sure customers are happy and have a good time.  Hosts have customers that they draw to the club.  Hosts also decide which dancers to recommend to large groups like bachelor parties and to big spenders who are buying bottle service etc.  If a dancer wants a shot at groups that are spending money, she has to tip the hosts. If not, he will refer his groups dancers who do tip him.

OTHER COSTS

Maintenance And Costumes: A stripper has a multitude of other expenses that most jobs don’t have.  There’s the cost of regular manicures, pedicures, hair salon appointments, bikini waxing, and other maintenance.  The G-Strings and costumes average $80-$100 each–nice lingerie isn’t cheap.  A good dancer will have 4 outfits with her at the club every day.  Why 4?  Because they sweat when dancing and change costumes a few times each shift to be fresh.  Plus, she may have a drink accidentally spilled on her requiring a costume change.  And then there is the cost of several pairs of stripper heels and eyelashes and make-up. All this equipment and costumes for work also mean the dancer has to have a lock for her locker while she is working.  Most clubs, but not all provide strippers a locker free of charge.

Credit Card Costs:  When you use your credit card to pay for dances or VIP rooms, the club keeps additional fees to the dancers to cover the card processing costs.  Of course the club keeps more than the actual costs so they make a little extra profit off the dancers here.  Also, when you use a credit card, the club makes the dancer wait 3 -4 weeks depending on the club before giving the dancer the money.  The reason is sometimes people are embarrassed about how much the spent in the strip club and dispute the charges when they get home.  Married men seem to do this often.  So the club holds the dancer’s money until the charges clear and then a while longer in case of dispute. The dancer gets a ticket at the time of the charge and she has to keep up with that and present it in 3 or 4 weeks to get paid. If she looses her copy of the ticket, she may not ever get her money.

 

SELF EMPLOYMENT TAXES

If you work for an employer, 6.2 percent of your pay is deducted for Social Security and your employer pays another 6.2 percent. Another 1.45 percent of your gross pay from both you and your employer goes to Medicare.  So, your employer pays 1/2 of your 15.3% in Social Security and Medicare taxes.

Strippers are independent contractors.  That means they have no guaranteed income from the club.  This mean s they are required to pay the full 15.3% in Social Security and Medicare taxes on every dollar they receive.  They have to file and pay these along with Federal Income taxes every 3 months. They fill out an IRS form w-9 agreeing to this when they are hired.

REAL NUMBERS:

You put a dollar in Candy’s G-String.  So do 299 other people.  So she gets $300.  IRS takes $90; Social Security/Medicaid takes $45.90; the club takes $100 for house fees; and she tips the DJ & House Mom $20 each. After taxes, tips and house fees for the night, she gets home with $124.10 of her $300 for six hours of grinding on customers who often smell from not bathing or have awful breath.  Her clothes and heels cost more than she made that night.

YES, STRIPPERS CAN AND DO MAKE LOTS OF MONEY, BUT THEY ALSO HAVE TO SPEND A LOT OF MONEY JUST FOR THE PRIVILEGE OF ENTERTAINING YOU.

 

 

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