Is Stripping Worth the Money?

Hi bohemians! Now that 2020 is upon us, I’m going to answer one of the questions I get asked most often from women curious to change their career or find a new job in the new year. 

Is Stripping Worth the Money?

            For those of you just joining the blog, I am here to share all that I learned from my 7.5 years of dancing in some of the best clubs in the country. I also share on topics such as this, for women who are trying to break into the industry. 

            Now back to the question, is it worth it? Let’s start by looking back at my dancing career cost vs. worth analysis because that is truly what this question is asking. Is the cost of dancing worth the money?

            Let’s first figure out what is the cost:

Time – the obvious thing is time. How much time will it take to earn X amount of money? Well you can’t count on that you will be at the club for at least 4 hours per shift. Then it usually takes a couple of hours to get ready beforehand. So that would be a minimum of 6 hours. You can average about $100-200 per hour at a minimum but usually making more. If you have a regular you can make more, if you’re more experienced you can make more etc. 

$ Investment – the barrier to entry to dancing is really low. The most you really have to spend is on house fees to the club. You will also need to spend money on clothes, shoes, makeup and grooming (hair care and hair removal). I’d say any given week you’re probably going to spend at least $100 on average on these items. Some weeks you won’t spend any shopping but you may have to pay out higher house fees. Some days you might get free house fees but get laser hair removal or microblading. It usually ends up to be about $100 a week on the low end depending on how many shifts you work and how high maintenance your stripper look is. 

Mental Health – This is a very intangible aspect to consider. Mental health is a big cost and can really take a toll on you when you work in the club. Is the money worth the drain on my emotional and mental well-being?

That depends on the person. I found it worth it but I also had a really strategic way to decompartmentalize after my shift. (I’ll share how on a different post). I also didn’t let my work bleed into my personal life which really helped a lot. I could always justify going to work by how much money I made. It was harder for me to be motivated to do jobs that pay substantially less. Looking back after being retired five years, I don’t think that working at the club so long had too many negative after effects. It was worth it to me to be able to graduate college debt free and earn the money that provided a very comfortable income for 7.5 years.

Relationships – This is another cost to consider. You can find tons of resources about how dancing can and will affect your relationships. I’d say if you’re single, it’s going to be difficult to date someone. If you’re in a relationship it better be really secure before starting this job. Some friendships might end because they don’t understand your job. Your family may also not understand or you may have to keep in a secret from them. This will definitely cause some distance. Know that being a dancer should be seen as a means to an end so these relationships can get better after you quit dancing or after they get used to the idea. Again, I felt that the financial gains were worth it, if you’re using the money to invest in your future. 

Job Security – Lastly, job security is a big cost. This job has ZERO security. I’ll say it again – ZERO. This is a commission-based business but not even guaranteed work. Most of the time with any job (even commission sales), what effort you put in equals the amount of income you get from it. However, with dancing there are no guarantees that you will make anything. Some nights you may make $2k, other nights $60 or barely enough to cover your fees. Any dancer who tells you they make X every single night is lying (but that’s for another post). You can usually count on one thing, the club will be open and some people will come in, after that who knows what they fuck does or does not happen.

Worth

So, what is all that cost worth? You have to figure that out for yourself. If you’re reading this thinking that none of these things apply to you - like you don’t care about job security or a relationship right now. Then the cost might be just a pair of stripper heels and your house fees. Which then the money “worth” at the end would be higher. If you have financial goals to be independent or invest in a degree without going into debt, then yes, use this job to get to your goal it will be worth it in the end. 

            I will say this: the LONGER YOU DANCE - THE HIGHER THE COSTS. This also doesn’t mean that the longer you dance the more money you will make to cancel out the higher costs. Any dancer will tell you the longer they dance or danced, more emotional, physical and mental costs add up. It’s just the nature of the job. If you can get to your financial goals before those costs start to add up or affect you - then do it. If you can protect your mental well-being outside of the club and your spouse is on board - then do it. 

            Also, like I said before, a means to an end. I would not start dancing without an end in sight. This will give you a goal to work toward and a timeline. At least give it long enough to make some money but not long enough where you start to have anxiety or get depressed from it. Also, if you try it once and hate it, I wouldn’t recommend going back. If you liked it at first and now hate it, take a break for a while. 

            Despite all the financial gain (and it can be lots!!) nothing is worth sacrificing your mental and physical health over. With a low barrier to entry this job can be very lucrative without a very large investment on the front end. The income return vs. hours worked with the amount that you can make per night is also high. But keep a thick skin, have a plan and get out when you feel the job isn’t right for you anymore. 

Love and glitter - BW