Voice Actors Aren’t Rich
Did you know that the average voice actor only makes about $31,400 a year? That’s around $1,500 less than the US median for individuals. When John DiMaggio says he thinks all voice actors should be paid more, he’s not just a millionaire out to get more millions. He’s someone who can afford to risk passing up a contract fight to raise the wages of those who can’t afford to. He’s absolutely right when he says that VAs are treated and paid like shit and he’s absolutely right to draw attention to the issue.
Yeah no matter how big the show they’re on, most voice actors aren’t paid any better than retail workers.
At the management office in LA our clients did a lot of VA work – we had among others classic That Guy (Teenface Version) Adam Wylie, who was voicing Ben 10 at the time – and the thing though is at that level you don’t even need to leave your house, you just go into your basement studio, record lines for the four major productions you’re currently in and all the ones you’re auditioning for, send them in over digital lines, and go out for dinner.