The Gritty Economics of Working Comedians

Note: you can read the full version of this article on Substack here.

You’ve heard it before: comedy has never been bigger. Netflix scooping up specials, new talent bursting from YouTube to Madison Square Garden, comedy podcasts topping Spotify charts. Nate Bargatze and Matt Rife, for example, ranked ahead of music juggernauts like Doja Cat and Billy Strings for tickets sold in a month in 2025.

Pollstar released a special edition on comedy earlier this year. The 100 highest-grossing comedy artists grossed $696 million in 2025. Comics include Nate Bargatze at $77 million, Sebastian Maniscalco at $43.5 million, Matt Rife at $33.5 million, and Nikki Glaser at $19 million.

It sounds like a dream for full-time comedians. But the financial bonanza is far from reality for most. Underneath the celebrity comedy economy is a large class of comedians where “making it” often looks much more like running a precarious small business than becoming a star. Many successful full-time comics who are not selling out arenas are scraping by, dealing with uncertain finances and a litany of travel expenses.

“You either can’t make ends meet doing it or you’re making a completely insane amount of money,” says Blake Wexler, a New York stand-up comedian. Wexler has toured nationally and headlines across the US, but describes the reality of the touring life of a comic. “I’m getting bookings that if you told me even five years ago that I was getting them, I would be like, ‘Holy fucking shit, you’ve made it.’” 

Michael Cruz Kayne, a comic and late-night comedian who had a successful career writing for Colbert, says, “It’s a hustle. It’s a hard job to have unless you’re at the top. I know people who have bookings, 500,000 Instagram followers, clips that go viral, a tour, and then their booking agent is like, ‘Hey, in San Diego, you’re not selling tickets. In Minneapolis, you’re not selling any tickets.’ And it’s like, wait, if the people you think are crushing it are also struggling, then it’s tough.”

What Some Full-Time Comedians Actually Make

To understand what full-time comedy looks like, we invited several full-time comedians on Instagram to fill out an anonymous survey about the financial realities of their careers. Ten full-time comedians completed the survey about their careers and earnings; eight provided annual income information.

On average, these eight comedians make about $41,000 per year in comedy. However, this likely excludes costs like travel expenses, advertising, web hosting, venue costs, and health insurance. One comedian, however, mentioned a big jump coming up in his comedy income: “2023–2025 I made around 50–65k a year. This year on track to do about 120k.” Often, earnings can change dramatically and fluctuate month-by-month. 

To build on this look at making a living full-time in comedy, we're holding our first live Zoom panel event that will ask some full-time comedians how they make ends meet. We hope to see you there! Register below.

Register here.

  • New York Comedy Festival sets its 2026 Creators to Watch showcase, featuring 15 emerging comedy acts.

  • Punchup releases its weekly rankings of the most-followed comedians and most-watched comedy.

  • The Los Angeles Times looks at 800 Pound Gorilla as the independent comedy company marks a decade in business.

  • Comedy Central returns to hour-long stand-up specials with Chloe Radcliffe’s Eyes Down Here, premiering October 27.

  • Adam Conover discusses the cost of self-financing his YouTube special and whether frequent, short releases are a better model.

  • The Los Angeles Times profiles comedian and actor Katie Folger.

  • Kate Berlant joins Matt Grobar on Comedy Means Business. Watch here.

  • Jeff Arcuri discusses nearly abandoning his Netflix special.

  • Ryan Davis discusses building an independent comedy business after Netflix passed on his special.

  • Kelly Carlin-McCall discusses the renewed relevance of her father George Carlin’s televised-execution routine with Playboy.

  • Tyrone Burston shares his comedy submission this year: 26 total applications, with five acceptances, eight rejections and 13 pending.

  • Happy Valley Comedy partners with national club chain The Comedy Bar to open a new Park City location.

  • Larry David expresses regret about participating in Blake J. Harris’s new biography Emperor of Nothing: The Making of Larry David.

  • The Lincoln Lodge hosts a November 1 comedy and panel event in Chicago exploring how AI is changing comedy and education.

  • BET renews ComicView: Rooftop Series for a 20-episode second season, with Chris “CP” Powell returning as host and 60 comedians joining the lineup.

  • You Can See Everything tops the U.S. daily box office from 855 theaters, becoming the first film since Borat in 2006 to lead while playing in fewer than 1,000 locations.

  • Nick Kroll joins Prime Video’s U.S. adaptation of LOL: Last One Laughing as host and executive producer, overseeing a competition in which 10 comedians try to make one another laugh without breaking themselves.

  • Blake J. Harris reveals how Larry David and Jerry Seinfeld resist studio rewrites of the Seinfeld pilot in an excerpt from Emperor of Nothing: The Making of Larry David.

  • Jon Stewart extends his The Daily Show contract through December 2028.

  • Matt Friend launches The Friend Zone, a recurring comedy segment on Prime Video’s TNF Nightcap that brings sketches and impressions to the Thursday Night Football postgame show.

  • Maria Bamford is featured on Netflix in Paralyzed by Hope, a documentary from Judd Apatow and Neil Berkeley examining her mental-health journey and family relationships.

  • Chloe Troast discusses feeling relieved by her 2024 Saturday Night Live firing.

  • Matt Ruby shares his comedy writing process, from developing jokes to preparing material for a stand-up special.

  • Tyler Fowler shares “every penny” he made as a comedian in one weekend.

  • Barry Katz explains that succeeding in comedy requires both improving your craft and getting your name out.

Specials, Festivals, Shows, and Tours

  • Upcoming specials from Mandal (YouTube, October 25), Janine Harouni (YouTube, October 25), Ed Byrne (Gorilla Comedy+, October 26; YouTube, November 17), Zainab Johnson (Netflix, October 27), Charles Gould (YouTube, October 27), Colum Tyrrell (YouTube, October 28), Alex Velluto (YouTube, October 30), and Ron Funches (Gorilla Comedy+, November 2; YouTube, December 1). You can find links to previously-released specials here.

  • Ali Siddiq extends his tour into 2027.

  • Jimmy Carr announces a 2027–28 tour with 138 UK shows and 24 U.S. dates.

Festival Submissions (Full list here)

  • Vice City Comedy Festival • February 25–27, 2027 • Miami, Florida. Emerging and established comedians perform across multiple venues, with accepted performers expected to receive at least two sets. Submission fee: $35. Deadline: October 31. Submit here.

  • Winnipeg Comedy Festival • April 26–May 2, 2027 • Winnipeg, Manitoba. Comics with at least five years of stand-up experience can submit 8–10-minute TV-clean sets for themed television shows. Submission fee: Free. Deadline: October 31. Submit here.

  • LouddMouth Comedy Festival • April 1–4, 2027 • Temecula, California. Submission fee: unknown. Deadline: October 31. Submit here.

  • PlayGround Comedy Festival • March 12–April 4, 2027 • San Francisco, California. Selected performers or teams receive three public performances and 50/50 box office split. Submission fee: free, but $600 facility licensing fee. Deadline: October 31. Submit here.

  • West End Comedy Festival • March 5–7, 2027 • Atlanta, Georgia. At least two performances and shared hotel accommodations. Submission fee: $40. Deadline: November 1. Submit here.

  • Worldwide Puns opens submissions for its December 21 show at New York’s Caveat.

Comedy Jobs (Full list here)

Gigs and Auditions

That’s The Jokebook — your Sunday comedy update. Have something to share? Message us at [email protected]rg

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