If you’ve ever wondered about Father Chrismas’s earning potential, look no futher. Hourly pay rates for seasonal Santa vacancies have been found to range from £11.44 up to as much as £40, with the median standing at £15, according to findings by Incomes Data Research (IDR). Snow far, so good!
The pay and employment research organisation examined 36 adverts for festive Father Christmas roles and discovered that one theme park even offers retention bonuses of £250 to those who stay for the whole season. Sounds tree-mendous!
However, hourly pay rates for Santa’s elves are lower. IDR looked at a sample of 31 job adverts to find that these range from £11.44, with 26% of elves paid the statutory minimum, to £13.25. The median pay rate is £11.60, £3.40 less than the typical Father Christmas rate.
IDR’s analysis found that the use of youth rates for workers below the adult national living wage rate persist in the elf labour market, with just 23% paying lower rates to under-21s. The research suggests this could be due to limited youth rates for Father Christmas roles, with many organisations employing older candidates.
There’s myrrh: some employers have a senior or head elf helping to ensure a grotto runs smoothly by overseeing a team of elves, giving daily elf briefings, topping up presents and organising breaks. The median rate for this role is £14, producing a senior elf supervisory premium of £2.40 when compared with the median rate for regular elves.
Katherine Heffernan, principal researcher at IDR, said: “We found that the skills and attributes recruiters are looking for in Father Christmas ranged widely but there are certain common themes. While a handful of employers are looking for experienced or trained actors or drama students, many more emphasise qualities such as enthusiasm and the ability to ad lib, build rapport, and create a welcoming atmosphere.”
