Insure.com calculates the “value of Santa” based on analysis of wage data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics each year. This year it shows Santa should be earning $146,309 – a 2% increase from last year.
Out of the 15 jobs which make up Santa’s wage, 12 experienced some wage growth, with six jobs seeing growth of 3% or higher. Santa’s wage didn’t grow as much as the average US worker, who received a 3.1% increase, however, Santa’s salary is well above the national annual of $48,099.
Their survey also indicated that people are very divided as to how much Santa should earn:
- 18% think Santa should earn more than $300,001
- 17% think he should make between $50,001 and $75,000
- 14% chose $75,001-$100,000
- 13% feel Santa should be paid $100,001-$150,000
- 12% selected $25,001-$50,000
- 8% believe Santa should not receive any salary
- 7% selected Santa’s current range of $150,001-$200,000
- 7% reported Santa should earn less than $25,000
- 4% chose a range of $200,001-$300,000
“The high percentage of respondents that chose the highest salary range really seem to value the idea of Santa’s work – not just the transaction of a doing a job for pay,” said Penny Gusner, Consumer Analyst for Insure.com. “The 8 percent who said that Santa should not get a salary said so because his work comes from a place of charity and love, and therefore should be considered volunteering.”