How Much Does a Magician Cost?

I’ve seen this topic discussed online…and often VERY incorrectly.

When someone asks, “How much do you charge for a show?” that’s about as broad of a question as walking into a dealership and asking, “How much do you charge for a car?” The cost of magician services depend on a wide variety of factors. After more than 20 years and thousands of events, my question to you would be…What’s more important to you: quality or budget?

Because “going rate” doesn’t mean quality. It just means the average. The going rate for magicians is often extremely low, which is really unfortunate. It’s not a guarantee that, “you get what you pay for,” but in most cases, the worst magicians I’ve seen charge the least.

Types of Shows

Not all shows are created equal.

A children’s birthday party, corporate event, and a theater show, corporate events are all very different experience.

And often times, these shows aren’t just “pulled off the rack.” There’s customization. Shows that are customized to deliver your company’s message or a personalized corporate morale booster are going to have a different price tag. A children’s show might include gift bags for the kids, or a special gift for the birthday child.

Just like trade shows or large events may include giveaways to increase the level of impact. Details like that can affect price.

Factors of Price

Like any business, magicians will have rates based on numerous scenarios.

Date/Time

High demand times simply cost more.

April through June is corporate conference season which are consistently booked. October through December is holiday party season which are slammed. Weekends are my busiest time of the week, and evenings are my busiest time of day.

A Saturday night in December is going to be way more in demand than a Wednesday morning in July.

Location

Local vs travel makes a big difference.

Fight, hotel, and rental car are always factored in on cost. If it’s within a few hours drive, it’s local for me. For example, anytime a client contacts us looking for a magician in Raleigh, NC, 90% of the time, all of my travel can be done same day in a car. Flying there would take just as long, dealing with airports.

Length of Performance

This one is more of a ‘per magician’ or case by case basis.

In some cases, there’s no difference between a 1-hour or 3-hour performance, especially for high-demand dates.

Who Are You Hiring?

Get this now…”professional” doesn’t just mean someone who gets paid.

How do they handle everything? Communication, guidance, suggestions, and most importantly, making your job easier?

When they’re at your event, you need to have instant confirmation that they were the right choice. I spoke to a couple who saw a magician at their friend’s wedding and he literally embarrassed the maid of honor so much that it made her cry. Imagine being the person that did the hiring.

How can you tell who the professionals are?

A recommendation from someone you trust is always a good start. From there, read reviews! But don’t just read reviews from the magician’s website…they approve every one of those. Instead, type their name and the word “magician” on Google. Local magicians will likely have Google reviews. Look for consistency in feedback. Also, do they have experience with your type of event? That’s your cheat sheet.

So How Much Does a Magician Cost?

Here’s what you came here for.

These are roughly middle of the road fees for a quality magician in a local market. I’m a Charlotte, NC magician and have found these prices to be almost middle of the road for entire US, in many cases. But again…quality magician. Not celebrity status or bargain pricing…just an experienced, quality magician. I do not take that term lightly and you shouldn’t either. You literally can make or break and entire event from the entertainment you hire.

And whether these prices make sense to you or you’re completely shocked by them, just know that after 20 years of meeting hundreds of magicians of the widest range of quality you could possibly imagine, there’s not one I recommend in any of these categories, that’s not either in the budget range or significantly higher.

Children’s Parties

For a quality magician at a children’s party, you should expect to pay no less than $500-$750. And, depending on what the magician provides (gift bags, special gift for the birthday child, etc.), it can be more. Remember that what a magician says and does in front of children is just as important than at adult events, if not more so.

Private House Parties (Adult)

This is specifically for adults, possibly even family events. For a quality magician, your budget should be minimally $1000+ and I would be more inclined to recommend at least $1500.

Corporate Events

Small, company parties of less than 30 people typically start at $1500+. These are usually done in a house, an office, or private event room at a restaurant. However, with a much larger group that involves a stage, sound system, lighting, etc., you should expect to pay $2500-$5000+. If you’re planning to book a corporate magician that isn’t local to your event, you can expect to pay upwards of $7500 for a good one.

Strolling Magician

For a close-up, strolling magician, some performers will charge an hourly rate, while others do an all inclusive fee per event. These rates vary to the point that it’s difficult to even give an educated guess. For 2 hours, think in terms of at least $1500-$2000, which can easily go up to several thousand depending on the quality of the performer.

Side, note, if you’re booking a wedding magician, you might want to read specifics on what I recommend. I wrote a whole article on having a magician at a wedding that might really help you.

Trade Show Magician

This is where you can get some of your biggest variation, so it almost doesn’t make sense to go down this road. I’ve seen $2000 for a half day to well over $15,000 for a full day.

Remember…

What you’re seeing here is what I consider middle of the road cost for local, quality magicians. It’s very easy to find ones with much lower fees. In fact, it’s significantly harder to find one with fees at the level I just gave you.

If a magician has a much lower fee, there’s a reason. And it’s usually not a reason you want to discover after you’ve hired them. In the same way, if you find someone that’s significantly higher in price, there’s a reason for that too. It usually means they are top notch in every category. I’ve learned that if people want quality, and budget is not a factor, they’ll pay top dollar. People don’t fly first class because it’s the lowest price ticket. First class is an experience they want…in other words, flying coach is an experience they don’t want.

Are they just a magician?

I only briefly include this because I had a client look for a magician in Myrtle Beach, SC. After several discussions, she not only booked me to perform my one hour show, she also booked me to emcee their corporate event. The performer really may bring big value to the table in other ways. This likely will always affect price!

Why Bring in a Magician?

Think of the extras you’re having at your event. How many of those things are easily accessible outside of your few hour get together? If you’re near a big city, people can have a meal, go to a bar, see a live band, and listen to a DJ probably multiple locations a night. But in my case, how many can see a magician in Charlotte NC that’s won a national TV show twice? Same with seeing a magician in Raleigh, or any other city. When you bring in a good magician, you’re giving your attendees an opportunity to see something they almost never get to see.

Bottom Line

The bottom line…stay away from the bottom line. If your budget is not going accommodate a professional, then don’t book an amateur. There’s nothing worse than having a tight budget and spending it all on disappointment. If your primary focus is budget, then you likely won’t see quality.