Gig Pay Calculator

About This Tool

The Gig Pay Calculator turns the messy math of band splits into clear take-home numbers. Cover bands, wedding bands, function bands, and tribute acts all share the same fundamental challenge: the gross gig fee looks great on paper, but after agent commissions, gas, gear hauling, PA rental, and self-employment tax, what each member actually takes home is dramatically smaller. This tool shows you exactly where the money goes.

The Working Musician's Reality

A typical 4-piece wedding band booking $1,500 for a 6-hour gig keeps about $1,275 after a 15% agent commission. Subtract $80 for gas (everyone driving to the venue), $50 for gear haul/PA rental, and you're at $1,145 to split four ways = $286 per player. After 25-30% self-employment tax, each player keeps about $200. Effective hourly rate over the 6-hour gig: $33/hour. That sounds fine until you remember the 2-hour load-in, the 1-hour load-out, the rehearsal time, and the years of practice that got you hireable.

What to Charge for a Gig

Working bands quote based on what they need to net per player. If your band has 4 members and each wants $300 take-home pre-tax for a 6-hour wedding, work backward: $1,200 net to band. Add 15% agent commission ($180), $80 gas, $50 PA rental — that's $1,510 gross. Round to $1,500 or $1,600 for negotiation room. The wedding venue might balk at first; high-quality wedding bands routinely book $2,500-$5,000 because clients value reliability and song selection.

Splitting Fairly

Most bands split equally per member. Variations: (1) the leader takes a small bonus ($50-100) to compensate for booking, communication, and admin work; (2) the songwriter or principal performer takes a slightly larger share if they bring the audience; (3) sidemen are paid a flat rate per gig regardless of attendance. Document your split agreement in writing — verbal deals create resentment when the band books a high-paying gig and one member feels under-compensated.

Track Every Cost for Taxes

Gigging musicians in the US file as self-employed, paying both income tax and 15.3% self-employment tax on Schedule SE. Every legitimate expense reduces taxable income: gas (mileage at IRS rate $0.67/mile in 2026), tolls, parking, instrument repair, replacement strings, gear purchases (often deductible immediately under Section 179), home studio space (if you have a dedicated room), studio rental, music software subscriptions, lessons you take, business cards, websites. Track everything. A musician netting $20,000 in gigs might owe only $2,000 in taxes after deductions versus $5,000 with no deductions.

The Math of Going Pro

Many working musicians live on a hybrid income: gigs for cash flow, teaching for steady money, recording for variety, online content for slow-burning long-tail revenue. A $200/gig take-home five nights a week is $52,000/year before tax — solid for a single person in a low cost-of-living area, lean elsewhere. Adding $30/hour private lessons for 15 hours/week adds another $23,000/year. Recording 1-2 paid sessions per month at $150-300 each adds another $3,000-7,000. The aggregation is how working musicians make it work.

Pair With Other Tools

Use our Music Royalty Calculator to estimate streaming income, the Decibel Distance Calculator for live sound coverage, the Speaker Impedance Calculator for PA rig math, the Tap Tempo BPM for songwriting, the Chord Progression Builder for set-building, or the Key Signature Finderfor transposing songs to your singer's range.