LearnGospelMusic.com Community
Gospel Instruments => Bass Guitar => Topic started by: rdl#1 on January 02, 2008, 12:47:12 PM
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I would like to knowthe pay scales for church musician, bass,organ,piano, drums and
guitar also the mim.of music. is the pay stander or do church over see the
pay for all musicians.
rdl#1 ?/?
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The pay varies by church and position. I am a bass player who receives $100 per month.
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I think it all depends on your skill level, some folk feel like they shouldn't get compenstated for their service, I feel you should get paid your worth. There is rehearsals, sometimes musicians rehearsal, not to mention wear and tear on your equipment. Sometimes I will sign my check over to the church as part as my offering.
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I think it all depends on your skill level, some folk feel like they shouldn't get compenstated for their service, I feel you should get paid your worth. There is rehearsals, sometimes musicians rehearsal, not to mention wear and tear on your equipment. Sometimes I will sign my check over to the church as part as my offering.
Agreed..
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Funny that this has come up again...anyway as I mentioned on another thread our church has musicians that are paid staff and then volunteers (bass, guitar, congos) are not paid. Well, over the holidays my MOM met with the volunteers and said that they had made provisions to pay the volunteers $50 per service. We have two bass and two lead guitar players so whoever plays gets the money for that service which we all felt was fair. We are going go be basically on a contract basis. Right now we have one service since we moved into our new church facility a few years ago. We used to have an 8am and 11am service. Our pastor said we will probably be going back to 2 services in March when Easter( Resurrection Sunday) comes.
On 1st sunday the mass choir sings both services and on the other sundays the male, women, youth will do a service and then the praise and workship team will do the other service.
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i beleive for large churches the average is around $300 per sunday for the head musicians director, the rest of the musicians, probably tips, not sure... but i believe that's around the norm in Dallas. Smaller to medium size churches, a good ole' pat on the back or a God Bless.
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It also depends on demographics, back in NY I would receive $350.00 a month for my ministry, but then I decided to stop accepting payment for what really belongs to God anyway. I understand those who do get paid as it is allot of work and sacrifice, but for me and I'm only speaking for me, I choose not to.
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The MOM at my church is Full Time so that is his day to day job at the church so he gets a full time salary, housing allowance and full benefits along with the other full time staff which is the youth pastor, childrens minister, and senior associate pastor. The other musicans get a salary each month and have some benefits as well. As stated before it depends on where you are geographically, the size of your church and a few other factors.
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i wonder if you have to pay taxes too?
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i wonder if you have to pay taxes too?
I'll be able to tell you in a few weeks. I've been receiving compensation from my church since November 2006, so they may hand me a W-2. I had to complete a deductions form for them.
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?/?
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They have workshops at the Gospel Music Workshop of America on musician compensation.
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i wonder if you have to pay taxes too?
As the church treasurer "Yes" taxes should be deducted from the check for IRS, Social security, and city and /or state taxes. This is required by law for anyone under employment by any organization. This includes for profit and non profit organizations.
Rob
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If you regularly receive a compensation, you can create a company and then write off any music-related purchases. You can reap some nice tax benefits when you purchase a new bass, get a setup, buy strings or other equipment.
There are different ways to do it, and the easiest would probably be to set up a sole proprietorship. Another way to do it is to set up an LLC. I'm actually thinking about doing this myself. If anyone is interested more into this, then feel free to ask me.
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I can assure you that taxes were taken from the pay I received and I had to report that extra income at the end of the year. Uncle SAM is like air, he's every where.
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As the church treasurer "Yes" taxes should be deducted from the check for IRS, Social security, and city and /or state taxes. This is required by law for anyone under employment by any organization. This includes for profit and non profit organizations.
Rob
....unless the are independent contractors.
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Then the independent contractor is required to complete a W9 form to the church for submission to the IRS when the end of the year taxes are filled. :)
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Saturday:
I received a call to replace a Bass player who had an emergeny.
We agreed on a payment of $100. At the end of the program I
got a handshake and no money.
Monday:
That Monday I played at a Watch Night Service. I played from 8:30
to Mid-night. Played about 10 songs and the agreed amount was $150
at the end of service I received a check for $50.
So I have implemented a policy of money up front.
My father taught me that your word is all you have. If your word can not be trusted, You are nothing.
Does anyone else receive money up from. And before you ask , these are medium to large
Churches.
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After being treated like that you have no choice but set a prerequisite for payment up front, and I know they had to be "Black Churches' it's sad but true we just don't do our own people right!
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If you regularly receive a compensation, you can create a company and then write off any music-related purchases. You can reap some nice tax benefits when you purchase a new bass, get a setup, buy strings or other equipment.
There are different ways to do it, and the easiest would probably be to set up a sole proprietorship. Another way to do it is to set up an LLC. I'm actually thinking about doing this myself. If anyone is interested more into this, then feel free to ask me.
Hey BimmerFan, I would like to know more about this. Hit me up when you can.
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If you regularly receive a compensation, you can create a company and then write off any music-related purchases. You can reap some nice tax benefits when you purchase a new bass, get a setup, buy strings or other equipment.
There are different ways to do it, and the easiest would probably be to set up a sole proprietorship. Another way to do it is to set up an LLC. I'm actually thinking about doing this myself. If anyone is interested more into this, then feel free to ask me.
Right.
I suggest talking to an accountant, but you can deduct alot of things if your a company. LLC's typically pay taxes on what they have left after business expenses a paid. Some possible deductions, Gas money to church, gear, training resources, magazine subscriptions, lessons, if you have an area designated for recording or practice in your home, a portion of rent or mortgage. Again I suggest talking to an accountant.
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Right.
I suggest talking to an accountant, but you can deduct alot of things if your a company. LLC's typically pay taxes on what they have left after business expenses a paid. Some possible deductions, Gas money to church, gear, training resources, magazine subscriptions, lessons, if you have an area designated for recording or practice in your home, a portion of rent or mortgage. Again I suggest talking to an accountant.
Indeed. I also suggest doing some reading and research so you have an idea of what you have an idea (for your own good) what you're getting into. Nolo (http://www.nolo.com/) makes some reputable books on all sorts of legal topics, including starting your own company.
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Im an on staff bassist at a church here in town. I also play bass for (my church). I accept no payment for playing at (my) church. Now the other church here in town that does the tv thing, I get $600 a mth after taxes. They do keep the books on taxes and pay the taxes for me and I get a W2 at the end of the year. They basically offered me $600 after taxes & they put with $600 what it took to cover taxes. My feelings are that I wouldnt except a dime for playing at (my) church. Now if another outside of (my) church wants me to play at theirs & it doenst interfere with (my) church....then i'll play, but then the pay comes in. For example: (My) church has services thurs nite and sunday at 4pm......The other church I play at has church on Weds nite and sunday morning. I'm also an insurance agent for AAA (mon-fri) so im a busy man. I feel I have came to a point and need to get to the next level in playing bass. I hope this site can help. I really like the idea of this site......
aj
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Welcome to LGM Fusioncirrus3 :D
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I get an equivalent of $170 per month.I double as MOM.So you might wanna say it's small.
But the church has been a source of tremendous blessings to me.So the money doesn't matter
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Fusioncirrus3 welcome.
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Here's my thing...
I played for almost 3-4 years without getting paid. So I don't look for money when I played for different churches. The church that I'm at now pays me regularly. If a church wants to pay their musicians, I think that it's fine.
If you are not a full time musician, meaning you don't be at EVERY service and rehearsal, then you shouldn't try to negotiate the pay.
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For me.... nothing! get a £5- £10 every few months which is about $10- $20, and its classed as more of a love offering...
I tell u if we (my church musicians) were getting paid... i 4 sure wudn't be struggling with student life! lol.
But i've never questioned it... cos no musician has ever got paid in our UK branches (can't speak for the others, cos i dnt no)... and we all grew as musicians not being paid but getting love offerings... But the fact that i don't get paid doesn't interfere with my purpose to minister or the enjoyment i get from church.... but it would be nice to get paid! lol :D
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Hello LGM fam, I'm in a sense a new, just been laying back reading, learning studying you all. msgs, you tubes absorbing all the knowledge. I grew playing the drums in my church & then switched to the bass & they have yet paid us for it. And honestly hav' nt looked for anything.
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Hello LGM fam, I'm in a sense a new, just been laying back reading, learning studying you all. msgs, you tubes absorbing all the knowledge. I grew playing the drums in my church & then switched to the bass & they have yet paid us for it. And honestly hav' nt looked for anything.
Welcome to the Board Rock1ent
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Hi I have been playing now 11 years I have crossed many preachers who think I ought to play for nothing because they state the fact the my gift does not belong to me. I tell preachers now that I have never been paid over a certain amount and above a certain amount. I have two kids; 2yrs and 10months. I used to feel bad taking money at first but now I realize that I am a Ministering gift and it deserves a love gift just like the preacher. Us Musicians give out alot each service and I agree that there has to be some kind of compensation. I was in a service where I was paid maybe 10 a week. But I know now what i am worth and what my kids are worth. This is what God gave me to make room for me. Nobody else can make me feel like I dont deserve to be paid or that I am taking atvantage of his people because God gave me this as my bread winner. God Bless you all in your ministries.
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My brother if playing Bass is your means of supporting your family then by all means do what you need to, but with that said ensure you give God back what is his meaning 10% of what ever you gross from your labor. For me I prefer not to be paid as I love to worship without the constraints of playing every week. sometimes I want to sit in the seat next to my wife and just be feed by the word coming forth. If I'm on the payroll its expected of me to play each week. But again different strokes for different folks just remember it must be about his glory because if we believe he will supply our needs.
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If you regularly receive a compensation, you can create a company and then write off any music-related purchases. You can reap some nice tax benefits when you purchase a new bass, get a setup, buy strings or other equipment.
There are different ways to do it, and the easiest would probably be to set up a sole proprietorship. Another way to do it is to set up an LLC. I'm actually thinking about doing this myself. If anyone is interested more into this, then feel free to ask me.
I would like to know more also
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At my church I been blessed by a $50 stipend, a week, but that is for any rehearsals, any programs, and 2 services a Sunday, and I make sure to get back to God what is his anyway
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Man, Ive made almost every type of money playing at a church. I started off making $75.00 a week when I 1st started playing when I was about 13, then when I was about 16, I was making $50.00 at another church,in between being on the road and stuff but the band was WAY better. Then went from that to making $125 per week at my home church. Left there bout two or three years ago, started making $200 at an even smaller church. Then I left there and stopped playin at church all together to hit the road. For the last year, Ive been making a minimum of $1000.00 a week @ church. God has truely brought me a long way. But Im soon to hit the road again, so thats about to end too. The pay scales differ, your resume means alot, and the size of the church.
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Fusioncirrus3 and Rocklent, welcome, a lot of good conversation and advice on this site
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I bought my bass for the soul purpose of playing at my church. I also play at any other church whenever I get the chance. I've never asked for a dime, but my church decided to give me (and the other musicians) a love offering for playing. The amount is small, but I don't worry about that because I'm not trying to pay bills with my bass. I have a job for that. I play for the glory of God and wouldn't trade it for anything.
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Well.......my Pops is da pastor and my mamas the MD so boi I wudnt get nuthn!!! lol