The best answer we can find, and how we found it.
We’re an independent reference for people who work events and the people who hire them. Every page starts with a question someone asked us. We answer it with the strongest evidence we can get, from our own data or from research done elsewhere, and we show you where each figure came from.
How we research
We use two kinds of evidence. Where we have the data ourselves, we publish it. Where someone else has done better work, we find it, check it and credit it.
- Our own research
Shift listings, surveys and the Pulse
Shift listings and pay posted on the site, surveys of crews and agencies, and the quarterly Pulse report. We publish sample sizes and date ranges with every figure.
- Research we find
Official data and studies with a method
Government labor data, state licensing boards, peer-reviewed studies, trade associations and industry reports that publish how they got their numbers.
Unsourced listicles, vendor claims with no data behind them, and AI-written summaries. If a figure can’t be traced back to where it started, we leave it out.
- Primary dataNumbers we collected ourselves, or official records from government agencies and licensing boards.
- Peer-reviewed and official researchAcademic studies and reports from public bodies, with methods you can check.
- Industry research with a stated methodTrade association and analyst reports that publish sample sizes and how they got their numbers.
- Reputable trade pressReporting from outlets with named reporters and a corrections policy.
- People who do the workInterviews with crews, leads, planners and agency owners, named wherever they agree to it.
Editorial standards
Independent
Agencies pay to list. They can’t pay for coverage, rankings or reviews, and sales staff never see a story before it runs.
Reviewed by people who work events
Every guide is checked by someone who has done the job it describes. Their name and review date are on the page.
Dated and re-checked
Pay pages are re-checked every quarter. Pages on rules and licensing are re-checked whenever the rule changes.
Show the working
Every figure links to its source. If a number is our estimate, we say so and explain how we got it.
Plain language
We write for someone reading on a break between shifts. Short sentences, no jargon without a definition.
How we use AI
We use software to help research, draft and check pages. A named editor is responsible for every page, and nothing is published unread.
How we calculate pay
Every pay figure on the site, from job listings to the Pulse, comes out of the same process.
- CollectEvery shift listed on eventstaffing.com, plus pay reported in our crew surveys.
- CleanRemove duplicates and reposts, and drop listings with no clear rate or location.
- Convert to hourlyDay rates and flat fees are converted to an hourly rate. Tips are counted only when they’re guaranteed.
- Use mediansWe report the middle rate, not the average, so a few very high or low listings don’t skew the number.
- Set a minimum sampleWe only publish a role-and-city figure when it comes from at least 30 shifts.
- Update on a scheduleListing pay refreshes monthly. The Pulse report publishes each quarter with its full dataset.
Corrections
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How we make money, and the rules that come with it
Agencies pay to list and post jobs. Brands can sponsor newsletters and tools. Paid placements are labelled every time, never appear inside articles, and nobody can buy coverage, a ranking or a review.