How much do mall Santas make? Mall Santas are paid an hourly rate for the holiday season, set by the photo company that runs the Santa set and listed on each job posting; it varies by city and experience. To become a mall Santa you apply to the photo company that runs the Santa set, not to the mall. Cherry Hill Programs, which runs seasonal photo experiences at 500+ locations across North America, posts its Santa jobs on its own careers page; staffing services such as HireSanta and local photo studios fill the rest. The job is hourly and seasonal, and the rate is printed on the posting.
Below: how the pay is set, the five steps to your first shift, how long the season runs, and who is hiring now.
How much do mall Santas make?
The mall photo company sets the rate, and it is an hourly, seasonal wage. It changes from one company to the next, from city to city, and with how many seasons you have worked. There is no industry rate, so a number you see online is one company's offer in one place, often from a past year.
The rate that matters is the one on the posting you apply to. Cherry Hill lists each Santa role for a specific venue on its careers page, so you can compare postings before you apply. HireSanta's Santa Jobs page promises "competitive wages", says clients pay HireSanta up front and HireSanta pays the Santa directly, and encourages clients to tip their Santa.
Before you accept, check three things on the posting or in the interview: the hourly rate, whether tips or bonuses are allowed, and how many hours a week the schedule gives you. A good rate on a thin schedule can earn less over the holiday season than a lower rate with full days. Compare it with other seasonal event shifts in your city.
How do you become a mall Santa?
Five steps, in the order they happen. Most of them run through one careers page, and the whole process takes a few weeks from application to your first shift.
- 1Apply to a mall photo company in late summer or early fall
- 2Clear the background check
- 3Sort out the suit and the beard
- 4Do the audition or interview
- 5Train, if you want to
Apply to a mall photo company in late summer or early fall
Time · 20–30 minutes per applicationCost · FreeGo to the careers page of a company that runs Santa sets and filter for Santa. Cherry Hill's careers page has a Santa filter, and on November 2, 2026 it listed a Seasonal Santa Performer posting for a specific mall, so roles are open as the season starts. HireSanta adds you to its Santa database through a form, at no cost. Apply early: sets are cast before the season opens, and late applications usually fill gaps.
Clear the background check
Time · A few days to two weeksYou will spend every shift with children, so expect a background check as part of the hiring process. The posting or the recruiter tells you what the company runs and when; it usually happens after an offer and before your first shift. Have your ID and work authorization ready, and answer the consent form honestly.
Sort out the suit and the beard
You do not need a real beard. Cherry Hill's Santa role description says "natural and synthetic beards", so a well-made synthetic beard and wig are accepted. Ask whether the company supplies the suit, gloves and boots or expects you to bring your own, and whether it wants a particular look (traditional red velvet, for example). Keep everything clean; a set photographs thousands of children.
Do the audition or interview
Expect a short interview, in person or on video, and sometimes a reading or a few minutes in character. The company is checking your voice, how you talk to a nervous four-year-old, and whether you stay patient on a long day. HireSanta's form asks for your "Santa experience", so list every past set, party or parade, even unpaid ones.
Train, if you want to
Cost · Free to $397 a year for online trainingTraining is optional for the postings we opened, but two well-known options exist. The Charles W. Howard Santa Claus School in Midland, Michigan, a non-profit established in 1937, next meets October 7–9, 2027. The Worldwide Santa Claus Network runs an online program with a module on being Santa in malls and retail stores; membership runs $37 to $397 a year.
How long do mall Santas work?
It is a seasonal job that runs through the holiday season, and the posting lists the start date, the end date and the weekly schedule. None of the pages we opened publishes fixed season dates, because they differ by mall, so treat the posting as the source.
Shifts follow mall hours. Weekends and the last days before Christmas are the busiest, and larger sets split the day between more than one Santa so each can take breaks. HireSanta's form separates full-season work (local, or willing to travel) from local gig work and virtual visits, which tells you the range: some Santas work a whole season at one set, others take single bookings.
If you want work outside the season, the same companies hire year-round at attractions and for Easter sets, and event shifts run all year. Our guide to event jobs for college students covers how to stack seasonal work around a schedule.
Who hires mall Santas?
Three kinds of employers, and the first one is by far the largest. Apply to more than one; the sets are cast separately.
- Cherry Hill Programs
Runs seasonal Santa and Easter Bunny photo experiences at 500+ locations across North America and says it hires 5,000+ seasonal roles a year across 35 states and provinces. Its careers page has a Santa filter; postings are listed per mall, and the US and Canada are both covered.
- HireSanta
A staffing service that lists mall Santa staffing for retail holiday programs among its services. You join its Santa database free through the Santa Jobs form, clients book through HireSanta, and HireSanta pays you directly.
- Local malls and photo studios
Smaller malls and some outlet centers contract a regional photo studio or run the set themselves. These jobs are posted on the studio's own site or on the mall's page, so search the mall's name with "Santa" and apply through the posting, where the pay and schedule are listed.
Whichever route you take, the posting is your contract: it names the mall, the dates, the schedule and the rate. Read it twice, then apply. For other holiday-season work, browse open event shifts by city.