Getting Your First Paid Stand-up Comedy Gig

How to Get Your First Paid Stand-Up Comedy Gig

Some folks come to this blog with this question:

How do I get my first paid stand-up comedy gig?

Performing as a stand-up comedian is a very thrilling adventure once a person is able to generate significant laughs on a consistent basis.

But getting paid to perform is awesome as well.

The General Path to Your First Paid Gig

As a general rule, here’s how many comedians get their first paid performance:

Most new comedians start out at comedy open mic nights hosted at local comedy clubs, coffee shops, or other venues.

Once an open mic night comedian starts killing audiences with consistency, they are usually afforded more stage time (both in length and frequency).

When it becomes apparent that the open mic comedian has enough solid stand-up comedy material to open or emcee a show (usually 10-15 minutes), they can be asked by the comedy club manager or owner to fill an opening act spot.

Usually, that opening act spot can be for a single show or a series of shows during the week, again to see if the new comedian can do well with consistency.

Then if that pans out…

The next step can be getting booked as the opening act/emcee for a paid weekend performance that will usually include a seasoned feature act and a headliner.

What I have described is just one way that comedians can land their first paying gig.

Exploring Other Opportunities

As they progress in their stand-up comedy career, many comedians will set up independent comedy shows outside the comedy club scene. These shows are generally referred to as one-nighters and can take place in bars, hotel lounges, or local restaurants.

So another way that new comedians may get their first real stand-up comedy gig, beyond the comedy open mic scene, is to get the attention of another comedian who is booking an independent stand-up comedy show, then get asked to perform in that show.

I have known comedians who got their first paying stand-up comedy gig as a result of participation in a comedy competition or talent show.

For those folks who can develop and deliver a clean and/or family-friendly stand-up comedy act that kills audiences, there are many more paid gig opportunities available outside the comedy club scene, as identified in the Corporate Comedy Secrets module in the Killer Stand-up Online Course.

As a matter of fact, one of my students figured out how to work with a small team of other new comedians who worked clean in order for them all to get paid for performing right from the get-go.

The Key to Getting Paid Gigs

The most important thing to know about getting your first stand-up comedy gig is this:

The faster you are able to generate big laughs with your stand-up comedy on a consistent basis, the faster gig opportunities outside the open mic scene will come to you.

Specifically, I am talking about generating an average of 4-6+ quality laughs every performing minute. When that happens, it automatically draws the attention of those who are in a position to either hire comedians (talent buyers, promoters) or help comedians get hired (agents).

While your first paid stand-up comedy gigs won’t usually pay much, it’s still a very big deal when you consider that many who pursue stand-up never develop an act that will result in a paying gig—even after years of trying to develop and deliver a stand-up comedy act that will generate laughs.

And as soon as you are getting paid to perform as a comedian, you move from “amateur” comedian status to professional comedian status.

There is only one other thing I can think of that beats the thrill and excitement of causing an audience to laugh loud and often, and that’s getting paid to do it!

My First Paid Gigs

Here’s how I got my first paid stand-up comedy gigs:

I started stand-up comedy early in 1992. By October 1992, I had decided to quit because I couldn’t get anywhere near the laughs I needed to make any sort of headway.

In November 1992, I discovered my system, threw away almost all my old jokes, and basically started over to develop a stand-up comedy routine that would get the level of laughter I needed to get noticed.

In April 1993, I won a stand-up comedy competition. The big prize for winning was getting 10 minutes (no pay) to perform at the Improv in San Diego, which I did in early June—and I nailed it.

What I didn’t know was that there was a show promoter at the comedy competition who also attended my first Improv performance.

Once he saw that the laughs I had generated at the comedy competition weren’t some sort of fluke, I was booked to open for a rising comedian at the time named Dennis Wolfberg in July of that same year.

I received $100 for that 10-minute opening act gig (with 700 people in attendance), and my professional comedy career was officially started.

From July 1993 to January 1994 (when they closed), I was able to perform a 15-minute guest spot after the opener once a month (no pay).

But because of that, I was able to get paid opener work, then feature work at the other comedy clubs in my home area.

Within a year of getting that first paid gig, I also started headlining at multiple local one-nighters and getting opportunities for corporate work because I had a clean act.

The Path to Success

All I know beyond a shadow of a doubt is this:

The faster that any comedian is able to slay audiences consistently, the faster they will draw attention for paid gig opportunities. That is not hyperbole.

If you can’t deliver big laughs consistently, you are in for a very long wait for fortune, much less fame.