Shoutcasting is one of the very important aspects of eSports and it’s slowly grown to a level where watching gamers tussle it out without commentary would be almost incomprehensible. The role of a shoutcaster is an old one but has grown quite quickly in recent times and one of the questions often asked is how much money do shoutcasters make? We have a look at multiple aspects associated with a shoutcasters’ salary and how much they earn.
If you are an eSports noob, it would be worth understanding who is a shoutcaster (here) for starters. You can also check out our beginner tips on how to start out and improve as a shoutcaster here.
While the short definition of a shoutcaster is an eSports commentator, there’s an in-depth explanation of some of the history of the name itself, what is the exact job requirement and a brief on how to become a shoutcaster in the aforementioned piece.
There is also a small section towards the end of that article which gives a rough estimate about how much a shoutcaster earns, so that should be enough to give you a basic idea. However, if you want to drill into the specifics, would be good to read what follows.
Once you have a fair idea about this, let’s move on to how much do eSports shoutcasters make.
For starters, please note, we are still in the early stages of a burgeoning industry.
While it’s a lot easier to understand how much money is an eSports gamer is making because of the announcement of the prize money and sponsorship awards, not a lot of information is available about some of the other professions around eSports. Like shoutcasting.
The other aspect about this is the money on offer is highly variable depending on where the shoutcaster is from or the company which is hiring from, or even the game which needs shoutcasting.
What we have done is spoken to a few of the shoutcasters, some of whom didn’t want to be named, to get a fair idea about their salaries. We have also spoken to companies which hire shoutcasters to get an idea about how much they offer as well.
If you are looking at a quick answer to this, check the table below to get a basic overview of an eSports shoutcaster’s earning. If you want to understand in-depth about these figures, go on and read about how we arrived at these figures.
So, how much do eSports Shoutcasters earn?
| Level | Salary |
|---|---|
| Beginners | • Unpaid • Freebies (but no pay) • Commission-based • Pay up to $4/hour |
| Medium-Level Experience | • Freelancers up to $10/hour • Full-time earning of $25,000/year |
| High-Level Experience | • Freelancers up to $600/day • Full-time earning of $75,000/year |
| Creme De La Creme | Easy six-figure dollar mark per year |
The above table gives us a rough estimate of an eSports caster’s earning at different stages of his/her career. Here’s a deeper explanation on the shoutcasters’ salaries.
Table of Contents
Entry Level Shoutcasters Salary
eSports has reached a stage where the need for shoutcasters has increased drastically but at the same time the supply has also improved.
Former eSports players, who want to remain associated with the industry take up the role of shoutcasters to give back to the community they were once a part of, as well as to be a part of it.
Unpaid Roles
Many of the entry-level jobs associated with shoutcasting are unpaid.
There are also those who want to become associated with eSports, love the thrill of shoutcasting but are just starting out and want to build their profiles. As a result, we have come across companies who offer no pay and potential shoutcasters who are happy to work without pay as well.
Check the following eSports job out for example. An unpaid, absolutely volunteer requirement with the only takeaway being a chance to experience shoutcasting and get some following if one is good.
Freebie Offers
This is another way companies try to lure beginner-level casters and that’s by offering them discounts and promotional codes to their stores. Or as the following job offer says, “vouchers on our stores to give away as raffles and giveaways”.
Commission-Based
This is another form of unpaid shoutcasting role but at least you stand to earn something if the company earns out of the entire package.
However, the role of the shoutcaster might not be restricted to just that. Some of the companies would need people who have solid connections in the industry, thereby offering not just a role in shoutcasting but also promotion of the entire package.
For instance, in the role mentioned below, a shoutcaster has been offered 25% commission for promoting the company and the competition to “promote Oz to others within the space. This could include, but is not limited to: Players, streamers, content creators, and influencers.”
Hourly Contractual Rates
Very few companies offer some sort of a monetary remuneration to beginner eSports commentators. Freelancers are typically offered per hour salaries, and depending on where they are hiring, this could start off at as low as $4/hour.
Anything higher than this is usually meant for those with some sort of experience in either shoutcasting itself or being gamers of some repute.
Medium-Level Experienced Shoutcasters Salary
Typically, after you have shoutcasted for some time for other companies or for your own channel on Twitter or Twitch, and you have garnered some sort of a following on social media, you can look for roles which are higher-paying.
These might not still constitute a full-time income but can supplement your other jobs with a regular inflow, apart from obviously pushing towards the bigger leagues (obviously subject to how good you are).
Freelancers or contractually-hired shoutcasters usually start out at around $10/hour at this stage and could earn a little more subject to a variety of factors. Those working full-time could have salaries of around $20,000 to $25,000 every year.
High-Level Experienced Shoutcasters Salary
In an interview with britishesports.org, experienced host Paul “ReDeYe” Chaloner of Great Britain said the top-end shoutcasters could earn about $70,000 per year or even more if one is a freelancer.
Freelancers could make about $600/day but that comes with its own risks and should only be picked up by those who know they can afford to take a hit if things don’t go down too well.
We spoke to a shoutcaster from India and he said some of the top-end shoutcasters were offered a ball-park figure of INR 2 million per annum (about $27,000). He said this could go up depending on the company hiring you and the quality on offer.
The Creme De La Creme Salary
Some of the best eSports shoutcasters include the likes of Auguste “Semmler” Massonnat, CaptainFlowers and the Rain Bros, Christopher “MonteCristo” Mykles and Erik “Doa” Lonnquist among the dozens of other such big-ticket names. It’s tough to get a pulse on how much these shoutcasters would be earning but a decent guess would be anywhere in the six-figure/year bracket.
What Others are Saying about Shoutcasters Salaries
As mentioned earlier, we are in a very early stage of the eSports industry boom, at least from the point of view of how most industries last decades. eSports shoutcaster roles have been around for a while but it’s only recently the demand has shot through the roof, which only means it’s tough to get exact salary figures for Shoutcasters.
Which is also why it’s good to check what others are saying as well. We will update this list of other websites with data around caster salaries over time too.
SimplyHired.com in USA
According to popular job website, SimplyHired.com, the average salary earned by an eSports caster is around $70,000. Those only just starting out on a professional basis (not referring to those doing it recreationally or as a hobby) earn about $20,000 while the bottom 25% casters average about $37,000 in annual pay.
SortYourFuture.com
According to SourtYourFuture.com, a London-based website which looks at providing information and career opportunities for everyone and “breaking down barriers to achievement, and helping everyone find work they love”, full-time casters can earn anywhere between £16k and £60k in the UK by working anywhere between 16 to 60 hours a week.
Freelancer.com
This is a website like Fiverr or UpWork and we were able to find a job offer which said the following: “eSports Shoutcasters/Casters/Colorcasters Needed”.
We got in touch with the guy who had set up the job, and he revealed they were looking for beginners who could freelance for them as shoutcasters for different games and they were willing to pay $10/hour for someone with some kind of experience or following.
Conclusion
Shoutcasting is a real job, as you would have guessed by now with very good salaries across the board. Sure, it might not be the most conventional career