TV - Movies
The Original
Weekly Pay For
SNL Writers
Would Be Eye
Popping Today
By JULIE RIVER
Writing for "Saturday Night Live" is a coveted job that can open a lot of doors, and it has jumpstarted the careers of countless comedians including Conan O'Brien, Tina Fey, and Jason Sudeikis. The writing schedule, which originated in the 70s, is a grueling process that often requires all-nighters to keep up, but in the beginning, did the pay match the work?
When writer Marilyn Suzanne Miller was hired to write during the first season of “SNL” she had to turn down a job as a story supervisor for the show “Maude” that would have netted her a six-figure salary. “SNL” offered a much smaller offer at $750 a week, which accounting for inflation, would be worth $4,263 dollars today.
That's still a paltry sum by today's standards, but luckily things have changed. Michael Che, an SNL cast member and writer since 2014, makes $25,000 per episode. If you're lucky enough to become a "Saturday Night Live" writer nowadays, it could be a fairly lucrative position. The tricky part is getting that job in the first place.