Average Wedding DJ: Part-Time Hobby of Full-Time Career?

Part-Time Hobby or Full-Time Career?

According to a DJ Times survey, 64% of Wedding DJs work on a part-time basis while holding down regular weekday jobs. Will your photographer be a part-timer who isn't qualified enough to do wedding photography as their chosen profession? Will your catering be done by somebody who just enjoys making food for large groups of people on the weekends, but their real career is as an accountant? Based on the ratio of part-timers who DJ weddings, it's a pretty safe bet that an Average Wedding DJ is also a part-timer whose loyalties, priorities and time are divided between your reception and their regular, 9 to 5 job. It's been said that there are no waiters in L.A. and New York, only actors who are between acting jobs. But have you ever seen an exceptional movie actor who is still working full-time as a waiter? The best rise to the top and turn their passion into their career. But based on the stats, the Average Wedding DJ may not have the time or the skills to give your reception the full-time attention and service your day deserves.

One of the reasons given by part-time hobbyist Wedding DJs for not being full-time, professionals, is their belief that they won't be able to replace their income and medical benefits which are currently provided by their full-time, weekday job. So how do full-time wedding photographers do it? How do full-time wedding florists do it? They charge a professional fee that will provide them with the income and medical benefits they need, in addition to covering their annual business expenses and self-employment taxes. Because such a large percentage of Wedding DJs are part-time hobbyists, it's probably not too surprising to note that their Average Pricing is typically set too low to provide the necessary income needed to make this their full-time career.

Another excuse for being part-time is the idea that they just really enjoy being a Wedding DJ. It's fun and therefore, they don't care about making it their career or earning a professional income. But most who approach being a Wedding DJ as their full-time profession also enjoy what they do, in fact they are usually downright passionate about it. And because it is their full-time career, they have more time to invest in improving their service and their performance. They can afford to take time off to attend industry trade shows and workshops. They are available to meet or return your calls during the weekdays. And because being a Wedding DJ is their career, they have more pressure to deliver the best performance and service possible. In comparison, a part-time hobbyist Wedding DJ can get by delivering an average level of service and performance, some would best describe as McWeddings, because they still have the income from their full-time, weekday job to fall back on. This may not always be the case, but "Average Is As Average Does". Now you may find a rare part-time DJ who truly delivers exceptional service, but chances are if they are that good, they won't remain part-time for very long. It should also be pointed out that not every full-time DJ will be better than average either. But by asking the right questions, you should be able to determine whether or not you are dealing with an Average Wedding DJ.