Let’s be honest and say that a lot of people don’t give a lot of thought about who voices their favorite characters in video games. It’s a fair statement since the moment you do hear someone you recognize in a video game there are those folks that take notice and tend to go nuts because it’s a CELEBRITY in their video game. A good example was hearing Ice Cube and Sam Worthington in Call of Duty: Black Ops, though I’m betting that a lot of folks didn’t know that Ed Harris, Gary Oldman, and a few other notable names were in that game too. The truth is that a lot of those that do make a living as voice actors for video games don’t really appreciate the idea of bringing in certified movie stars to play the roles that would otherwise go to regular voice actors since this practice tends to take away a lot of money from the overall production since movie actors pull down much larger fees while regular voice actors usually have a pretty flat rate of around $200/hour when it comes to their job. Now you might be thinking $200 an hour is nothing to sneeze at, and it’s not, but that’s all depending on how often they work and how long their actual day really is.
Another matter that was brought up by Mike Dang of Billfold a while back is that voice actors that work primarily on video games don’t seem to get a shot at earning residuals or bonuses unless there’s something worked into their contract. Things might have changed since 2013 but it still seems as though experience is the biggest determining factor in how much a person can make. If you really want to know the overall figures that are generated by those that are just starting out and those that are experienced voice actors then Gravy for the Brain is where you might want to look in order to get those numbers. Depending on their experience, their reputation, and of course their talent, some voice actors can make upwards of $90k a year or more, while the more inexperienced will be making less than $20 on average. This kind of job is just like any other, you have to work your way up the ladder and keep improving your game in order to make the kind of money you think you deserve. The one biggest hazard about this however is that unlike many other jobs, the tool being used in this case is far more temperamental and much more likely to incur permanent damage that could put a person out of work if they’re not careful.
A person’s voice is something they take for granted when it’s not necessary to their job on a constant basis. If you don’t work directly with people or spend long stretches of your day without having to speak to another person then your voice is not your biggest asset, at least not on the job. But for voice actors this is their bread and butter so to speak since it’s how they get paid and how they make a living. That being said, a person’s voice is susceptible to many different types of damage and interruptions that voice actors have to be conscious of at all times. Anything from a sore throat to even ingesting too much hot and spicy food can be disastrous for a voice actor if they have to work on that day. Imagine Sub-Zero with a scratchy throat, or a soldier on Call of Duty sounding as though he was going through puberty because the actor’s voice has been messed up from being sick. Studios aren’t likely to hire actors or keep them on if they’re not careful with their voice and as a result their reputation goes down the tubes and their acting gigs begin to dry up.
How much they’re paid isn’t always fair or justified, but if one was to make such a claim in defense of voice actors they’d have to champion just about anyone and everyone that’s ever worked in similar jobs. You work your way up from the bottom, just like anyone, and if you don’t like the pay you’re receiving, you find a way to move on and find someone that will pay you more. But few people have ever found that someone else will pay them more when it’s discovered that the person left because they didn’t feel as though they were getting paid enough for their effort. Voice actors might not always make the big bucks, but there are those of them that have been in the business long enough to know how the game works, and that know very well just how a person advances in the business. It comes down to earning what you’re worth, not just telling people what you want to be paid.
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