Dear Hollywood Assistant, I Need More Money.

By: Cathy Campo

Creative Assistant, Netflix

Founder, The Hollywood Assistant

Recently, a network assistant wrote into The Hollywood Assistant:

“I am nearing my one year anniversary as an assistant at the current company I work for. I am starting to think about having a conversation with my boss for a one year evaluation… My direct question to you would be: is it even a common occurrence in this industry to ask for a raise as an assistant? And what number/salary should I be aiming for?”

Salaries are still a taboo topic, and it seems to be even more taboo for entry-level entertainment workers. We should just be grateful to have our foot in the door, right?

Well, yes and no. You can both be grateful and also think you’re not being paid your worth. Luckily, I’ve gone through the raise process a couple of times, and I’m here to share key takeaways.

It Doesn’t Hurt to Ask (Usually*)

Are you considering asking for a raise? My philosophy is: it almost never hurts to ask. At the very worst, you’ll get a “no.” At the very best, you’ll have an extra chunk of change to spend on holiday gifts this year.

I’ll caveat that if you haven’t been working at your company for six months minimum—and been doing a stellar job—you may be better off saving your ask for when chances are more in your favor. 

Adding to your favor, keep in mind that timing is everything. Remember when you were a kid and you waited until your mom cracked open her favorite wine before asking if you could skip family dinner to hang with your friends? Asking for a raise requires the same strategic timing. Read the room. Did your company recently undergo layoffs? Did your boss just return from an exhausting work trip? Consider tabling the raise conversation until the mood has lifted and your company / boss has drunk their figurative favorite wine.

Be cautious not to blindside your supervisor either. If you spring a pay raise conversation into a casual water-cooler bump-in, you’re asking for a negative reaction. I recommend letting your boss know beforehand that you’ll be setting time for a conversation regarding pay in the coming days or weeks. Some companies have specific pay raise “seasons,” so be aware that it may be a tougher ask outside of your company’s normal raise evaluation period. But not impossible!

Be Specific

You’ve done it: you’ve asked your boss for a raise—congratulations! I guarantee the first thing they’re going to ask you is, “why?”

In my experience, it’s most convincing to come prepared with specific supporting evidence. This means ditching data that anyone asking for a raise could use such as inflation or increased rent. Instead, hone in on reasons that pertain to you and you only. Perhaps you’ve picked up an increased workload since taking on an additional executive, or you’re acing creative work that’s outside the scope of your required administrative tasks. After a face-to-face conversation, I like to e-mail my supervisor a list of concise bullet points outlining all of the ways I have gone above and beyond since my last raise. Like a résumé, order these bullets from most impressive to least impressive—and have a friend read them over. This isn’t the time to be humble, so really consider the impact you've made.

If you want to get more creative than a list, I’ve heard of assistants creating full-blown decks outlining their evidence. At larger companies, pay raises need to be approved by HR, and your supervisor can directly pull from your follow-up e-mail or deck when explaining to HR why they believe you deserve more money.

A note: if you work for multiple executives, encourage them to speak to one another about your performance. Of course you know what you’re doing every day for four executives, but they’re only privy to the work you perform for them specifically. 

Gather the Data

I’ll make a wager that you won’t be satisfied if your pay increases by .05%. That’s why you should come prepared to the initial conversation with a number.

A good starting point is asking for 10-20% more than what you currently make, and expect your ask to be negotiated down. It’s important to gather additional comparable data points, too. Payscale is a good place to start, but it can be difficult to compare salaries between assistants at talent agencies, networks and studios, across development, production, publicity, etc. That’s why the best data points are actually your peers.

It can be awkward to approach a colleague and ask how much they’re making, but transparency helps us all. If you’re vulnerable and honest first, chances are you’ll be met with positive reactions. Approach the conversation this way: “Hi there. I wanted to talk about salary transparency as I’m considering asking for a raise. Are you open to sharing what you make? I make $X/hour.” Encourage them to ask for more money as well. If the industry standard becomes higher, you’ll get a raise eventually too!

If you’ve used your networking skills to finesse relationships with assistants in the same job functions at a comparable company, feel free to seek additional salary data points from them.   

One note here is that some companies, specifically some talent agencies, have standard assistant pay. For example, Creative Artists Agency (CAA) starts assistants at $22/hour, and United Talent Agency (UTA) pays $23/hour (plus an additional $1/year you’re at the company). 

Don’t Lose Hope

If you’ve followed these steps yet your raise was denied, I encourage you not to be discouraged. A “no” is almost always really a “not now.” Plus, you can easily segue this rejection into a larger conversation about how you can improve, all but guaranteeing that if you seize their advice, you’ll be met with a resounding “yes” the next time you approach them for a raise.

Another positive: whether or not your raise request is successful, advocating for yourself is great practice. While I dream of the day my boss approaches me out-of-the-blue to tell me he’s giving me a raise, the truth of the matter is that you’re the only one looking out for yourself. It seems silly to think, but it’s not simply assumed that you’re unhappy with your pay and want more. You have to be vocal, and you have to communicate your needs. Fight for yourself because you’re the only one that’s going to. 

Did you use our advice to ask for a raise? We’re rooting for you! Let us know how it went.