# How much do Doormen make? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [November 15, 2015, 4:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-do-doormen-make/737633 "2015-11-15T16:32:24Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2015, 4:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-do-doormen-make/737633/1 "2015-11-15T16:32:24Z")
In the thread [I have seven doormen. How many of them should I tip?](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=775233) someone is asking how much to tip them (well duh). So how much do doormen make now? I understood at various points in time it was a great job for the money, other times not so much. What’s it like these days? Looking at the numbers suggested in that other thread for tipping it seems like these guys could get a huge bonus in a big building. ---
**Author:** ![Nametag](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nametag/32/406_2.png) [@Nametag](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nametag)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2015, 5:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-do-doormen-make/737633/2 "2015-11-15T17:01:32Z")
[http://www.payscale.com/research/US/Job=Doorman/Hourly\_Rate](http://www.payscale.com/research/US/Job=Doorman/Hourly_Rate) ---
**Author:** ![Saintly\_Loser](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saintly_loser/32/4045_2.png) [@Saintly\_Loser](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saintly_Loser)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2015, 6:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-do-doormen-make/737633/3 "2015-11-15T18:31:19Z")
In New York City, unionized doormen (and concierges, and porters) make about $45,000 per year, scaling up to about $49,000 by the end of their current contract (which I think is up at the end of next year). Yes, in a large building, the tips are obviously going to add up to a bunch more. One doorman of my acquaintance nearly doubles his income with tips. My own building has over 400 apartments, so I’m guessing the staff does pretty well at Christmas. ---
**Author:** ![pkbites](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pkbites/32/204_2.png) [@pkbites](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pkbites)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2015, 11:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-do-doormen-make/737633/4 "2015-11-15T23:34:22Z")
Slight hijack, but are doormen allowed to run and get a beer while working like Larry Millers [character](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UaBhnlZgNIo) did on Seinfeld? ---
**Author:** ![harmonicamoon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/65b543/32.png) [@harmonicamoon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/harmonicamoon)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2015, 11:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-do-doormen-make/737633/5 "2015-11-15T23:52:14Z")
I am sure the wage varies by location. Although not the same work, there is the parking valet. A friend of mine was a parking valet 20 years ago in Las Vegas. He made 50k a year and that was just tips. Today, it may be even more, or less. ---
**Author:** ![Renee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/renee/32/287_2.png) [@Renee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Renee)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2015, 11:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-do-doormen-make/737633/6 "2015-11-15T23:53:24Z")
What exactly do doormen do? I have this image of a guy standing behind a desk in a lobby, but no actual idea why that is useful. ---
**Author:** ![1060westaddison](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/1/8baadc/32.png) [@1060westaddison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/1060westaddison)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2015, 12:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-do-doormen-make/737633/7 "2015-11-16T00:24:23Z")
> [@Renee](#): > > What exactly do doormen do? I have this image of a guy standing behind a desk in a lobby, but no actual idea why that is useful. In the apartment building where I work, besides literally opening the door for visitors, they receive packages, shovel snow when the janitors are off-duty, make sure the movers are using the freight entrance/elevator, dump the garbage into the dumpsters, monitor security cameras, turn the cab light on/off, and call to have illegally parked cars towed. ---
**Author:** ![harmonicamoon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/65b543/32.png) [@harmonicamoon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/harmonicamoon)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2015, 12:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-do-doormen-make/737633/8 "2015-11-16T00:28:27Z")
“Turn the cab light on/off”, what is that? ---
**Author:** ![GaryM](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/garym/32/241_2.png) [@GaryM](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GaryM)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2015, 12:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-do-doormen-make/737633/9 "2015-11-16T00:40:57Z")
There’s a colored light outside, sometimes on the canopy if there is one, that indicates a taxi cab is needed. Cab driver sees the light and pulls in for the pickup. ---
**Author:** ![harmonicamoon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/65b543/32.png) [@harmonicamoon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/harmonicamoon)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2015, 1:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-do-doormen-make/737633/10 "2015-11-16T01:27:05Z")
Thank you. Sounds like a good system. We used to have a signal for the milk man. ---
**Author:** ![Ornery\_Bob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/da6949/32.png) [@Ornery\_Bob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ornery_Bob)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2015, 1:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-do-doormen-make/737633/11 "2015-11-16T01:46:05Z")
I had a friend some 40 years ago who was a parking valet at a major casino. When I asked him about his paycheck, he said, “What paycheck? I give the parking manager 25% of my tips to let me work there.” He was making about $100 a shift in 1975 or about $450 in today’s money. All cash. I’m sure things are very different these days.