What Does It Take To Be A "Professional Santa"? Turns Out, A Lot

The highly competitive process to become a holiday pro

By Bronwyn Petry  Dec. 15, 2023

Like Mariah Carey and awkward family dinners, shopping mall Santas are a staple of the holiday season. But what tends to be glossed over about these festive figureheads is that being a mall Santa is not just a fun hobby or a public service — it’s a job.

Becoming a working Santa over the holidays means jockeying into a competitive industry and knowing how to sell yourself.  Have you ever wondered about what it takes to become a professional Santa? About what’s involved in the process, and how much it costs?

We looked into the steps required to transform into “the man in the red suit.” Here’s what we found out.

Where did he come from?

We have a soft drink to thank for our collective, cultural image of Jolly Old Saint Nick.

Before the 1800s, Santa Claus was often depicted as an austere religious figure.

But, in 1931, Coca Cola commissioned an ad designer, Haddon Sundblom, to draw an ad featuring a friendly, wholesome looking Santa drinking a bottle of Coke. This became the hallmark of the company’s holiday advertising for the next several decades.

And when this version of Santa collided with the 20th century shopping mall, it meant profits galore.

People generally agree that the first person to dress as Santa in order to drum up holiday business did so in 1890.

There are two other main influences on the tradition of hosting Santa at the mall: In 1924, at its first-ever Thanksgiving Day parade, Macy’s closed the festivities with Santa Claus, which is an appointment he’s kept ever since. Finally, the release of the Christmas classic “Miracle on 34th Street” permanently added the department store Santa Claus to pop culture.

Santa’s sack (of cash)

Mid 2010s estimates suggest that one mall alone could bring in about $1 million in revenue during the holiday season, which isn’t counting the revenue brought in by people who come in to see the Santa display, then do the rest of their shopping. It is estimated that in a busy week in December, Santa Claus could see as many as 60 kids in one hour.

But if you think you can just pick up regalia at a costume store and get hired, be warned: There is some training involved.

According to ZipRecruiter, in December 2023, the average national hourly wage for a mall Santa is just over $23.50 — although that’s dependent on your experience and skill level.

To get those skills, a lot of wannabe Santa Clauses enroll in school.

Putting On The Red Suit

There are several Santa schools in the U.S.

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