We can all agree that Devin Townsend has "made it," right? While he's certainly not a top teir metal musician (thinking the level of Black Sabbath or a Judas Priest), he's certainly at the upper echelon of the second tier of metal. What I mean by that is that Devin is the type of guy where if you have a passing interest in metal, you probably don't know about him but if you consider yourself a full-blown metalhead, then you are definitely aware of him.
Devin headlines tours all over the world, he plays pretty high up on festivals. Devin is a full-time, professional musician with over 20 years of expertise under his belt. Devin is his own boss, his music is released on his own label and he does everything on his own terms.
So, while creatively, we could all wish to be in such a position, what about financially? Devin appeared on the Music Business Facts Podcast and revealed his monthly income, and get ready to be bummed:
“About five grand a month, before taxes. Sometimes you get a bonus, but a lot of it goes back in the pot because everybody’s on a salary. I get a bit more than the other guys [in the band].”
That's $5,000 before taxes, which, as MetalSucks points out, ends up being $60k a year. While $60k is no petty salary, if you put it in perspective, it really is not that much.
First off, can you imagine working 20 years at a job and only getting up to $60k a year? Before taxes?!
With a traditional job, it may only be 40 hours a week and then you go home. Devy doesn't have such a luxury. He has to be on the road for months at a time, so he'd be constantly on the job.
Ultimately, Devin is not complaining. He's happy doing what he loves and his bills are paid. And, that's the ultimate point. If you're getting into metal to be rich, HERE IS UNDENIABLE PROOF that the odds are very much against you. If you're just doing it for fun, you'll have a much better time.
