It’s an unlivable wage in LA. Also, in light of studios slashing assistant hours to 40, here are some other reasons it’s too fucking low besides that it’s unlivable (thread): https://twitter.com/ellorysmith/status/1275907280282587136

1) All assistants, including PAs, are, the majority of the time, expected to have a college degree. It should be factored into the assistant pay that TV assistants have astronomical student loans to pay off every month, on top of all other bills (rent, utilities, food, etc.)

2) PAs and showrunners’ assistants are expected to have cars in order to be hired/do their jobs. While they are generally paid for gas, these miles decrease the value of their cars. The pay should factor in car loans/leasing and car insurance, which is expensive as fuck in LA.

3) Assistants are on call all day long. I would be frequently texted at night or early in the morning to check on things, connect calls, do research, etc. You should pay assistants to be on call, ready to jump into work at a moments notice. Hence why 40 hrs isn’t enough.

4) Assistant work is absolutely skilled work. If anyone argues that it isn’t, they have no idea the work that goes into being a good assistant. I was told that my notes as WA were the best that producer had seen — my notes take a lot of skill that I had to work on and build.

Being a good assistant demands you are a jack of all trades, that you know how to read people, predict the future, be an accountant (managing petty cash), be a good editor (spell-checking scripts), be a good social media manager, know LA like the back of your hand, (cont’d)

remember all your boss’ quirks, remember what people order, be a connoisseur of your boss’ favorite things, and — a very important and difficult skill — keep a smile on your face even, even if you are being taken advantage of and yelled at, etc. (cont’d)

The list goes on. I could go on for a very long time about all the things assistants have to be and do to thrive as an assistant, all in the hopes that they will someday make it to their desired position, which is almost always reliant on someone else’s generosity. (cont’d)

Pay assistants a fair and livable wage that reflects the schooling, training, investments, work, and effort assistants must do for these jobs. Period. #PayUpHollywood

Addendum: this rate also gate-keeps against low-income communities, so it disproportionally affects POC. If studios want more diverse voices, stop keeping them out of the jobs that help them get their foot in the door and get their careers off the ground. Invest in them.

I’m so incredibly lucky to be/have been working for great bosses who really care about and look after their assistants. But not everyone is so lucky, and they shouldn’t be dependent on other people’s generosity.

2nd Addendum: assistants also often need internships, often unpaid, in order to get PA jobs. I know several assistants who amassed credit card debt to pay bills while doing these internships to get the “experience” to apply for these jobs. Assistant pay should consider this, too.