How much do porn stars make? This question is the one that is probably foremost in the minds of those who are trying to break into the world of adult entertainment. And just as the pay scales of those in mainstream show business vary, the salaries of those who make careers out of having sex in front of a camera—and an entire crew for that matter—also differ due to one factor or another.

There are a few general truths in porn. One of them is that female performers get paid more than the men. Newbie girls usually make something like $400-700 for a boy/girl scene, while guys start off with about $50 to $250 per scene. But then again, a lot of guys say they’d do it for free just for the chance to get it on with all these gorgeous women on camera, so that makes perfect sense.

There are, of course, other factors that producers consider when gauging how much they should pay a certain starlet. One is looks. Naturally, girls who are drop-dead gorgeous tend to get offered more money. Then there’s age, although the popularity of MILF or Cougar videos these days give older performers the chance to earn as much as the 18-23-year olds do.

Another deciding factor is how far a starlet is willing to go as far as onscreen sex is concerned. Generally, performers who only do, say, solo masturbation scenes get paid about $200-400 per, while those willing to do DP scenes could get as much as $1000-2500. The point is, the more hardcore stuff you do, the more cash you’re going to get.

Of course, a porn star’s fee won’t always stay that way. Sooner or later a certain starlet becomes popular, her videos sell like hotcakes and she starts to appear in major skin mags, then she can ask for more. Better yet, she could become a contract star with the major porn studios, and could earn upwards of a hundred grand a year, probably even more.

The biggest names in porn, however, are an entirely different story. Hillary Scott, for example, has just signed a $1 million deal with SexZ Pictures in what is billed as “the largest porn contract in history”. While it’s actually a four-year deal, Scott is still guaranteed $250,000 annually, which isn’t exactly chump change for a relatively new porn star.

Then, of course, there are the superstars like Jenna Jameson and Tera Patrick. While the former may have already retired from performing, she still pulls in millions upon millions of dollars through ClubJenna, the porn company she founded with her ex-husband Jay Grdina. The latter, on the other hand, is still performing, but she is treading the same road as Jameson by the owner, president and lead star of Teravision, a $30 million-plus company.

Who knows, you could be the next Jenna or Tera someday.

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