The Average Income Of An Intimacy Coordinator Might Catch You Off Guard

Intimacy coordinators are a new development in the film industry. The profession emerged on set in 2017 and gained major traction following the #MeToo Movement in 2020. The main role of these coordinators is to facilitate an accurate and comfortable environment on set during romantic and sexually intimate scenes. Given the fact that intimate scenes can be awkward to shoot, but may be pivotal to the storyline, intimacy coordinators are paid at a comparable rate to stunt coordinators at around $1,500 per day, according to CBS News.

That's pretty good pay, if you can get it. The cost of living has increased by 2.7% in the past year, according to the consumer price index. In tandem with that, the average American salary has stayed fairly stagnant, sitting at just around $66,622. But it may surprise you to know that intimacy coordinators can earn between $60,000 and $90,000 per year. While it may not be one of the five best jobs if you want to retire early, the number of intimacy coordinators employed is on the rise. With a relatively short training period, becoming an intimacy coordinator can be quite the lucrative endeavor.

The path to becoming an intimacy coordinator is, for the most part, straightforward. The role does not even require a bachelor's degree. The key to entering this position is completing a course that is substantiated by the Screen Actors Guild — American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA). The SAG-AFTRA states there are 12 courses worldwide that offer official certifications. With this being said, several other courses are not recognized, adding to a list of scams that are prevalent on the internet today.

Trained and accredited intimacy coordinators may need to live in some of the most expensive cities in the United States. Even with the film industry slowly moving away from the Hollywood Hills and Netflix buying studios in New Mexico and Atlanta, Georgia, young professionals still flock to the Golden State. What this means is the $1,500 per day coordinators make in cities like Los Angeles, California will not get them as far as those working lower-paying jobs in more affordable states.