"Most illusionists (I'm with James Randi on not calling such people "magicians") can't support themselves as a illusionists. They work kids birthday parties, ma

"Most illusionists (I'm with James Randi on not calling such people "magicians") can't support themselves as a illusionists. They work kids birthday parties, making ends meet with other part-time and full-time jobs." Do you actually know any magicians? It's quite possible to make a decent living performing magic, and you don't have to be a rock star to do it. You also don't have to do kid's birthday parties if that's not your thing (though some people actually enjoy them, and they can be well compensated, as there's a lot of demand for this type of work). There are lots of people doing restaurant magic, and the going rates are well over $100 (sometimes over $200, depending on the region of the country you're in) per hour. Magicians doing trade shows and convention or corporate magic are also usually quite well compensated, and they don't have to be named Blaine or Copperfield. Magic used to be a lot more underground, but in the last decade or so it's become much more mainstream and accepted, and the demand for magic has been rising along with this trend.