A day in the life of a Stripper vs an Escort: What really goes on behind the scenes?

Have you ever wondered what it’s like to be a stripper or an escort? Although they both work in the sex industry, the daily life of each of them can be very different. 

There are similarities too. For instance, they both use their sensual power to make money, they both have great communication skills to set boundaries and manage horny customers, and they both are self-employed entrepreneurs.

However, as you’ll see, some aspects of the two are like night and day. Please remember that these are not hard and fast rules that apply to every stripper or escort but a general account of the differences between the two. 

1. • SCHEDULES: Strippers usually work late into the night which means they are usually asleep into late morning or even early afternoon. Most strip clubs get busier at night. So, this is the best time for most strippers to work. Escorts, on the other hand, can work at any time of day. Depending on if they have set hours working for an agency or parlour, or if they work independently, their hours can vary dramatically.

• • EATING HABITS: Strippers usually fast during the day or eat very little to avoid bloating or feeling overly full for their stage shows. Escorts, on the other hand, vary in their eating habits. Some are comfortable to eat whenever, while others watch what they eat on work days vs leisure days. Escorts are also taken out for meals with their clients as part of their special time together. Some escorts eat light at these meals to preserve energy while others take the opportunity to try delicious full course meals with their clients.

• • $$MONEY$$: Do you ever wonder how much money a stripper makes or gets compared to an escort? Strippers get paid in different ways. Some get paid for their performances on stage. Some get paid for their private shows and table dances. Some get paid for both. It varies from club to club. Strippers often have to pay an agency fee that comes off their pay, usually 15%. They also pay for music royalties in many clubs. Comparatively, escorts may get paid by their agency or parlour, like strippers and have a cut taken off for administration fees and other costs. Strippers and escorts in these situations, also may be fined for different reasons, having the fines deducted from their pay. Escorts who work independently, however, get paid directly by their clients.

• • BUSINESS: It may seem like escorts and strippers make a lot of money, but the overhead in both businesses is also high.
    Strippers must purchase new costumes and shoes often because they wear out fast. They also must pay for the cost of travel from club to club, house fees in some of the clubs, make-up, tanning, nails, tipping the DJs and bouncers, and other costs of the business. Escorts similarly must spend money on attractive clothing, make-up, nails, and other incidentals that make them feel and look attractive to their ideal clients. If they tour, they have travel costs and the costs of eating on the road. They pay for drivers, rent their workspaces, and spend money to post their ads. If they are parents, they may have daycare or nanny costs, as well. As you can see, sex work might seem like a cash cow but it’s not all money in the bank.

• • LEGALITY: Strippers work in licensed strip clubs for the most part, although there are some who do private parties and their work may resemble more closely an outcall escort – one who goes to see their clients rather than having clients come to see them. Most strippers, however, work in legal environments and have legal contracts with their agencies and employers. You may wonder, “Are escorts legal?” It depends on where you live in the world. Many places have adopted a Swedish model of legalization that does not criminalize the escort but it does criminalize the client. In other words, it’s not illegal to sell escort services, but it is illegal to purchase them. For this reason, escorts and clients have had to find creative ways to deal with these laws which sometimes have the effect of making it more dangerous to be an escort.

• • STIGMA: Generally speaking, strippers do not face the same degree of stigma that escorts face in our society. Because of the legal grey areas and stereotypes that have been perpetuated in the media, people tend to see escorts as lower class, disposable human beings. Strippers are also stigmatized similarly but not as severely. Some people who have done both kinds of work were honest about stripping but hid their escort work. This is due to something we call the “Whore Stigma” which puts women on a hierarchy of whoredom, with those exchanging sexual services for money as the biggest whores of all and those who only get naked for money as less whore-ish. It sounds ridiculous even to write this but society is sometimes ridiculous. What can I say?

• • CLIENTS: Most strip clubs serve alcohol which means most strippers must deal with drunk, horny customers. This can be very difficult and many strippers get jaded having to engage in the emotional labour of managing drunk men for hours on end. However, not all strippers get jaded by their customers. Many find ways to protect their peace and cultivate wonderful relationships with their customers. The clients of escorts vary widely depending on the time of day that the escorts are working, who their niche market is, and more. Independent escorts have the most control over who their clients are because they have the power to say yes or no and to never see a client again, if they so choose.

I hope you learned something from this article about what really goes on behind the scenes in the lives of strippers vs escorts. The main takeaway is that sex industry workers are erotic entrepreneurs who want to build better lives for ourselves and our families. And we appreciate the people who respectfully and generously pay for our services.