Even the North Pole Isn't Immune to Job Cuts
The economic outlook for Santa
Santa job postings have fallen every year since 2022, with a 35% drop in 2025, as retailers pull back on in-person holiday experiences amid the shift to e-commerce. Yet median wages climbed 14% to USD 25.00—a puzzling trend driven not by actual raises, but by a dramatic shift in what employers require.
Real beard requirements exploded from 14% to 70% of postings between 2022 and 2025, according to Revelio Labs' parsing of job descriptions. As the market shrank, employers grew pickier about authenticity, replacing positions that once accepted costume beards and hiring only natural-bearded performers.
The "beard premium" explains the rising wages. Revelio Labs' wage data shows natural-bearded Santas earn roughly USD 9 more per hour. As the lower-paid costume-beard roles disappear, average wages rise.
Every holiday season, thousands of santas take their seats at malls, outlets, and fairs around the country, listening to the wishes of children and cultivating Christmas spirit. But in recent years, even this iconic holiday job isn't immune to economic headwinds. Retailers are pulling back on hiring for in-person roles as the shift toward e-commerce accelerates. The labor market is challenging, wages are stagnating, and for Santas looking to spread holiday cheer, finding work has become increasingly difficult.
The numbers paint a grim picture. Santa job postings have declined every year since 2022, according to Revelio Labs' analysis of hiring data. This year brought another sharp drop: postings are down 35% compared to 2024. The culprits are familiar: retailers tightening budgets, mall vacancies rising, and the traditional holiday photo experience losing ground to online shopping. Despite a growing need for holiday cheer amid rising costs of living and declining consumer sentiment, employers are hiring fewer Santas than ever.
But here's the paradox. Even as demand collapses, Santa pay is rising. Our analysis of wages listed in job postings shows median inflation-adjusted hourly pay has climbed about 14%, from USD 21.89 in 2022 to USD 25.00 in 2025. Fewer jobs, better pay. What explains this rise?
The answer lies in what the jobs require. Revelio Labs' parsing of job postings shows that the share of job postings requiring a real beard has exploded from 14% in 2022 to 70% in 2025. While many employers once settled for costume beards, most now demand the real thing. In a shrinking market, employers get their pick of St. Nick.
Real beards have always commanded a premium.In the last five years, natural-bearded performers have been offered roughly USD 9 more per hour than those in costume beards. That beard premium explains the paradox. It's not that Santas are getting raises, it's that the lower-paid Santas are getting cut.
Economists call this a composition effect: The average salary is changing, not because the actual pay is rising, but because of who's left in the hiring pool. As employers require real beards for most positions, they're hiring only from the higher-paid tier. Average wages climb, but it's not a story of rising pay. It's a shrinking labor market dressed up as good news.
Understanding what's happening to Santa jobs means understanding what a tough labor market looks like. As positions get scarcer, employers can be pickier, and workers who don't meet the higher bar stop showing up in the data. Across in-person retail, the same forces are at work: E-commerce growing, storefronts shrinking, and fewer roles to go around. This may not be a good recipe for holiday cheer, but at least the advice to aspiring Santas is clear: Don’t pad the resume, just grow the beard.
