I recently decided to take a break from school and maybe start working fulltime as a dealer.. i would be grateful if i could get a few estimates as to much how the average dealer makes and the requirements to become a dealer in different states. I currently reside in Arizona but i may be able to move to California. Just looking for an overview on what it takes to become a dealer(dealer school, age/training req, etc...) Thanks so much.

stay in school. chances are you wont go back and you will be dealing cards for life. to answer your question, i have no idea but it isnt a job that will let you retire early.

If you live in a major poker state I.E - Cali, Nevada, NJ , then I think the average yearly pay is about 40k a year

The average dealer makes just under enough to sustain his poker/coke/gadgets habit.

Hiring requirements vary by casino. California is licensed by the room/city, so your best bet is to call up the rooms and ask how to become a dealer. They'll point you to the proper school. Being able to count to 10 is a big plus, but doesn't seem to be a pre-requisite.

You are never going to start out as full time...so telling full time dealer wages is irrelevant imo. Stay in school, if you want to be a dealer after fine (it is what I did) you can always fall back on your degree.

Great advice gentlemen.

What part of Arizona, OP?

Seems like if you play poker enough to know you want to be a dealer, you should be able to approximate their income. You see how many hands they deal in a typical down, you see how much people toke, and in many rooms you can just watch as dealers end their shift and hit the cage with a rack or two of chips. Keep an eye on the room and notice how much time they spend on breaks or sitting at a dead spread, vs sitting at a table with players (you don't deal for 8 hours in an 8 hours shift). Add that to the approximate minimum wage they're getting for dealing and you're there.

Add sportsbetting and video poker if in Vegas.

It depends on where you are working, what shift, how fast you deal, blah, blah, blah.

Finish school first.

Finish school. Once you start working it becomes nearly impossible to go back to school on a regular basis.

Dealers don't make that much money starting out at least for poker. I do know that pit dealers at Wynn make a handsome dollar, but good luck getting in there w/o equivalent experience.

Why is it that when someone starts one of these how much money do dealers make, not one of the posters comes out and says hey I'm a dealer and I make 50000 a year. Everyone just posts stay in school(I agree I think at least don't take a break you'll never return go part time if you need a break.) someone just be straight with the kid, please.

It's a sensitive subject to discuss your income around the people who provide it, especially considering the markets vary wildly.

You don't ask how sausage is made, you don't ask a dealer how much s/he makes.

You know what that is a very good answer and I understand why, so basically its the military policy of don't ask don't tell lol. Thanks though I appreciate an honest straight to the point answer.

I deal in AZ. You'll definitely make more in the pit than the poker room. You WILL start part-time and you WILL NOT start at CA. It will take a few weeks for school if you can go 30+ hours a week. if you excel in dealing school, it may only take a few months for you to get on at Bucky's or get a part-time job at Fort McDowell. Your hours will be random and unpleasant.
Don't get me wrong, I like what I do (I'm a pit dealer), but you're not just going to stop in at dealing school and then get a full-time job at Gila River or CA making sweet consistent money. You're a few years too late for that. If you want to do this, realize that it takes serious time to get a full-time dealing job at any of the big 3 (CA, Gila, The fort) and you'll likely need another source of income during this time.
It's a fun job for the most part, with no experience, it will likely take at least 10 months to go from starting dealing school to a full-time dealing position.
If you go for it, good luck.

Try to hook up with a Party / Charity Tournament company. They will teach you the basics, you can deal 4 hours a night once a week and see if you even like dealing. I do not know the landscape in AZ, but in So Cal their are over a dozen of these companies. They are always looking for live bodies.

I know it's very annoying. And it's much more widespread in 2+2 than just dealer questions.

Asking how much dealers make for someone considering the occupation is hardly the same thing as asking a dealer how much he makes. Furthermore, someone considering the occupation would be an idiot not to ask. And yet he's made to feel like an idiot for asking. Welcome to 2+2.

the guy's not asking to be nosy. he's asking for career advice. not sure why that is sensitive. and he doesn't want to konw what any of YOU make but rather a range for dealer salary.

all he wants to hear is someone tell him, "most dealers make $x0,000-x0,000 but when you start out expect closer to x0,000. and that would vary based on ..."

So when i read the Cardplayer article about how much they are going to pay dealers in Orange Park (Jacksonville,FL) they are not being truthful article say make $50,000 per which seems like alot of money to me considering i dont make $50,000 per year @ my factory job.

a few quick notes.

1) There is nothing wrong with asking how much dealers make. We will not censor the answers, if anyone choses to chime in then its OK to share. People who act like trolls when responding will be dealt with like trolls as long as a moderator is notified and we agree that trollish behavior is taking place.

2) Problem with asking this question is that the people must likely to respond are dealers, and they probably shouldn't tell anyone how much they make because thats disclosing too much personal info. I don't tell anyone how much I make, I wouldn't expect others to do that either.

3) Its kind of tough to honestly answer this question, dealers make a very wide range depending on shifts given, hours worked, time of the week/year, coworkers, and the game.

Come on, its not that hard to figure out.

Base salary is going to between $7 and $11 an hour plus tips and benefits. Figure $1 per hand dealt for poker as an average. So the only real unknowns are hour many hours can you deal with tips (not MTT) and how many hands an hour you can get out.

So in other words, there is no "pat answer" to the question, find answer yourself Grasshopper.

those are a lot variables youre assuming someone who isnt already in the industry would know.

I agree with you Bwana,unless your in the industry how would you know.