Freelance Santas who visit homes or office holiday parties can make anywhere from $150 to $500 an hour, according to a report in CNBC, citing PayScale data. In comparison, the median pay for Santas at the mall is $30 per hour. “There are a plethora of Santas out there, but there are only so many people who can be authentic,” Payscale VP of Data Analytics Katie Bardaro told CNBC in regards to freelance Santas. “They can really have the power to drive the compensation. Supply is low — because there’s only so many people who can pull it off — but demand is high.”