Making Moments, Memories And Moolah As The Jolly Old Elf

It is better to give than receive, we all know that. (don't we?)  So wouldn't playing the part of Santa fall into the category of "virtue is its own reward"?  Perhaps not.

Putting on the beard, stuffing in the pillow and donning the bright red suit is a modest money maker for many and a major part of why many mall, party and commercial Santas do what they do.

HireSanta, which places hundreds of Santas throughout the U.S., told Fox Business that Santas typically make anywhere from $2,000 to as much as $15,000 during the holiday season, running from Thanksgiving to Christmas Day.

On the low, low low end of the dough, dough, dough for the Ho, Ho, Ho are the mall Santas, who average around $30 per hour, while high-end Santas make as much as $75 an hour.