Why are dominatrixes so fucking expensive? I live in a big city with lots of Doms and they're all $250/hour or more. On top of that, many of them ask for "tributes" on their websites and strongly imply that the hourly rate is just the beginning of their charges. Now, I'm sure there are expenses involved in the business and I don't know much about being a dominatrix, but it seems to me that your average Dom would get a lot more business if she lowered her rates a little so many people would not get priced out of the market. After all, basic economics tells us that non-essential services are price-sensitive.

Doesn't Only Money Impede Natural Advancement To Ecstasy

Instead of answering your question myself, DOMINATE, I posted it to Twitter and asked professional dominants to weigh in...

I’ve spent many years learning and practicing kink. Received education from some of the most revered minds in this community. Clients pay what they do for someone who is not only willing to entertain edgy fantasies, but handle emergencies, when they occur. /1
— 🕷Ms. Charlotte Lashes🕷 (@strokeofthelash) November 12, 2019

Our material costs are high, yes. But we are often first responders; in play, we look for ways to mitigate risk and maximize intended impact. This grace we exhibit even when things get scary in scene. You’re paying for someone who’s looking out for your mind, body & spirit.
— 🕷Ms. Charlotte Lashes🕷 (@strokeofthelash) November 12, 2019

1. Risk. High risk jobs have to pay more
2. You only get paid the hours you can bill but you work a lot more hours than that.
3. It's a physically demanding job. Only so many hours can be worked
4. Price is a better lever for increasing revenue than volume (my MBA talking here)
— Princess Kelley May (@PrincessKelleyM) November 12, 2019

Side note, this dude got his economics messed up. Non essential services are highly price discriminatory. Which means they're typically more expensive as the provider is segmenting the available market. That's why luxury goods and services are a thing, of which pro topping is one
— Princess Kelley May (@PrincessKelleyM) November 12, 2019

Lastly, you could make a reverse price elasticity argument here. Things that are more expensive are viewed as more valuable, and the harder they become to obtain the more they are desired.
A cheap domme is price signaling that she's less exclusive and therefore less valuable
— Princess Kelley May (@PrincessKelleyM) November 12, 2019

dungeon rental: $75-100/hr
latex dress: $200
leather boots: $400
toys/tools: $200-1000
Creating a transformative/intimate experience in a high-risk (for client & provider) environment while maintaining professionalism, respecting boundaries, & fulfilling fantasies: priceless
— Goddess Aviva 👸🏻 NYC femdom (@GoddessAviva) November 12, 2019

Not a ProDom, but I've hired a few in my time, and $250 is a perfectly reasonable rate. It's difficult (and sometimes dangerous) work; I wouldn't trust someone who charged a budget rate. Plus, it's a luxury good; the OP apparently doesn't understand economics very well.
— Thomas Carver (@tcarvererotica) November 12, 2019

Gear costs $$.
Wardrobe costs $$.
Upkeep costs $$.
Renting a space costs $$.
Training in certain heavier forms of kink costs time, and $$.

Pro-domination is a luxury business. It is also a high-risk business. Those that respect the industry and us in it will treat it as such.
— Mistress⛧Alexxxia 🎂 NOV 17 (@MissAlexxxia) November 12, 2019

I charge whatever the fuck I want in my own business.

Most top dommes in major cities are $300+/hour.

If you think my services are “non-essential,” get da fuck out of my inbox.

I can’t believe a potential client just tried to mansplain Dominatrix economics.

Sit down, Carl.
— Justine Cross 👠 Los Angeles 10/21-12/29 (@justineplays) November 12, 2019

I do dominatrix services as well as regular vanilla escort services. The amount of time and effort that goes into a dom session is always much more along with the purchase/maintenance of toys, whips, equipment, etc. When I am doing vanilla stuff all I need is condoms. lol
— Mistress Scarlet (@WIMissScarlet) November 12, 2019

Everything everyone else here says about how much money it costs to furnish and maintain a dungeon and oneself is accurate. It’s the most expensive individual sex work business to set up and run, no question. But this person is missing the larger point. 1/
— Mistress Matisse (@mistressmatisse) November 12, 2019

The larger point is that dominatrixes are sex workers and we have to survive a heavily criminalized environment. If what we did was legal, it might make sense for us to charge less to do more volume, but if I’m risking a felony charge, why the hell would I do that for cheap???
— Mistress Matisse (@mistressmatisse) November 12, 2019

Plus, MY time and MY EMOTIONS ENERGY are not infinitely scalable. It just makes sense for us to charge the most that we can for a session and do fewer sessions, which gives us a better work/life balance, and also usually ensures a higher quality of session for the customer.
— Mistress Matisse (@mistressmatisse) November 12, 2019

I worked at a well known studio in NYC almost TWENTY years ago and it was $250/hr then. Sounds like you should STFU and pay it sub.
— Gwen Calavera🏴 (@GwenCalavera) November 12, 2019

So, because HE thinks Domme rates are too high, he assumes we're lacking in clients. Speaking for myself, the rates are high to keep cheap bastards the fuck away from me. The entire point of femdom is THE WOMAN RUNS THE SHOW. Setting our rates where we prefer is part of that. pic.twitter.com/GAQe2UvGCQ
— Ms. Rani Lane • Las Vegas (@RaniLaneNF) November 12, 2019

Clients I got when I charged less were on average more demanding + likelier to flake + less willing to pay deposits. If being a discount domme actually made us more money or was less of a pain more of us would do it.
— Maya Midnight (@MsMayaMidnight) November 12, 2019

Photo shoot: 350
Website: 1000
Monthly ads: 250
Latex dress: 300
Designer heels: 200
Dungeon facility: 1/2 my mortgage
TENS unit: 400
Leather hood: 300
Whips: 200 ea
20 hrs/wk marketing/emails: unpaid
Health insurance: unpaid
Sick days: unpaid
10+ years training: priceless
— Lady Elizabeth (@MyLadyElizabeth) November 12, 2019

Why? Because I fucking can. That’s why.
Thank you to everyone else for having the bandwidth to lay all the reasons out.
— Kalee D. Alternative Lifestyle Consultant (@GoddessKaleeLA) November 12, 2019

A big thank you to all the awesome professional dominants out there who took the time to respond! And there's more under my original post.