Santa Claus isn’t coming to town, he’s here already.

You’ve probably seen him posing for happy snaps with smiling (and crying) kids in shopping centres across the country, as well as spreading cheer at community events where his hearty “ho ho ho” embodies the Christmas spirit.

But have you ever wondered just how much Santa gets paid to don that oversized red suit and snowy beard amid the heat of an Australian summer?

One jolly chap on the Gold Coast spilled the beans in a TikTok video by jobs app Getahead that has since gone viral.

Interviewed out of uniform against a beach backdrop, the grandfather revealed he used to be a sales rep and now works six weeks at the end of the year as Santa.

“It’s a bit hot there in the suit in this weather,” he said, laughing.

“My grandkids come and look at me and they don’t know it’s me. But they look close.”

He said the main requirement of the job was a working-with-children card. Each shift is three or four hours, as he rotates with other Santas.

Yes, but how much does he get paid?

“Thirty-odd bucks an hour, plus super,” says the Santa, adding that he works for Scene to Believe.

The event photography company was more specific in a recent interview with Yahoo Finance, saying its Christmas team members – including Santas and elves – can earn from $35 to $37 an hour.

Scene to Believe presents Santa experiences at more than 180 shopping centres across Australia and New Zealand annually.

It started its recruitment drive in September this year, planning to hire more than 600 Santas, with 2500 seasonal team members in total.

“With flexible hours, great pay and a guaranteed dose of festive spirit, the Santa character role is ideal for retirees, grandparents, teachers, coaches and even travellers looking for something fun and meaningful over the holiday season,” Scene to Believe managing director Stefan Hutton told Yahoo Finance.

The company has “Santa character” roles advertised on jobs website Seek, promising a “fun, fast-paced work environment” with “competitive pay rates and the chance to grow your skills with the support of a great Santa community”.

Its roles involve greeting children and posing for keepsake photos on specially designed Santa sets. Other companies also invite applications from people interested in filling various Santa positions in shopping centres, and at child-care centre, school, corporate and private events.

Events and promotions company direct IMAGE is advertising on Seek for Santas in Melbourne, promising up to $60 an hour, plus super.

“You may be an actor or simply a dad or grandfather,” the ad states. “You must be fit and healthy, punctual, great with children, and available weekends.”

All Santa roles require applicants to have, or be prepared to get, a working-with-children card.

The other requirements are minimal, and don’t necessarily include a rotund physique. Most hirers do want their Father Christmas to have a friendly, outgoing personality, good communication skills, and a genuine love of the festive season – grinches need not apply.

But does the job come with real leather boots? Photo: Pexels

“Santa suits and training provided. Real bearded Santas highly regarded,” says a callout on the website of Sydney-based company Straight Down the Line Promotions.

Interestingly, in addition to “above average wages”, it also promises that the costume provided will include “real leather boots”. Perhaps that’s a sought-after perk among experienced Santas.

The real reward of stepping into the red suit, however, seems to be not the monetary pay or leather boots, but the opportunity to spread holiday cheer.

“I love being Santa because it’s the most wonderful job I’ve ever had,” a retiree who has done the job for 12 years enthuses in a video on Scene to Believe’s website.

“It really gives you a great feeling to see the joy on children’s faces, the excitement, and the expectation they have from you … I’m just sorry it only goes for three months of the year.”