At the beginning of their career, A&Rs typically do not earn a salary, but they may be able to get their expenses paid. If working for a big label or a large Music Publisher, A&Rs can earn a decent salary of between about $27,000-175,000 according to a recent study by Berklee College of Music. However, they are only as good as their last signing; if they fail to produce results, they will probably be out of a job soon.
A&Rs can also earn royalties from the artists they sign, usually a few percentage points. The royalties might be shared with others, though. In the case of a major breakout act, that could still amount to a significant recurring stream of income. A&Rs rarely earn much money from streaming royalties, since these are small to begin with. However, they may have other opportunities to earn money in the Music Business, for example by managing tours or booking artists into prime venues.