When I had my practice in Southern California, the props at the Normandy club in Gardena were making $1,000 per week or $50,000 a year. These are the ones who played up the $20-$40 hold em game. The ones who played only up to the $6-$12 made $10.00 per hour.

I've know a lot of props over the years, and their goal is just to break even at years end. Years ago, they use to have to have a bank (usually around $10,000) deposited at the casino, but since then, the bank requirments have lessened and even eliminated. The best players have proped for years, others wash out in a matter of weeks or months.

I know nothing about the Las Vegas operations, but that is how Gardena works.

As a side note, California card room DO HAVE shills. I have been approached many time to act as a shill or even as a partner with the casino.
This is done in order to get the game started. All the local card room know I will not play in a short game with my own money. Bill O'Day also has acted as a shill. After the game gets going, its up to us if we want to continue playing with the house money or play with our own.

A few weeks ago, a $12,000 hold-em jackpot was won by two shills. Neither one participated in the payoff, but the rest of the table got their shares.

Probably got more information than you wanted, but that's what you get when you go on this board.