How do Actors Get Paid?
Acting is not a traditionally stable job or career path to say the least, but it can be a great source of income when a booking (or two) comes through.
These bookings can range from:
Union to Non-Union projects
Feature Films & Short Films
National Commercials & Local Commercials
Regional shows & Local shows
Broadway or Off-Broadway
and every other type of project in between.
So, how do actors get paid and when?
Like any person working any job, an actor will get paid according to the services they provide. The amount of money they receive for a booking will vary depending on factors like: production budget, the platform they’ll be filming for (commercial, tv, film), how long the production is scheduled to last, their selected role (Principal, Lead, Supporting, Series Regular, Recurring, Guest Star, Co-Star, Day Player, etc.) and their Union status (among many other things). Ultimately, wages and compensation packages will vary from actor to actor and project to project.
Now, the way in which an actor gets paid is relatively similar across the board. To determine when an actor gets paid and how, it might be helpful to break this section down into three main categories.
Let’s talk about them.
1. Getting Paid for the Project
For starters, an actor will get paid for the project itself. This constitutes any worked hours (on set or at home). In the industry, we refer to this as a “day rate” or “session fee.” Think of it as your “clocking in” money.
Your session fee is typically presented in the form of a finite sum or daily rate of some sort, usually determined by the producers, clients and/or higher-ups of the production company you have been contracted through. This rate is traditionally shared on the original casting post for actors to decide ahead of time, if the wage is in line with their financial needs. In some cases, the rate and compensation package will be held in confidentiality until an actor books the gig. As I mentioned, this rate will significantly vary from actor to actor, project to project and union statuses.
SAG-AFTRA Rates
To give you a frame of reference, I’ll share some SAG-AFTRA “scale” rates. For context, SAG-AFTRA stands for Screen Actors Guild- American Federation of Television and Radio Artists. This is the labor union for professional film and television actors (theater professionals operate under Actors Equity Association or “AEA”).
A scale rate refers to the minimum weekly or daily pay rate an actor can earn on any given (SAG) project. As it currently stands, SAG Scale is broken into different categories or “agreements.” This is basically just another fancy word for the type of contract you will receive, which will also outline how much you’ll get paid. A reminder that these are SAG-AFTRA rate examples. Please keep in mind that there are a multitude of projects an actor can get paid for, including Non-Union gigs. Those rates and terms will differ, altogether.
The following are current SAG-AFTRA day rates or session fees, as of 1/19/26 for On-Camera Principal (OCP) performers only.
Commercial Agreement (commercial projects – tv, digital, radio)
Cable A (national commercial, most popular) | Session: $783.10
Wild Spot (regional or local commercial, exclusive to an area| 4-Week Run: $840.00
Television Agreement (television projects – network & streaming) | Day rate: $1,246
Theatrical Agreement (feature film projects) | Day rate: $1,246
There’s a collection of other SAG Agreement types, including Interactive (video games, etc.) and New Media Agreements (digital projects – YouTube, Instagram, TikTok & other social media).
Again, these are SAG only rates, included on here to give you an idea of how actors get paid and how their compensation is determined.
2. Getting Paid for Residuals
In many cases, an actor will receive residuals in addition to their session fee. Residual payments refer to the money that accumulates (and is later paid out) to actors every time their film, tv episodes or commercials are aired or rewatched.
Residual payments are accrued on a rolling basis. The number of times that an actor can collect residuals is established on their contract and terms of agreement. A pay period is usually determined by producers and production companies, detailing when an actor receives an actual check. In place of residuals, a buyout will be used instead. Let’s talk about it.
3. Getting Paid for Buy-Outs
Unlike a residual (or a continuous payment), a buy-out refers to a one-time payment for the use of your footage, during a specific period of time. This sum is in addition to your day rate or session fees, mentioned above.
Advertisers, producers and all of the creative people that fall under the post-production/promotional umbrella might use this option as a practical and cost-effective way to save money on their advertisement or promotional campaign. Instead of tracking the amount of money that an actor is owed every single time their commercial, tv episode or film is rewatched, used or aired, it might be simpler to pay them a flat fee for the use of their footage during a set period of time or number of years. This amount is usually negotiated and determined by the time casting rolls around. This helps actors identify if the compensation is up to their standards before going in to audition in the first place.
An Actors Income
At the end of the day, an actor’s income will always vary, as it represents a culmination of diverse contractual agreements. For every booked gig or acting project, a new contract will come to fruition, detailing different terms and rates. The possibilities to earn are different and opportunities are endless.
An actor’s career can feel intensely unstable and financially unsettling at times, but it can certainly make a great stream of income when those booked (and well paying) gigs roll around!
So, keep going and make sure to celebrate when they do come through because it’s certainly worth every bit of that celebration!
