How Much Do Actors Get Paid in 2026? Commercial vs TV vs Film Rates

Actor pay is one of the most searched — and most misunderstood — topics in the industry. Most pay guides you find online give you a single number, or worse, a number that stopped being true years ago. This one does neither. Below are the current 2026 union minimums from the SAG-AFTRA theatrical wage tables, plain-English explanations of how pay structures actually work, and clearly labeled market ranges for the categories where there’s no single official rate.

A Quick Note on Outdated Rates

You’ll find plenty of older articles that still quote the SAG-AFTRA day rate as $1,082/day. That figure was the official minimum for the contract period ending June 30, 2023. This guide uses the current 2026 rates — day performer minimum $1,246/day — from the contract period running July 1, 2025 through June 30, 2026.

How Actor Pay Actually Works

Before the numbers, you need the mechanics, because “how much do actors make” has no single answer. Pay depends on four things:

1. Union vs. non-union. SAG-AFTRA sets enforceable minimums for union productions. Non-union pay is negotiated per project and varies widely.
2. Day vs. week. Union performers hired for a single day earn a day rate; hired for five or more consecutive days, a weekly rate (which works out to less per day but guarantees the week).
3. Session vs. residuals. One-time fees (“buyouts”) are common in non-union and digital work. Union work often adds residuals — payments for reuse — which is where the real money can accumulate.
4. Role size. Background performers, day players, guest stars, and series regulars live in completely different pay tiers.

Film Actor Pay in 2026

SAG-AFTRA theatrical minimums (current)

These are the official floor — producers can pay more, never less:

• Day performer: $1,246/day
• Weekly performer: $4,326/week (five-day week; works out to roughly $865/day)
• Stunt performer: $1,246/day

A “day player” — an actor booked for a single day or a few days with a speaking role — gets the day rate. Book for a full week and the weekly rate applies. Overtime, holiday pay, meal penalties, and travel bumps stack on top.

What actors actually make per film

Scale is the floor, not the ceiling. Unknown actors in union indies often work at scale. Recognizable names negotiate above it, and A-list salaries (tens of millions per film) are a separate universe entirely. Most working union actors on mid-budget features earn somewhere between scale and several times scale, depending on the role, their quote, and their agent’s leverage.

Low-budget and non-union film

Not every film pays full scale. SAG-AFTRA has low-budget agreements where day rates can be roughly half of scale (around $630/day under the low-budget theatrical tables). Non-union indie films typically pay $100–$500/day as a market estimate, and some defer payment entirely. Always read the contract terms on a casting notice before you apply — pay terms should be stated up front.

[INTERNAL LINK: “how to read a casting call” — target page description: guide to understanding casting notices and contract terms]

TV Actor Pay in 2026

TV pay runs on weekly schedules rather than daily ones for most contracts, and the mechanics differ by format.

Network and basic cable

• A union day player (a small speaking role, sometimes called a “co-star” slot) generally earns in the low four figures per day — roughly aligned with the $1,246/day theatrical minimum, since many episodic contracts track near scale for short engagements.
• Guest stars typically earn a fixed fee per episode. Market ranges run roughly $5,000–$15,000+ per episode depending on the network, the show’s budget, the role, and the actor’s quote. This is an approximate market range, not a union minimum.
• Series regulars are negotiated per season and vary enormously — mid-five figures per episode on the low end to six and seven figures for established stars on hit shows.

Streaming

Streaming productions pay under the New Media agreements. Higher-budget streaming work generally tracks near traditional TV scale (roughly $4,000+/week for performers on qualifying productions, as a labeled approximate range). Lower-budget new media has its own lower tier — the special new media schedules set much smaller minimums for truly small productions. Streaming residuals exist but work differently than broadcast residuals, and they’re one of the most negotiated areas of current contracts.

Reality TV and unscripted

Reality performers are often not covered by SAG-AFTRA agreements, and pay varies drastically — from a few hundred dollars per day for background or minor roles in docu-style shows (market estimate) to negotiated fees for leads. Always check the contract type on the listing.

Commercial Actor Pay in 2026

Commercials are where the biggest gap exists between “a single day’s work” and “total earnings,” because of residuals and buyouts.

How commercial pay is structured

1. Session fee — what you’re paid for the shoot day(s). For a union on-camera principal, this is roughly in the low four figures per session (approximate market range; exact session fees depend on the contract and role).
2. Residuals — payments each time the commercial airs, based on market, frequency, and medium. A national network spot that runs heavily can generate residuals many times the session fee.
3. Buyouts — a flat fee instead of residuals. Common in non-union and digital work. A national non-union buyout might range roughly $1,000–$5,000+ for a single campaign, while regional or local buyouts can be a few hundred dollars (all market estimates).

Union vs. non-union commercials

Union commercial work (SAG-AFTRA commercials contract) pays a session fee plus residuals structured by usage — TV, digital, in-store, etc. Non-union commercials usually pay a flat session fee plus a usage buyout for a defined period (typically one year). The same one-day shoot can pay a few hundred dollars or tens of thousands depending on the contract and the buy.

This is also why commercial residuals can be the best paycheck in acting: a single national spot that runs for a year can earn an actor $20,000–$100,000+ in total compensation (approximate market range). On the flip side, many actors shoot national-quality spots that never air, and earn only the session fee.

Background Actor Pay in 2026

Background work (extras) is the entry point for many actors, and the rates are straightforward:

• Union background: $224/day
• Union special-ability background: $234/day (roles requiring a specific skill — swimming, skating, driving, etc.)
• Union stand-ins and photo doubles: $262/day
• Non-union background: typically $100–$200/day (market estimate)

Union background actors also get overtime after eight hours, meal penalties for late meals, and wardrobe fittings paid at an hourly rate. A 12-hour union background day with overtime can total roughly $300–$400+ (labeled estimate). Non-union background pay is often a flat day rate with no overtime premium, which is why a $150 non-union day and a $224 union day aren’t really comparable.

The Extras That Stack Onto Your Rate

Minimums are just the starting point. These additions apply across most union work:

• Overtime — time-and-a-half after 8 hours, double after 16.
• Meal penalties — paid when meals are served late, roughly $25 per half hour (approximate).
• Travel and per diem — location work pays travel time, lodging, and a daily per diem.
• Wardrobe bumps — additional pay for bringing your own wardrobe, hair, or makeup.
• Pension & Health contributions — producers contribute an additional ~21.5% of earnings toward the SAG-AFTRA health and pension plans. This isn’t cash in your pocket today, but it’s real compensation.

So What Do Working Actors Actually Make Per Year?

Median annual acting income is much lower than the day rates suggest, because most actors don’t work every day. The math:

• A union background actor working 50 days a year at $224/day grosses roughly $11,200 — before agent fees, taxes, and union dues.
• A day player landing 20 union day-player days at $1,246/day grosses roughly $24,920.
• A working guest-star actor booking a few episodic slots can clear $30,000–$60,000+ in a year (market estimate).

The gap between the day rate and the annual income is the hustle: auditions, bookings, dry spells, and competition. Actors who treat it as a business — tracking bookings, budgeting for dry months, and diversifying into commercial and background work — are the ones who make it sustainable.

[INTERNAL LINK: “how to become an actor with no experience” — target page description: beginner’s guide to starting an acting career]

Finding Gigs That Pay These Rates

Knowing the rates only helps if you can find the work. Every category above — union and non-union film roles, episodic TV, commercial sessions, and background calls — gets listed on Project Casting, the marketplace where TV, film, and advertising productions post casting calls and hire talent. Filter by role type, location, and pay to target the work that matches your goals, and apply directly.

FAQ

What is the SAG-AFTRA day rate in 2026?
The SAG-AFTRA day performer minimum is $1,246/day for the contract period July 1, 2025 through June 30, 2026 (the previous minimum expired June 30, 2023).

How much do background actors make per day?
Union background actors earn $224/day ($234/day for special-ability roles, $262/day for stand-ins and photo doubles), plus overtime and meal penalties. Non-union background work typically pays $100–$200/day as a market estimate.

How much do actors get paid per episode of TV?
It depends on the role. Union day players earn in the low four figures per day; guest stars typically earn roughly $5,000–$15,000+ per episode as a market range; series regulars are individually negotiated and vary enormously.

Do actors get paid more for commercials than movies?
They can. A single day shooting a commercial pays a session fee in the low four figures, but if the spot runs nationally, residuals or buyouts can push total earnings to $20,000–$100,000+ — sometimes more than a supporting film role at scale.

What is the difference between union and non-union pay?
Union (SAG-AFTRA) work guarantees enforceable minimums — $1,246/day or $4,326/week for performers — plus overtime, residuals, and pension/health contributions. Non-union pay is negotiated per project with no minimums, and typically runs lower, though high-budget non-union work can pay competitively.

Ready to put these rates to work? Browse casting calls on Project Casting and apply to film, TV, commercial, and background gigs today.