10 ways to make money as an actor (2024)

FAQs

How to make money as an actor? ›

How else can an actor make money? Actors can be paid for more than just film, television, and theater. You can make money doing commercials, doing corporate and educational videos, appearing in music videos, and doing voiceover work. All of those jobs, if you are a union actor, have a minimum base pay.

Work in a flexible job

Become a script reader, write your own material and find bases where you can perform them, get involved with new writing and scratch night events, become a member of an improv troupe, produce your own films for which you can write.

Adam Sandler's four film projects of 2023 propelled him to an annual salary of $73m (£57m), making him the highest-paid performer in Hollywood, according to Forbes magazine.

How much does an Actor Entry Level make? As of Apr 29, 2024, the average annual pay for an Actor Entry Level in the United States is $45,141 a year. Just in case you need a simple salary calculator, that works out to be approximately $21.70 an hour. This is the equivalent of $868/week or $3,761/month.

The most common way for a beginner to gain acting experience is through auditioning for commercials and small roles in movies, such as extras. Submit yourself for local casting calls and auditions. Depending on where you live, audition information can be found in local publications or casting sites.

Actors can browse the available roles, submit their headshots, resumes, and audition tapes as specified in the casting notices. Additionally, some Netflix productions may work with casting agencies, so having a talent agent with connections to these agencies can be beneficial in securing auditions.

“It depends on the flexibility of the job, of course, but if you were to book a costar on television that shoots one day, it is totally possible to accommodate that booking. Taking on lead roles can be more of a time commitment and can be more challenging if you have a 9-5 job.”

Is actor a high paying job? ›

How Much Does an Actor Make? Actors made a median salary of $35,880 in 2022. The best-paid 25% made $59,260 that year, while the lowest-paid 25% made $31,220.

Job and Salary Overview for Actors

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the median hourly wage for actors as of May 2021 was $31.31 (www.bls.gov). Wages ranged from $11.16 or less for the bottom 10% of workers to $61.98 or more for the top 10% of workers.

What makes a bad actor? Bad actors often overact, exaggerating the performance in a way that takes the audience out of the narrative. They are inauthentic. You don't believe what they're saying, the emotions they are expressing, or their movements onscreen or onstage.

Fear: Your fears and self-doubt can immensely keep you from progressing as an actor. It can totally shatter your career even before it takes off. Acknowledge your fears and give them some time. With time, you will learn how to overcome them and might even forget you were afraid of what you are regularly doing.

While it's true that acting can be unpredictable, especially in the early stages, it is possible to make a living solely from acting work. With persistence, hard work, and smart financial choices, an acting career can become lucrative over time.

As of Apr 29, 2024, the average monthly pay for an Actor in the United States is $4,741 a month. While ZipRecruiter is seeing monthly salaries as high as $11,625 and as low as $1,292, the majority of Actor salaries currently range between $2,500 (25th percentile) to $3,833 (75th percentile) across the United States.

While it's true that acting can be unpredictable, especially in the early stages, it is possible to make a living solely from acting work. With persistence, hard work, and smart financial choices, an acting career can become lucrative over time.

Performers: $1,082/day. On a film with a budget of at least $2 million, under the SAG-AFTRA theatrical contract, the minimum day rate is currently $1,082 per day, and $3,756 for the week. Extras: $187/day.