How Do Professional Theater Actors Get Paid? (2024)

FAQs

How do theatre actors get paid? ›

Like screen actors, theater actors have their own union, Actors' Equity Association, which dictates the minimum salary its members must be paid. Every major professional theater in the U.S., including Broadway and Broadway tours, operate under an Equity contract. Theater actors are paid on a weekly basis.

However, that number can fluctuate wildly according to multiple factors. The number of jobs booked in a year, the budget of those jobs, and an Actor's union status can all contribute to a higher or lower annual income.

Best-Paying States for Actors

The states and districts that pay Actors the highest mean salary are Arizona ($73,200), California ($69,480), Wisconsin ($60,260), New Hampshire ($59,240), and Tennessee ($57,600).

Residuals are financial compensation paid out to actors whenever TV shows or movies they've appeared in are replayed.

As of Apr 24, 2024, the average monthly pay for an Actor in the United States is $4,741 a month.

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.

Expect to put in years of hard work before you see real, tangible results. Rejection is a constant (even for established actors!), so make sure that you can handle a long string of “nos” before finally landing that coveted “yes.”

Actors are some of the most well-compensated members of society, or at least those who make it to Hollywood are. And all actors who work on Screen Actors Guild movies (which is pretty much everyone in Hollywood) get paid, whether they appear in the finished product or not.

What is the highest paying acting role? ›

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.

Working for free as an actor often gets a bad rap. Many argue that unpaid gigs devalue actors' work and undercut industry standards. However, the reality is more nuanced. While actors should avoid blatant exploitation, some free jobs offer real benefits and can be strategic career moves if approached carefully.

So, do all actors get paid for reruns? According to the Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists, some do and some don't. For principal performers, royalties can lead to long-term payoffs that trump the original salary.

The vast majority of community theaters do not pay their actors, and nearly everyone who participates does so on a voluntary basis. That said, community theaters are still real productions, so it's important to take the commitment seriously even if it comes without a paycheck.

Under SAG-AFTRA and Equity contracts, actors are guaranteed a set rate of pay for both rehearsal and performance. The rate changes over time as union contracts are renegotiated, and it's influenced by the details of the production.

How much do actors on Broadway make? Broadway is entirely unionized by a union known as “Equity”. “Equity Scale”, which is the minimum pay for any performer on Broadway, is $2,034 a week. However, a top performer can take in $100,000 a week and established stars can make more based on a percentage of ticket sales.