Actor earnings by seniority

90th percentile

Top-level actor earnings begin at:

$40.15 per hour

$83,521 per year

75th percentile

Senior-level actor earnings begin at:

$29.50 per hour

$61,356 per year

50th percentile

Mid-level actor earnings begin at:

$20.94 per hour

$43,555 per year

25th percentile

Junior-level actor earnings begin at:

$14.86 per hour

$30,919 per year

10th percentile

Starting level actor earnings begin at:

$10.92 per hour

$22,714 per year

Approximate values based on highest and lowest earning segments.

Actor salary by state

State Name Average Salary
Illinois $46,113
Hawaii $44,942
California $43,555
Pennsylvania $41,677
Nevada $39,998
Texas $38,126
Arizona $37,587
New Hampshire $36,442
District of Columbia $34,736
Florida $34,445
Minnesota $34,154
South Carolina $33,426
Missouri $32,386
Michigan $29,515
Massachusetts $29,120
Tennessee $28,808
New York $28,124
Washington $26,500
New Jersey $26,000
Indiana $24,928
Ohio $20,093
Georgia $19,739
Louisiana $19,074

How do actor salaries compare to similar careers?

Actors earn 18% less than similar careers in California. On average, they make less than singers but more than costume attendants.

Career Median Salary
Singer salary $64K
Announcer salary $48K
Choreographer salary $60K
Conductor salary $52K
Performer salary $37K
Actor salary $44K
Dancer salary $42K
Costume attendant salary $43K

Source: CareerExplorer (Aggregated)