Actors are paid by the production, usually through an entertainment payroll company that treats you as an employee and withholds tax. On a SAG-AFTRA job, a day performer must be paid within five working days. Your agent and manager take their commission, generally 10% for an agent, and residuals arrive later. Here is how the money moves, with what Kym and our experts told us.
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The production company does, but the cheque rarely comes from the production itself. Most union film and TV jobs run through an entertainment payroll company, which becomes the employer of record for your paperwork, tax withholding and union contributions. Three of the best known: Entertainment Partners (ep.com), Cast & Crew (castandcrew.com) and Wrapbook (wrapbook.com), all of which describe themselves as payroll for film and TV production.
Producer Shaked Berenson told us the payroll company also keeps the production's records for years, because it calculates residuals later.
Faster than most freelancers. As of November 2026, SAG-AFTRA's theatrical and TV production checklist says day performers must be paid no later than five working days after each day of work. Three-day and weekly performers must be paid by the Thursday of the week after the work week (the Friday, on overnight locations).
If the money is late, the production owes late payment damages. The union's 2026 TV/Theatrical agreement keeps the charge at $10 a day per performer and lifts the cap to $250 per violation. Background actors have their own schedule, covered on our extras pay page.
What you're paid is at least "scale", which Ben Whitehair defines simply as the minimum SAG-AFTRA has negotiated for that job. For a film or TV day performer, that's $1,283 from 1 July 2026, per the 2026 theatrical wage table. Every rate is on our SAG-AFTRA rates page.
Often, yes. Kym told us she prefers her rep to receive her pay, take their commission and send her the rest. If the cheque comes to you instead, you write your rep a commission cheque, and Kym's tip is to drop it off in person: it's a rare excuse to say hi.
Commercial residuals often arrive the same way. Shaan Sharma told us the agency usually receives the money, takes its commission and forwards your share with a line-by-line breakdown. Whichever way it flows, check your contract before you sign it on set. Ben Whitehair's advice is to call your agent before signing if something doesn't match what they negotiated.
SAG-AFTRA's page on agents and managers says franchised agents are generally limited to a 10% commission and managers generally charge 10 to 15%, as of November 2026. Agents are generally licensed by the state; managers are not.
Kym's breakdown matches. Theatrical agents in Hollywood take 10%. Most LA managers take 10%, and managers who build "developmental" clients often take 15%. If you sign at 15%, Kym suggests a clause that drops it to 10% once you've earned a set amount, so one big booking doesn't cost you dearly.
Your manager usually commissions everything you book, even jobs you find yourself, Kym says. Your theatrical agent does not commission your commercials; your commercial agent does.
It depends on the job. Shaan Sharma told us that on union commercials, the agent's 10% is commonly paid by the client on top of your rate, so you keep the full scale fee. On non-union commercials he sees agents take a bigger cut, often 20%, straight out of your pay, and sometimes collect a fee from the client as well.
His advice: know exactly how your agency is paid on each job. A new rep also has no claim on old work. Kym is clear that you never owe a new agent or manager commission on residuals from jobs you booked before you signed.
Residuals are payments for reuse of your work beyond what your first pay cheque covered. For film, TV and new media, SAG-AFTRA's residuals process page explains that the cheques come from the studio or payroll house, not the union, but they are routed through SAG-AFTRA, which matches them to statements and mails them or sends them by direct deposit. The union's residuals page says to expect them within 60 days of it receiving the payment.
Commercial residuals skip the union: SAG-AFTRA says payroll companies mail them directly. And non-union work, as Ben Whitehair puts it, basically never pays residuals. Our understanding residuals and commercial pay pages go deeper.
On most union film and TV jobs you're an employee, so tax is withheld and you get a W-2. Entertainment Partners' W-2 page says that if you fill in a start packet with your own Social Security number, your wages are reported on a W-2, and that it does not pay independent contractors. Some non-union jobs pay you as a contractor with nothing withheld, so set money aside.
Chris Roe told us the rules on deducting commission have changed for individuals, and Ajarae Coleman's rule is to track every business expense. This is general information only: check with a tax professional for your situation.
The same way, with one big difference: in California, New York and some other states, the employer must send at least 15% of a child's gross pay straight into a blocked trust, often called a Coogan account. Our Coogan account page explains each state's rules, and how much child actors make covers pay rates and commission.
On a union job, the contract sets your minimum, the payment deadline and the penalty if it's late. On non-union work, none of that is guaranteed: pay, timing and any reuse fee are whatever you agree. Get the rate, the payment date and how you'll be paid in writing before the shoot day.
Our union vs non-union and how to join SAG-AFTRA pages cover the trade-offs.
Actors are paid by the production, usually through an entertainment payroll company that handles tax withholding and union contributions. The cheque or direct deposit often goes to your agent, who takes their commission and sends you the rest.
On a SAG-AFTRA film or TV job, day performers must be paid within five working days of each day worked, and weekly performers by the Thursday after the work week. Late pay earns damages under the union contract.
Weekly performers on union jobs are paid each week, by the Thursday after the work week. Day performers are paid per day worked, within five working days.
SAG-AFTRA says franchised agents are generally limited to a 10% commission. Managers generally charge 10 to 15%.
For film, TV and new media, the studio or payroll house sends residual cheques through SAG-AFTRA, which processes them and pays performers, usually within 60 days. Commercial residuals are mailed directly by payroll companies.
On most union jobs actors are employees and receive a W-2 from the payroll company. Some non-union jobs pay actors as independent contractors, so check with a tax professional.
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All rates current from sagaftra.org, sagaftra.org/young-performers and ep.com as of 7 November 2026.