A union background actor (extra) on a SAG-AFTRA film or TV job earns at least $231 for an eight-hour day as of November 2026, with overtime after eight hours and "bumps" for things like wet work, wardrobe or bringing your car. Non-union extra pay has no union floor and varies by job. Here are the 2026 rates, how overtime and bumps work, commercial extra pay and how you get paid, checked on sagaftra.org.
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On a SAG-AFTRA film or TV job, a general background actor earns at least $231 a day from 1 July 2026 to 30 June 2027, for an eight-hour day. Special ability background actors get $10 more, and stand-ins and photo doubles get more again. These are minimums from SAG-AFTRA's 2026 theatrical wage table and television wage tables.
| Background category (film and TV) | Day rate from 1 July 2026 | From 1 July 2027 |
|---|---|---|
| General background actor | $231 | $238 |
| Special ability background actor | $241 | $248 |
| Stand-in or photo double | $270 | $278 |
| Choreographed swimmers and skaters | $597 | $615 |
As of November 2026, Schedule X (Parts I and II) of the SAG-AFTRA agreements, from sagaftra.org. Rates rise 3% each 1 July to 2030.
Special ability background actors are booked for a specific skill the scene calls for, and earn $241 a day from 1 July 2026.
Stand-ins take the place of a principal actor while the crew lights and lines up shots, and photo doubles appear on camera in place of a principal. Both earn $270 a day.
The wage table also lists a $150 adjustment when a photo double has to memorise and deliver scripted dialogue, or a stand-in is used as a rehearsal actor on a half-hour multi-camera series. The 2026 agreement adds $27 when a stand-in also works as background that day.
Your day rate covers eight hours of work, not counting meal breaks. After that, overtime kicks in, paid in tenths of an hour (six-minute units), according to SAG-AFTRA's background rate breakdown and background actors digest:
The digest also lists night premiums under Schedule X, Part II (the New York zone): 10% from 8pm to 1am and 20% from 1am to 6am. If a meal break is late, you earn a meal penalty: $7.50 for the first half hour, $10 for the second and $12.50 for each half hour after that.
A "bump" is extra money added to your day for something beyond walking through a scene. Here are the main ones under SAG-AFTRA's 2026 TV/Theatrical agreement, as of November 2026:
| Bump | Per day |
|---|---|
| Wet, snow or smoke work | $14 |
| Body make-up over half the body, spirit-gum hair pieces, a required full beard, or your own hairpiece | $21.50 |
| Extensive hair or make-up you do yourself to production's instructions (new in 2026) | $35 |
| Wearing a corset | $21.50 |
| Supplying a fur, national dress, non-police uniform or period wardrobe | $18 ($20 from 1 July 2027) |
| Supplying formal attire | $27 ($30 from 1 July 2027) |
| Supplying a police uniform | $36 ($40 from 1 July 2027) |
| Using your own car | $37.50 ($42.50 from 1 July 2027) |
| Using your own motorcycle | $37.50 ($41.25 from 1 July 2027) |
Bringing your own pet, luggage, golf clubs and similar props also earns a small daily allowance (the union's digest lists $23 a day for a pet). Make sure each bump is marked on your voucher.
On a union set, if you're asked to speak a line, production has to upgrade you to a principal performer contract. Kym Jackson explains that your pay goes up considerably and you're entitled to a credit. The principal day performer minimum is $1,283 from 1 July 2026, per the theatrical wage table.
On a non-union set, Kym's honest answer is that it isn't regulated, so you may or may not get more money for the line.
Commercials use a separate SAG-AFTRA contract. On the 2025 Commercials Contract rate sheet for 1 April 2026 to 31 March 2027, the session fee for a general extra is $466.60. That's more per day than film and TV background, but commercial shoots are fewer and further between.
Our commercial acting page covers how the commercial world works.
There's no union minimum for non-union background work, so pay is whatever the production offers. Where background actors are hired as employees, state and local minimum wage laws set the floor. In California, for example, the state minimum wage is $16.90 an hour from 1 January 2026, and the state's labour department notes some cities and counties set higher rates. Other states set their own, so check your state labour department.
If you use an extras booking service, Kym explains that the service charges you a monthly fee rather than taking a commission, so you keep your full rate from production.
You're paid after the job, not on the day. Your voucher is your record of the day, so check your hours and any bumps on it before you sign out.
Under Schedule X, Part I, the union digest says your cheque should be postmarked by the Thursday after the work week (Part II, the Friday). If it's late, the 2026 agreement raises the late payment charge to $5 a day, up to $125 per violation under Part I.
Kym is a big fan of this part of the union: SAG-AFTRA chases productions that pay late, so you don't have to.
Yes. SAG-AFTRA's steps to join page lists three days of work as a background actor under a SAG-AFTRA agreement as one way to become eligible. Note that the union says background vouchers themselves aren't accepted as proof of work, so keep your pay stubs.
Kym explains how non-union actors get those days: union productions must hire a minimum number of union background actors, and when some don't turn up, a non-union actor on set can be given the spot. Read more on what SAG-E means and how to become a background actor.
Each country's performers' union sets its own background rates: ACTRA in Canada, Equity in the UK and MEAA in Australia. We haven't listed their figures here because we couldn't confirm current numbers on their own sites today. Check the union's current rate sheet before you take a booking.
Union background actors on SAG-AFTRA film and TV earn at least $231 for an eight-hour day from 1 July 2026, plus overtime and bumps. Non-union pay varies and has no union minimum.
From 1 July 2026 to 30 June 2027: $231 a day for general background, $241 for special ability, and $270 for stand-ins and photo doubles. They rise to $238, $248 and $278 on 1 July 2027.
Yes, on union jobs. After eight hours, hours 9 and 10 are paid at time and a half and later hours at double time, in six-minute units.
A bump is extra pay for something beyond the basic job, such as $14 a day for wet or smoke work or $37.50 a day for using your own car under the 2026 SAG-AFTRA agreement.
On a SAG-AFTRA commercial, the session fee for a general extra is $466.60 from 1 April 2026 to 31 March 2027.
Not on the day. Under the union background rules, your cheque should be postmarked by the Thursday after the work week, and late payment earns a daily charge.
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All rates current from sagaftra.org and dir.ca.gov as of 3 November 2026.