It depends on the role. On a SAG-AFTRA show from 1 July 2026, a co-star hired by the day earns at least $1,283 a day, a guest star on a "major role" deal earns at least $7,057 for a half-hour episode or $11,290 for a one-hour episode, and series regulars earn weekly minimums from $4,456 to $6,996 depending on the show length and episode guarantee. Established actors negotiate above these floors. Kym and our experts explain how each deal works.
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Not everyone is paid "per episode". Under SAG-AFTRA's TV contracts, the deal type decides how you're paid: day performers by the day, weekly performers by the week, guest stars on a major role deal by the episode, and series regulars under a weekly series contract with a guaranteed number of episodes. All figures on this page are union minimums for the year from 1 July 2026, from the 2026-30 SAG-AFTRA wage tables. Minimums rise 3% each 1 July until 2029, under the 2026 TV/Theatrical contracts members ratified in June 2026.
For every SAG-AFTRA rate in one place, including film and background, see our SAG-AFTRA rates page. This page is about how TV deals work.
Most co-stars are day performers, so it's the day rate times the days you work. Kym explains that a co-star can be booked for as many days as the show needs, and the fee is based on the number of days worked.
| TV minimums from 1 July 2026 | Amount |
|---|---|
| Day performer (most co-stars) | $1,283 a day |
| 3-day performer, half-hour or one-hour show | $3,252 |
| Weekly performer | $4,456 a week |
So a one-day co-star on a union show earns at least $1,283 for that episode, before overtime or any other adjustments. Our day player page covers the role itself.
A full guest star is hired on a "major role" contract: one fee for the episode, however many days you work. Kym told us that's why shows sometimes book a two or three day role as a co-star instead, because paying the full guest star fee for a short schedule costs more.
| Major role (guest star) minimums from 1 July 2026 | Per episode |
|---|---|
| Half-hour show | $7,057 |
| One-hour show | $11,290 |
The wage tables describe both as 10% above the day performer rate for 5 or 8 days, and they apply to network prime time series, pay TV series and high budget streaming series. There's also a one-day guest star deal for roles that shoot in a single day; under the 2026 contract, SAG-AFTRA says its minimum rises to day performer scale plus 10%.
Recurring guest stars are paid each time they're booked. The 2026 deal adds a boost for recurring weekly performers who appear in more than 60% of a season's episodes, with seasons starting from 1 January 2027 paying 120% of scale for those extra episodes.
Series regulars sign a series contract with a weekly minimum, which rises as the number of guaranteed episodes falls:
| Series contract minimums from 1 July 2026 | Half-hour show | One-hour show |
|---|---|---|
| 13 or more episodes guaranteed | $4,456 a week | $5,361 a week |
| 7 to 12 episodes guaranteed | $5,101 a week | $5,981 a week |
| 6 episodes guaranteed | $5,947 a week | $6,996 a week |
Kym explains the difference between the two top-tier jobs: the leads, from one to about six or seven actors, are in every episode and carry the story, while a series regular may have only a scene or two in an episode and miss some entirely. Many regulars negotiate above these minimums, which is where your agent comes in.
Ben Whitehair explains that scale is simply the minimum a union contract allows a producer to pay. Everything above it is negotiated, usually by your agent, before you arrive on set. If your contract on the day doesn't match what was agreed, Ben's advice is not to sign until you've called your agent or manager so they can sort it out with production.
Your bargaining power comes from your credits, your profile and how much the show wants you. A first co-star is often paid at scale; a recognisable actor's deal can include a much higher episodic fee and extras such as billing.
On union shows, yes: residuals are paid when an episode is reused, such as reruns, streaming and other markets. Shaked Berenson explains that residuals are negotiated collectively by the unions and paid from the top of a project's revenue, unlike backend points, which only pay out of profit. Ben Whitehair adds that non-union projects basically never pay residuals.
The 2026 contract raised some streaming residuals: SAG-AFTRA's summary says residuals for shows moving to subscription streaming services rise by an average of 5%. Our guide to residuals explains how they're calculated.
Less than the headline. Kym told us the standard theatrical agent commission in Hollywood is 10%, and a manager takes their own share on top; our page on how much agents take has the detail. Then there are union dues and tax. Our guide to how actors get paid walks through how the money reaches you, and a tax professional can advise on your situation.
Because they're private deals that are rarely confirmed, and they often bundle in producing fees, backend or other terms that aren't an episode fee at all. We don't repeat celebrity figures here. For a working actor, the useful numbers are the union minimums above and what comparable actors at your level are being offered, which your agent knows.
Our experts split on it. Chris Roe told us guest star auditions are always worth doing, unless you're at superstar level, because even series regulars go back to guest roles when a show ends. He confirmed some agents only submit certain clients for series regular roles, but only actors with a solid history of them. Ben Whitehair sees two valid schools of thought: take every job and build relationships, or be strategic and go out for fewer, bigger roles. Either way, decide it with your team.
This is general information; check the current SAG-AFTRA rate sheet for your contract and talk to your representative about your deal.
On a SAG-AFTRA show from 1 July 2026, a guest star on a major role deal earns at least $7,057 for a half-hour episode and $11,290 for a one-hour episode.
Most co-stars are day performers paid at least $1,283 a day from 1 July 2026, so a one-day co-star earns at least $1,283 for the episode.
Series contracts set weekly minimums from 1 July 2026 of $4,456 to $5,947 on half-hour shows and $5,361 to $6,996 on one-hour shows, depending on episodes guaranteed. Many negotiate more.
On union shows, yes. Residuals are paid when episodes are reused on TV or streaming. Non-union projects basically never pay residuals.
Yes. Under the 2026 TV/Theatrical contracts, minimums rise 3% on 1 July each year from 2026 to 2029.
Deal types, scale, residuals and who's who on a production all make more sense once you know how the business fits together. Your Free Film Industry Guide is a good place to start.
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All rates current from amptp.org and sagaftra.org as of 10 November 2026.