How much are SAG commercial residuals?
The 45% residual rate covers the year immediately following the first 90 days of exhibition. The year after is 40% and the residual percentage decreases to 35% for year three.
What factors are my residuals based on? Residuals are based on formulas that take into account such things as the contract in place during the specific year, time spent on the production, the production type and the market where the product appears (TV, video/DVD, pay television, basic cable, new media).
SAG commercial rates depend on where and how many times the commercial is aired. Instead of a weekly or day rate, principal actors in SAG commercials earn $89 dollars an hour. However, a producer must pay a fee to air the ad, followed by additional charges each time it airs.
Residual compensation is really where commercial actors make most of their money. If a National SAG Commercial is shown often, actors will earn anywhere from $5,000 to $60,000 for their one day of work in a commercial!
Most commercials run two 13 week cycles or less. After you see the commercial on TV, residuals are paid about every two weeks. Since your agent or manager might have to process them as well, you can probably expect your first residual check about a month after the commercial airs.
Do actors get paid for commercial reruns? Residuals are compensation paid to union actors each time their commercial or television work airs. Residuals are also paid to performers in motion pictures after the piece's initial use. Residuals pay on a sliding scale.
A common rate for a single day of background work is between $100 and $200. SAG talent earns more—sometimes a lot more—than their nonunion counterparts, but pay is much less uniform. The base rate for background work in 2021 is roughly $170 per day, but there are a number of stipulations that affect that number.
Performers may join SAG upon proof of employment. Employment must be in a principal or speaking role in a SAG film, videotape, television program or commercial.
In 2019, SAG-AFTRA made an agreement with Netflix that applied to any scripted projects produced and distributed by the platform. The agreement established a residual structure for works licensed and produced by the streaming giant.
Session payment for a commercial is due 15 business days after the session.
Do SAG actors get paid for rehearsals?
Rehearsal is paid at the same rate as for photography. If a weekly performer rehearses for less than a week, the rehearsal days may be pro-rated, provided that the performer does not receive less than the day performer minimum per day.
Initial payment: The initial payment compensates you for your time on set. Residuals: Also known as royalties, residuals are a form of secondary payment that you might relieve each time the commercial airs.

Salaries for commercial actors are paid per production and depend on a complex combination of program type, number of performers, media, coverage and number of uses. For example, principals refer to actors who are the focus of the effort.
Percentile | Salary | Location |
---|---|---|
25th Percentile TV Commercial Actor or Actress Salary | $60,554 | US |
50th Percentile TV Commercial Actor or Actress Salary | $73,482 | US |
75th Percentile TV Commercial Actor or Actress Salary | $89,718 | US |
90th Percentile TV Commercial Actor or Actress Salary | $104,500 | US |
“If you're doing a show and you're not an executive producer and own it, then you get residuals which can amount to checks from $2 to $2,000.”
What is the average length of commercial breaks in a 1-hour TV show? According to data made available by Statista, the average time for commercials made available by the main TV channels in the US ranges from 12 to 17 minutes per hour.
Residuals are subject to the 10 percent commission only if they are "over scale." Therefore, minor amounts will not result in fees to agents. When the residuals are subject to agent fees, the commission is paid to the agent who obtained the work, not the agent at the time of the payment.
Actors (other than background actors) get paid again when a performance is rerun. In TV's past, those payments ended after a certain number of replays; now they can go on forever — making those “Law & Order” reruns an annuity for the actors.
Basic cable channel TV One confirmed that it still airs "The Cosby Show" reruns. Reruns generated more than $1.5 billion over two decades, according to a 2017 Forbes estimate.
How much does a TV Commercial Actor or Actress make hourly in the United States? The average hourly wage for a TV Commercial Actor or Actress in the United States is $35 as of December 27, 2022, but the salary range typically falls between $29 and $43.
Can you make a living off being an extra?
The payment model for extras is very simplistic and standard. It usually breakdowns down into two ways of paying extras: per hour (rarely) and per day (most common). Extras do not get paid much, but if you're doing this on a regular basis, you can definitely make a living.
That's because extras get no residuals. When you become a bigger part of the show, however, that changes. The next step up from an extra is a day player. If you get a line of dialogue in a show or have a scripted physical interaction with a character (called “special business”), you qualify for residuals.
Don't over act – act naturally. It is strictly not permitted to talk to the actors, ask for autographs, take photographs, or use recording equipment of any kind. This can result in you being dismissed immediately without pay.
A single 30-second spot costs an advertiser around $4.5 million, so it's no surprise that the celebrities who, more and more, are appearing in them also collect a big payday. “It ranges from $500,000 to $2 million depending on the commercial and the celebrity,” says one local ad exec who's worked on Super Bowl spots.
Annual Base dues are $227.42. In addition, work dues are calculated at 1.575 percent of covered earnings up to $750,000. Broadcast members should contact the National Broadcast Department or their Local for more information on initiation fees.
Actors cannot take a nonunion job unless the producer agrees to hire them on a union contract, also known as becoming a “SAG-AFTRA signatory.” The union actually encourages members to audition for nonunion jobs so that those actors can convince more producers to work on a SAG contract.
Explanation of Disbursement of Residual Payments After Death
Your residuals will be disbursed pursuant to the terms of your will (or trust document) or under intestacy law if you do not have a will, as well as under the terms of community property as may apply.
Failure to pay percentage dues will result in termination from membership. Also note: An inactive member continues to be subject to all provisions of the Constitution as though he or she were an active member.
Process. Residuals are administered by the unions—SAG-AFTRA, the Directors Guild of America (DGA), and the Writers Guild of America (WGA)—for their members, who are paid between one and four months after the air date. According to SAG-AFTRA, it processes around 1.5 million residual checks a year.
The SAG day rate is $1,082, and $3,756 for the week. Valid from 7/1/22 through 6/30/23: Budget Range: Greater than $2MM. SAG Day Rate: $1,082 / Day.
How long does it take to get paid for a sag commercial?
Session payment for a commercial is due 15 business days after the session.
As you budget SAG payroll, it's important to note that the minimum daily rate applies to standard 8-hour work days, or 10-hour work days for most weekly players. (Check here for current SAG minimum rates.)
A single 30-second spot costs an advertiser around $4.5 million, so it's no surprise that the celebrities who, more and more, are appearing in them also collect a big payday. “It ranges from $500,000 to $2 million depending on the commercial and the celebrity,” says one local ad exec who's worked on Super Bowl spots.
Salaries for commercial actors are paid per production and depend on a complex combination of program type, number of performers, media, coverage and number of uses. For example, principals refer to actors who are the focus of the effort.
How much does Flo from Progressive make? According to reports, Courtney, who plays Flo in Progressive, earns $1 million each year for her role. Only a few other performers who appear in commercials get as much money as this.
You need to obtain 3 SAG vouchers by doing extra work, or get cast in a SAG production in a principle role. Each union production that uses extras has to use a certain number of union extras before they can start using non-union people.