The average wage for an actor in the United States is around $0.92 per hour.
Avg Wage
Actors earn an average hourly wage of $0.92.
Salaries typically start from $0.58 per hour and go up to $1.45 per hour.
97% below national average Updated in 2023
Actor earnings by seniority
90th percentile
Top-level actor earnings begin at:
$1.45 per hour
$3,011 per year
75th percentile
Senior-level actor earnings begin at:
$1.17 per hour
$2,427 per year
50th percentile
Mid-level actor earnings begin at:
$0.92 per hour
$1,909 per year
25th percentile
Junior-level actor earnings begin at:
$0.72 per hour
$1,502 per year
10th percentile
Starting level actor earnings begin at:
$0.58 per hour
$1,211 per year
Approximate values based on highest and lowest earning segments.
Actor salary by state
| State Name | Average Salary |
|---|---|
| New Jersey | $74,298 |
| California | $62,046 |
| New York | $58,531 |
| Maryland | $50,274 |
| Colorado | $48,818 |
| Pennsylvania | $48,797 |
| Oklahoma | $48,568 |
| Washington | $48,464 |
| Nevada | $47,050 |
| Hawaii | $44,942 |
| Arizona | $43,139 |
| Massachusetts | $38,730 |
| Wisconsin | $38,584 |
| South Dakota | $38,272 |
| Florida | $37,918 |
| Illinois | $37,482 |
| Texas | $36,899 |
| New Hampshire | $36,442 |
| District of Columbia | $34,736 |
| Minnesota | $34,154 |
| South Carolina | $33,426 |
| Louisiana | $30,555 |
| Indiana | $30,139 |
| Missouri | $30,118 |
| Michigan | $29,515 |
| Tennessee | $29,141 |
| Kansas | $26,000 |
| Oregon | $25,168 |
| Iowa | $23,795 |
| Georgia | $23,650 |
| Ohio | $19,635 |
| Utah | $18,221 |
How do actor salaries compare to similar careers?
Actors earn 84% less than similar careers in the United States. On average, they make less than announcers but more than dancers.
| Career | Median Salary |
|---|---|
| Announcer salary | $27K |
| Music artist salary | $20K |
| Performer salary | $13K |
| Singer salary | $7K |
| Choreographer salary | $5K |
| Actor salary | $2K |
| Dancer salary | $1K |
Source: CareerExplorer (Aggregated)