Commercial actors earn an $822.30 session fee for an on-camera shoot under the 2025 SAG-AFTRA Commercials Contract, and that session fee is the smallest number in the deal. Residuals, the payments triggered every time the ad actually runs, are where a commercial career earns its money. A national spot in heavy rotation can pay one actor more over a year than a supporting role in a film.
Want to price a commercial year against film or TV work? Use our free Actor Salary Calculator with the 2025–26 union rates built in.
What the session fee actually pays
The on-camera principal rate for an 8-hour shoot is $822.30 under the 2025 SAG-AFTRA Commercials Contract, effective April 2025 and carrying negotiated raises of 5% in year one, 4% in year two, and 3% in year three. Off-camera, voice-only work pays a lower session fee. On top of the session, the advertiser pays a 23.5% pension and health contribution, which is how a single commercial booking can count toward union health coverage.
Where the real money comes from: residuals
Residuals are separate payments tied to use, not to the shoot day. Every cycle a commercial airs generates a new payment, and the formula depends on where and how the spot runs. Class A network usage pays per airing, so a spot shown during high-value programming can trigger a residual check every time it runs. Wired cable and streaming usage pay flat rates per 13-week cycle instead, regardless of how many times the spot actually airs within that window.
Holding fees and exclusivity
While a brand keeps a commercial in potential rotation, even between airings, the actor receives a holding fee for each 13-week cycle. That fee does two things at once: it compensates the actor for staying attached to the spot, and it keeps them exclusive against competing brands in the same product category. That exclusivity is the hidden cost of the job. An actor holding a soda commercial cannot shoot for a competing soda brand for as long as the hold is in effect, even if no new work for the original brand comes in that quarter.
How big a national campaign gets
A session fee multiplied across a long run of Class A airings is where commercial pay stops looking like a day job and starts looking like a royalty stream. A national campaign in heavy rotation multiplies the original $822.30 many times over, and a spot that stays in rotation for a year can out-earn a supporting role in a film. Weekend and holiday shoot days add double time on top of the base session rate, and the 2025 contract also updated compensation for digital and streaming usage, catching pay structures up to advertising that has moved off linear TV, according to trade coverage of the 2025 memorandum of agreement.
Non-union commercials pay a flat fee, once
Non-union commercials skip the residual system entirely. Actors are paid a flat buyout, typically a few hundred to a few thousand dollars, and that is the entire payment regardless of how long or how widely the spot runs. There are no residuals, no holding fees, and no pension and health contribution. Producers get lower up-front cost and no ongoing use payments; the actor gets the same check whether the ad airs twice or runs for years.
How commercial pay compares to the rest of the industry
| Work | Rate | Contract |
|---|---|---|
| Film, day performer | $1,246 / day | SAG-AFTRA theatrical, Jul 2025 to Jun 2026 |
| TV commercial, on-camera session | $822.30 / session | 2025 Commercials Contract (residuals extra) |
| Background actor | $224 / day | SAG-AFTRA background rate, Jul 2025 to Jun 2026 |
The session fee alone sits between a background day and a film day rate, which is exactly why residuals matter so much for commercial work. Two actors can shoot the identical spot on the identical day and walk away with very different totals a year later, based entirely on where and how often the ad runs. Our full actor pay guide lines up every rung of the industry, and our background actor breakdown covers the rate at the other end of the table.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much do commercial actors make per commercial?
The session fee is $822.30 for an on-camera shoot under the 2025 SAG-AFTRA Commercials Contract. Residuals on top of that session are what determine the real total, and a national spot in heavy rotation can push earnings from one commercial into five and six figures over its run.
Do commercial actors get paid every time the ad airs?
It depends on where the spot runs. Class A network usage pays a residual per airing. Cable and streaming usage pay a flat rate per 13-week cycle instead of per airing, regardless of how many times the ad actually shows during that window.
How much are commercial residuals?
Residuals scale with usage: how widely a spot airs, on what kind of media, and for how long it stays in rotation. That is why two actors who shot the identical commercial on the identical day can end up with completely different totals, depending on how their spot gets used after the shoot.
How much do non-union commercials pay?
Non-union work pays a flat buyout, generally a few hundred to a few thousand dollars, with no residuals, no holding fees, and no pension and health contribution. That flat number is the entire payment no matter how long the ad ends up running.