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Several reputable sources have released data regarding the salaries of professionals working in Hollywood. It contains surprising information on their salaries, from studio tour guides to audio pros and the biggest stars. Reports appear in many places on the internet, ranging from search engines to articles on social media. The various report’s sources include industry insiders and transparent partnering companies.
Contrary to popular belief, starting at the bottom isn’t completely terrible in Hollywood. Studio tour guides receive $26 an hour to educate tourists, while craft services-responsible for food and beverages for the cast and crew-make $1200 a week. Audio gaffers earn $45 an hour, working between 10 and 15 weeks for each film.
Actor’s salaries depend on experience. An extra’s fees are usually $150 to $200 per day. Rookies can expect from $15,000 to $20,000 per episode while more experienced vets earn between $75,000 and $150,000. Actors in starring roles, like Jim Parsons of “The Big Bang Theory”, can earn millions per episode. Television actors depend on seasonal raises and contract renegotiations to keep salaries at market value.
Film actors earn more than their television counterparts. Supporting actors can produce several hundred thousand dollars for their roles, while established stars can make multimillions. For instance, Chris Pratt received nearly $10 million for “Jurassic World” and Robert Downey Jr. made $50 million for “The Avengers.”
Television writers earn $20,000 per episode for a successful show with raises for additional seasons. Script supervisors make $7,000 an episode.
Film writers generally earn more than television writers. Some film writers make over $1 million per script. Film doctors, who fix script errors by rewriting, will make around $500,000 for just a few weeks of intensive work.
Television creators do pretty well even if they aren’t the main writer of the episodes. For instance, Vince Gilligan (of “Breaking Bad”) made $50,000 for each “Better Call Saul” episode.
Television camera operators make $75 an hour. With an 8-hour work day for drama episodes, they earn about $8,000 per episode. Sitcom camera operators, who film less scenes, make a little less. Television directors make between $35,000 and $42,000 for sitcom and drama episodes, respectively. The director of a pilot episode, which gets picked up, will get paid for every episode thereafter-even if they aren’t the director. Joe Carnahan, who directed the pilot for “The Blacklist”, received $5,000 for each subsequent episode.
Film director’s salaries vary. Assistant directors earn $8,000 a week, or $120,000 to $160,000 per film, and various unit directors make $20,000 a week. The main director can make between $500,000 and $50 million per film. Top directors like Stephen Spielberg and Michael Baye gross tens of millions for a huge hit. Producers make a bit less, between $1 million and $2 million per film.
Not every behind-the-scenes job is directly behind the camera. Talented makeup artists average $60 an hour for 14 weeks of filming. Costume designers’ salaries are usually between $3,000 and $12,000 depending on the size of the job. Wig makers can take home around $1,500 a week. Prop masters earn $45 an hour for a 20-week schedule.
Executives made the most money in the industry. Television studio chiefs typically earn a few million. Steve Mosko, president of Sony Pictures Television, took home just under $3 million last year. Film studio chiefs can earn a couple million more. Both jobs include six to eight digit bonuses.
This list does not encompass every job in television and film, it barely scratches the surface. The industry is complicated; salaries are dependent on budgets, experience and effort. However, it’s surprising that some directors and actors make tens of millions while others earn only a fraction. Although there can be the argument that salaries are an inequity in Hollywood, it can be equally asserted that the industry provides solid economic data that let’s current and future staff know what to expect from their compensation.
