What is the average income of an actor? The median hourly wage for actors was $17.94 in May 2022. Actor salary in India with less than 1 year of experience to 11 years ranges from ₹ 0.2 Lakhs to ₹ 20.0 Lakhs with an average annual salary of ₹ 2.8 Lakhs based on 132 latest salaries. An Actor working in Russia will typically earn around 1,510,400 RUB per year.
Earnings depend on experience, popularity, location, and project size.
Screen Actors Guild Statistics
The Screen Actors Guild (SAG) specifies minimum pay. In 2019 SAG actors earned $45,579 on average. The top 25% made over $58,580. The bottom 25% made under $25,180. Dwayne Johnson was the world’s highest paid actor at $89.4 million. Scarlett Johansson was the highest paid actress at $56 million.
Income Variables and Statistics
Big stars can earn $15-$20 million per movie. Some get more from profit-sharing deals. Between films they can make $1.5-$4.5 million. Extras usually get $100-$200 per day. Pay is higher for speaking roles. Child actors earn similar to extras unless they negotiate better deals.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics says actors made a median $39.84 per hour in 2016. The bottom 10% made under $9.39 per hour. The top 10% made over $100 per hour. Median pay in motion pictures and video was $50.88 per hour.
Jennifer Lawrence was the highest paid actress in 2020. Robert Downey Jr. was the highest paid actor. Keanu Reeves has the biggest single-movie payday in history. Actors’ wages dropped 56% since 2013 after inflation, falling faster than other entertainment jobs.
But most performers work long hours under stress for less pay than their skills merit. Making it in acting requires perseverance and a willingness to start small.