The average wage for an actor in California is around $29.83 per hour.
Avg Wage
Actors earn an average hourly wage of $29.83.
Salaries typically start from $18.94 per hour and go up to $74.37 per hour.
3% above national average Updated in 2021
Actor earnings by seniority
90th percentile
Top-level actor earnings begin at:
$74.37 per hour
$154,690 per year
75th percentile
Senior-level actor earnings begin at:
$47.22 per hour
$98,218 per year
50th percentile
Mid-level actor earnings begin at:
$29.83 per hour
$62,046 per year
25th percentile
Junior-level actor earnings begin at:
$23.76 per hour
$49,421 per year
10th percentile
Starting level actor earnings begin at:
$18.94 per hour
$39,395 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 about the same as related careers in California. On average, they make less than talent agents but more than performers.
| Career | Median Salary |
|---|---|
| Talent agent salary | $99K |
| Music artist salary | $84K |
| Singer salary | $84K |
| Actor salary | $62K |
| Choreographer salary | $77K |
| Conductor salary | $59K |
| Announcer salary | $49K |
| Performer salary | $49K |
Source: CareerExplorer (Aggregated)