A common question for people visiting Stand-In Central is how much stand-ins in film and television are paid.
Usually stand-ins are members of SAG-AFTRA, the labor union merged in 2012 from the Screen Actors Guild (SAG) and the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (AFTRA). As union members, stand-ins are entitled to union wages, which are determined by contracts negotiated with producers. For TV/film stand-ins, contracts vary depending on the production, and with these contracts come different rates for stand-ins.
Current Rates as of July 1, 2019
In recent years, union wages have annually increased for TV/film stand-ins on July 1st.
As of July 1st, 2019, stand-ins on films and many television shows working under a SAG-AFTRA contract (specifically, under Schedule X, Parts I and II), make $204 for 8 hours. Stand-ins on other television shows under a Legacy AFTRA contract (aka “Exhibit A”) make $210 for 8 hours. SAG-AFTRA may permit productions known as “New Media” to hire stand-ins at lower rates than these.
The productions listings on the SAG-AFTRA website list the contract a particular production is working under. That information can be found on specific SAG-AFTRA Local pages under “Career Resources” (where available and when you are logged in). For example, you can find the New York-area production listings by clicking on “Production Listings” on this page.
The SAG-AFTRA website also includes wage tables for films and for television in the “Contracts & Industry Resources” section. These wage tables show the rates stand-ins make under various contracts. You do not have to log into the website to view the wage tables.
Stand-ins on commercials, stand-ins on promos, et al., work under much different contracts, so they work at different rates not covered in this article. (For stand-in pay on commercials from April 1, 2019, to March 31, 2022, click here.)
Also, individual projects may negotiate non-standard contracts with the union, so stand-ins on those projects may make non-standard rates as well.
Additional Compensation
As union members, stand-ins can also make additional money in various ways. Some of these methods may include:
- working overtime
- earning meal penalties (when crew does not break for a meal after 6 hours of work)
- working at night (when working during premium time periods)
- when also photo-doubling (when a stand-in is on camera in place of another actor)
Given the overtime many stand-ins put in, TV/film stand-ins may regularly gross $300-$400/day or more. Of course, some stand-ins regularly work “straight 8s,” meaning they gross only their base rate because they work no overtime hours. After taxes, their paychecks may be as low as $140 for 8 hours or less of work.
Time Commitment
While the pay may be attractive, the amount of commitment involved when standing in may make standing in unappealing to the average person.
Standing in is not a “day job” in the typical sense. Usually, a stand-in cannot leave for an appointment and come back as one might at a typical desk job.
Oftentimes, a stand-in must be fully available for a full day, several weeks, or even several months — with absolutely no outside conflicts (at least in theory if not in practice). It is not uncommon for stand-ins to work 12-14 hours in a day — or longer — for five days a week — and sometimes for more days than that. These long hours can infringe upon family and social life, not to mention health and happiness.
This is to say that for someone looking for work, although the pay may be an attraction, the sacrifice involved in working as a stand-in may make the job impractical or even wholly undesirable.
Have questions about the pay rates of stand-ins? Post your questions below! (Note: To get the best answers for stand-in pay rate questions, ask SAG-AFTRA directly.)
I always appreciate information on new rates. Thanks for this!
Hi, my name is Dāni Marie and I live in Southern California. I was a stand on off and on from 1998 to 2001. I took time off to have and raise children, then was diagnosed with a brain tumor and lost both my parents during that time, so had to deal with and heal from all of that. Now as of this year I am finally getting back to work as a stand in, ( I am also a Certified Quantum Reiki Master and an Intuitive Consultant) I just want to thank you for taking the time out to make this amazing article! It is truly helpful. And yes those 14 hour days 5 days a week are NO joke, but is also very rewarding and fun as well!
Namasté and many blessings,
Dāni Marie
Sorry typo! Stand “In” lol
Thanks for sharing, Dāni Marie. May your healing continue and your stand-in work flow!
How much does a sag stand in make on a feature film?I am working on venom 2 starting in February in San Francisco and was wondering what the day rate would be
If you are working under the 2017 Theatrical Agreement, the part of the contract that applies to you is Schedule X, Part I. Your rate is probably $204/8 hours. Learn about your contract so you know what other conditions that may increase your rate. Here is a link to the rate sheet: https://www.sagaftra.org/files/2017%202020%20wages%20thatrical%2011%2028%2018_1.pdf