SAG-AFTRA scale pay for a commercial starts with a session fee, the minimum an actor earns for a day of work on set or in a recording booth. For on-camera principal performers, the session fee is typically in the range of $700 to $800 or more per day depending on the specific contract terms. For voice-over (audio) performers, the base session fee is $365 as of April 2025. But the session fee is only part of the picture. Most of what actors earn from commercials comes from usage fees, which are additional payments made each time the ad airs or runs online.
How Commercial Pay Works
SAG-AFTRA commercial pay has two layers. The first is the session fee, which compensates you for the time spent performing. The second is the use fee, which compensates you every time the commercial is broadcast, streamed, or otherwise distributed. Think of the session fee as your day rate and the use fee as ongoing royalties.
The total you earn depends on several factors: whether the commercial runs on network television, cable, streaming platforms, or digital-only channels; how many markets it airs in; and how long the advertiser wants to keep using it. A national TV spot that runs for 13 weeks will pay significantly more than a regional digital ad that runs for four weeks. The contract cycle typically renews in 13-week periods, and the advertiser must pay a new round of use fees each cycle if they want to keep the spot running.
Session Fees for Voice-Over Commercials
Under the 2025 Audio Commercials Contract (effective April 1, 2025 through March 31, 2026), the base session fee for an actor or announcer is $365. That covers a standard recording session. If the session involves multi-tracking, where you layer multiple vocal performances, the rate jumps to $547.50. If the producer adds sweetening (additional processing or overdubs on your recorded track), that adds another 100% of the session fee per track.
These session fees are minimums. If you have leverage or a strong relationship with a brand, you can negotiate above scale. But no signatory producer can pay you less than these amounts.
Usage Fees by Distribution Type
Usage fees vary widely based on where the commercial runs and for how long. Here are the main categories for audio commercials under the current contract.
Wild Spot Use
Wild spots are commercials that run on individual stations rather than through a full network buy. They’re priced using a unit system, where each unit roughly corresponds to a market. For a 13-week wild spot cycle with no major markets, the first unit pays $365. Units 2 through 25 each add $5.38, and units 26 and above add $4.04 each. An 8-week cycle has a similar structure but at slightly lower per-unit rates: $4.29 for units 2 through 25 and $3.23 for units 26 and up. The more markets the ad runs in, the more you earn.
Network Program Use
Network program commercials, the kind that air during scheduled programming on broadcast networks, pay considerably more. One week of unlimited network use pays $617.59. Thirteen weeks of unlimited use pays $1,980.55. If the ad runs on an across-the-board program (airing five days a week), 13 weeks pays $2,073.90.
Digital-Only Use (Audio Flex)
SAG-AFTRA’s Audio Flex model (formerly called the Alternative Compensation Structure) covers commercials that run exclusively on digital platforms like streaming services, social media, and websites. It bundles session and use fees into a single, simplified payment. A 4-week digital-only run pays $501.85. A 13-week run pays $802.96. A full year of digital use pays $1,605.91.
National Terrestrial Use (Audio Flex)
For commercials airing nationally on traditional broadcast channels, the Audio Flex rates are higher. A 4-week national run pays $808.49. Thirteen weeks pays $1,674.72. A full year pays $4,273.43.
Combined Terrestrial and Digital Use
When a commercial runs both on traditional broadcast and digital platforms, the combined Audio Flex rates apply. Four weeks costs the advertiser $1,010.60 in talent fees. Thirteen weeks runs $1,992.34. A full year of combined use pays $4,908.67. These combined rates reflect the broader audience reach.
On-Camera Versus Voice-Over Pay
On-camera principal performers generally earn higher session fees than voice-over actors because the work involves appearing on screen, which also limits what other brands you can represent (exclusivity conflicts). On-camera session fees under the main Commercials Contract start higher than the $365 audio base, and usage fees follow a similar tiered structure based on where and how long the spot runs. The exact on-camera rates are governed by a separate rate sheet from the audio contract, but the same logic applies: session fee plus usage fees that scale with distribution.
Background actors (extras) earn a flat day rate with no usage fees. Their pay is significantly lower than principal performers because they don’t have featured roles or lines.
Pension and Health Contributions
On top of whatever you earn in session and usage fees, the producer must contribute to SAG-AFTRA’s pension and health funds on your behalf. For commercials, this contribution runs between 19.25% and 20.50% of your gross earnings, depending on whether the producer is a Joint Policy Committee authorizer. The 2025 Audio Commercials Contract lists a health and retirement contribution rate of 23.5% (with a discounted rate of 19.95% for qualifying productions). These contributions don’t come out of your paycheck. They’re an additional cost the employer pays, and they fund the health insurance and retirement benefits available to SAG-AFTRA members who meet annual earnings thresholds.
How Long Residuals Keep Paying
A commercial can generate residual payments for as long as the advertiser keeps renewing the use cycle. Each renewal triggers a new round of use fees. If a brand runs your spot nationally for two years, you’ll receive payments for every renewal period during that time. Once the advertiser stops running the commercial or lets the contract lapse, the payments stop. There’s no cap on how many cycles can be renewed, which is why a single national commercial can sometimes pay five figures or more over its lifetime.
If the advertiser wants to use your commercial again after letting it lapse, they typically need to renegotiate and pay a new set of fees. You also have the right to be notified when your commercial is being used, and your agent or the union can audit usage records to make sure you’re paid correctly.
Negotiating Above Scale
Scale is the floor, not the ceiling. Well-known voice actors, recognizable on-camera talent, and performers with strong representation regularly negotiate rates above scale, sometimes double or triple the minimums. Factors that push pay higher include celebrity status, exclusivity demands (where the brand wants you to avoid advertising for competitors), and the size of the advertising budget. If a Fortune 500 company is spending $20 million on a campaign, the talent fee is a small fraction of the total cost, giving you room to negotiate.
Even newer actors can negotiate modest bumps above scale, particularly if the role requires a specialized skill, the shoot schedule is unusually demanding, or the usage terms are broad. Your agent handles this negotiation, but understanding the scale minimums gives you a baseline for evaluating any offer.