Casting Director Rates: What Productions Actually Pay (2026)

Casting directors don't bill like other crew. While DPs, gaffers, and grips charge day rates, casting directors typically charge flat fees per project that cover weeks of breakdowns, sessions, callbacks, and notes. The work isn't tied to a single shoot day; it spans the entire pre-production window.

This guide is the practical version of what casting directors actually charge in 2026, by project type, and what the fee covers (and doesn't).

Why Casting Bills Differently

The casting process for a real production typically involves:

1. Breakdown writing — distilling the script's roles into casting notices (1-3 days)
2. Submissions review — sorting through hundreds or thousands of submissions per role (3-10 days)
3. Sessions — running auditions for shortlisted talent (2-7 days, sometimes more)
4. Callbacks — second-round reads with the director (1-3 days)
5. Chemistry reads — pairing leads with supporting cast (1-2 days)
6. Negotiations — working with agents and lawyers to finalize deals (variable)
7. Notes and producers' picks — finalizing the cast (1-2 days)
8. Wrap notes and credits — confirming credits, signing off (1 day)

Across an indie feature, this process spans 3-8 weeks. A casting director who billed daily would be billing 30-60 days. Most producers can't budget that, and most casting directors don't want to track time that granularly. Flat fees solve both.

Rate Ranges by Project Type

Project type	Casting director fee (flat, 2026)
Indie short film	$1,500 to $4,000
Indie feature (under $1M)	$5,000 to $10,000
Mid-budget indie feature ($1-5M)	$10,000 to $25,000
Mid-budget studio feature	$30,000 to $75,000
Major studio feature	$75,000 to $250,000+
Single-location commercial	$2,500 to $7,500
Multi-day commercial campaign	$5,000 to $15,000
National commercial campaign	$10,000 to $50,000
Episodic TV (per episode)	$3,500 to $15,000
Episodic TV (overall deal, full season)	Negotiated, often weekly + bonus
Music video	$1,500 to $7,500
Voice over (per project)	$750 to $3,500

These are flat-fee ranges for principal casting (named, speaking roles). Background casting is typically handled by a separate background casting agency at different rates — see below.

What the Casting Fee Includes

A standard casting director engagement covers:

• Breakdown writing and posting to casting platforms (NeedaCrew, Casting Networks, Casting Frontier, Backstage, Breakdown Express, etc.)
• Submission review across all received submissions
• Session scheduling and running (in-person or self-tape collection)
• Callback scheduling and running
• Director and producer presentations (often via shortlist videos compiled by the casting office)
• Negotiations support (the casting director often negotiates with talent agents on the production's behalf)
• Booking confirmations
• Credit verification and wrap notes

What's typically NOT included in the standard fee:

• Background actor casting (separate agency)
• Talent fees themselves (the casting fee pays the casting director's labor; talent fees are paid directly to the actors)
• Studio rental for casting sessions (sometimes included, sometimes a pass-through)
• Travel and per diem if casting is out of market
• Long-term retention beyond the standard window (some casting offices charge for revisions after the production has wrapped)

The Casting Office Model

Most working casting directors operate as a small business — a casting office. The fee paid to the casting director is typically split among:

• The principal casting director (the named CD)
• Casting associate(s) — second chair, often handles second-tier roles
• Casting assistant(s) — schedules sessions, organizes paperwork, runs the room
• Office overhead — rent, software, casting platform subscriptions

The published fee is the office fee, not the casting director's personal take-home. This is why a $25K casting fee on a $5M feature is reasonable; it's funding 3-4 people for 6 weeks of work plus office costs.

Background Casting Rates

Background casting (extras, non-speaking roles) is a separate ecosystem. Background casting agencies typically charge:

Project	Background casting fee
Single shoot day with 10-50 background	$500 to $1,500 flat
Single shoot day with 50-200 background	$1,500 to $5,000 flat
Single shoot day with 200+ background	$5,000 to $15,000+ flat
Episodic series (per episode)	Negotiated per show

Background casting agencies also charge a "talent fee" markup on what they pay extras — meaning if they bill a non-union extra at $200/day, the production pays $250 ($50 to the agency, $200 to the talent).

For more on the background side specifically, see Atlanta Casting Calls: Where to Find Them in 2026.

Casting Associates and Assistants Day Rates

When productions want to hire a casting associate or assistant directly (rather than through a casting director's office), day rates apply:

Role	Day rate (2026)
Casting Associate	$400 to $800
Casting Assistant	$250 to $400
Casting PA / Background Wrangler	$200 to $400
Self-Tape Reader (per session, not per day)	$50 to $200

These are rare engagements — most casting work flows through a CD's office at a flat fee — but they do happen for specific specialty work.

What Drives Rate Variation

Why two casting directors might quote different fees for the same project:

Reputation and client list. A CD with major streamer credits charges more than one with primarily indie credits.

Scope of the project. A 2-character indie has lower casting workload than an 8-character ensemble; rates scale.

Timeline. A rushed casting (4 weeks instead of 8) often warrants a 25-50% premium because the office can't take other work simultaneously.

Geography. LA and NYC casting directors charge slightly more than ATL, Chicago, or smaller-market CDs for comparable work.

Casting platform / submission volume. A heavily-promoted casting call generates more submissions, which is more work to review.

Specialty casting. Casting directors who specialize in specific demographics (kids, period-specific looks, athletes, dancers, voice talent) often charge specialty rates for that expertise.

Director / producer relationship. A CD who's worked with the director or producer before may quote at a slightly different rate based on the relationship.

How Indie Producers Should Budget for Casting

For a working indie short under $25K total budget:

• Casting director: $1,500-3,000
• Background casting (if needed): $500-1,000 per major background day
• Studio rental for sessions: $300-800 per day, often 2-4 days
• Reels and platform subscriptions: $50-200/month if you're handling some casting yourself

For a working indie feature:

• Casting director: 1-3% of total budget
• Background casting: Variable; budget 0.5-1% of total budget
• Studio rental: Usually rolled into casting director fee
• Casting platform fees: Typically rolled in

For commercial work:

• Casting director: Often 5-10% of total commercial budget
• Background casting: Variable
• Studio rental: Often a separate line item

For more on overall production budgeting, see Production Budget Template for Indie Filmmakers.

What Casting Directors Push Back On

Common producer requests that make working casting directors say no:

Pure spec work. Casting directors don't typically work on spec for a possible future paid project. Their time is real work.

Unrealistic timelines. "We need 5 leads cast by next Friday" without commensurate fee or established director relationship gets declined.

Vague briefs. "Just find me good actors" is not a brief. Casting needs specific role descriptions, age ranges, types, and the project context.

Producers who micromanage. A casting director's value is their judgment. Producers who reject every shortlist demanding rounds 4, 5, 6 of submissions either pay more or get a different CD.

Below-market fees. "We can pay $500 for casting our feature" gets a polite no. Casting fees fund offices and team labor; severely below-market requests aren't sustainable.

How to Find a Casting Director

For producers seeking a CD:

1. IMDb credits. Find recent productions of similar tone and budget; identify their casting directors.

2. Casting Society of America (CSA). The CSA membership directory lists working CDs by region and genre.

3. Industry referrals. Producers, line producers, agents, and managers all have CD relationships. Ask 3-5 industry contacts.

4. Casting platforms. NeedaCrew Casting Studio, Casting Networks, and similar platforms have casting director profiles where producers can post project briefs and receive proposals.

5. Direct outreach. Find CDs whose recent work matches your tone. Email specifically: "I love your work on [project]. We're casting [project description]. Are you available [dates] for a brief discussion?"

For more on finding casting on the talent side, see How to Make a Self-Tape Audition That Books Work.

What Casting Directors Charge for Specialty Work

Beyond standard project casting, casting directors offer specialty services:

Service	Typical fee
One-off casting consultation	$300 to $1,500
Live casting workshop / open call	$2,500 to $10,000
Talent showcase and shortlist (no project)	$1,000 to $5,000
ADR / loop group casting	$500 to $3,000 per session
Voiceover casting (single project)	$750 to $3,500
Commercial chemistry read coordination	$500 to $2,000

These are specialty services often packaged separately from full project casting.

How NeedaCrew Helps Producers Find and Work With Casting

NeedaCrew is the US/Canada marketplace for film crew and casting. The Casting Studio side handles both:

• Producers can post casting calls, see talent submissions directly, and work with casting directors via the platform's CD directory
• Casting Directors can list their offices, accept project briefs, and run sessions through the platform

For producers who want to handle casting themselves on a smaller production:

• Post your casting notice on NeedaCrew Casting Studio (free)
• Receive talent submissions directly
• Filter by city, role, and demographics
• Schedule self-tape windows

For producers hiring a CD: find casting directors via the platform's directory →.

TL;DR

• Casting directors charge flat per-project fees, not day rates
• Indie short: $1,500-4,000 / Indie feature: $5,000-25,000 / Studio feature: $30,000-250,000+
• Commercial: $2,500-50,000+ depending on scope
• Episodic TV: $3,500-15,000 per episode
• Background casting is a separate ecosystem at different rates
• The fee covers the casting office's labor and overhead, not the talent fees themselves
• For indie producers, expect 1-3% of total budget for casting director on a feature

Find casting directors on NeedaCrew →