Film Crew Day Rates by Role and City (2026 Guide)
Film crew day rates by role and city, updated for 2026. PA, grip, gaffer, DP, sound, hair, MUA, more. Union vs non-union, kit fees, city multipliers, real numbers.
Knowing what to charge - or what to budget - for a film crew in 2026 is harder than it should be. Public union rate cards are useful but only cover signatory work. Industry forums talk in vague ranges. Most of what's online was written for 2019 and hasn't been touched since.
This guide is the working version. We've pulled from union schedules, recent platform postings, and active crew across the major US and Canadian markets. The rates below are realistic ranges as of May 2026 for non-union work, with notes on where union rates and city multipliers shift things.
A short structural note first, because it matters for what you'll see below.
Above the Line vs Below the Line
The film budget splits crew into two categories:
- Above the line (ATL): writers, directors, producers, principal cast. Negotiated rates, often flat per-project, sometimes percentages.
- Below the line (BTL): everyone else. Department heads, technicians, PAs, post-production. Negotiated as day rates or weekly rates.
This guide focuses on below-the-line day rates, because those are what most productions are budgeting and what most crew are negotiating. ATL rates are too project-specific to generalize.
The Quick Reference Table
These are 2026 day rate ranges for a non-union 10-12 hour day, based on a typical mid-sized US market (think Atlanta, NYC outer-borough, LA non-tentpole). Adjust by the city multiplier table below for other markets.
| Role | Department | Day rate range (USD) |
|---|---|---|
| Production Assistant | Production | $150 to $400 |
| Set PA | Production | $150 to $350 |
| Office PA | Production | $150 to $300 |
| Locations PA | Locations | $175 to $400 |
| 2nd AD | Production | $400 to $800 |
| 1st AD | Production | $700 to $1,500 |
| Script Supervisor | Production | $500 to $900 |
| DP / Cinematographer | Camera | $800 to $3,000 |
| 1st AC | Camera | $500 to $900 |
| 2nd AC | Camera | $400 to $700 |
| DIT | Camera | $500 to $1,000 |
| Gaffer | G&E | $600 to $1,200 |
| Best Boy Electric | G&E | $500 to $900 |
| Electrician | G&E | $400 to $700 |
| Key Grip | G&E | $600 to $1,200 |
| Best Boy Grip | G&E | $500 to $900 |
| Grip | G&E | $400 to $700 |
| Sound Mixer | Sound | $600 to $1,200 |
| Boom Operator | Sound | $400 to $700 |
| Production Designer | Art | $700 to $2,000 |
| Art Director | Art | $500 to $1,000 |
| Set Decorator | Art | $400 to $800 |
| Props Master | Art | $400 to $800 |
| Costume Designer | Costumes | $600 to $1,500 |
| Costumer / Wardrobe | Costumes | $400 to $700 |
| HMU Department Head | HMU | $600 to $1,200 |
| Hair / Makeup Artist | HMU | $400 to $900 |
| Editor | Post | $500 to $1,500 |
| Assistant Editor | Post | $400 to $700 |
| Sound Designer | Post | $500 to $1,200 |
| Colorist | Post | $700 to $2,500 |
| VFX Supervisor | Post | $800 to $2,500 |
| Casting Director | Casting | Flat $1,500 to $15,000/project |
| Casting Associate | Casting | $400 to $800 |
| PA / Background Wrangler | Casting | $200 to $400 |
How to Read This Table
A few things to keep in mind before you anchor on any number:
The low end is the indie / non-union floor. Music videos, student films, low-budget shorts, and brand content with first-time producers tend to land in the lower third of each range. Pay below the floor exists, but it's exploitative - flag it as a red flag, not as a market rate.
The high end is mid-budget commercial / streamer territory. When a streamer or major brand is producing, you're typically in the top third of these ranges, often with day-rate floors imposed by the production company.
Studio tentpoles and fully-union signatory work blow past these ranges. This guide doesn't try to capture those because they're contract-by-contract and most readers aren't pricing studio tentpole rates.
City Multipliers
Day rates shift by market. Below are realistic multipliers as of 2026, with Los Angeles as the 1.0x baseline (because it has both the highest cost of living and the deepest crew bench):
| City | Multiplier | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles | 1.00x | Baseline. Deepest crew pool, highest cost-of-living. |
| New York City | 0.95x to 1.00x | Comparable to LA, slightly lower for outer-borough work |
| Atlanta | 0.85x to 0.90x | Massive market, slightly lower rates than LA/NYC |
| Toronto | 0.90x to 0.95x | Often paid in CAD, similar in USD-equivalent |
| Vancouver | 0.90x | Similar to Toronto |
| Chicago | 0.85x to 0.90x | Strong commercial market |
| Albuquerque | 0.80x to 0.90x | Big tax-credit market, varies wildly by show |
| New Orleans | 0.80x to 0.85x | Below LA but not by as much as people think |
| Austin | 0.80x to 0.90x | Growing market, rates rising |
| Miami | 0.80x to 0.90x | Heavy on commercial work |
| Boston | 0.85x | Smaller market, less consistent volume |
Apply the multiplier to the table above. A grip working in Atlanta in 2026 is realistically charging $360 to $630/day non-union, vs the LA $400 to $700.
For a deeper dive into one specific market, see our Grip Day Rate in LA (2026) breakdown.
Union vs Non-Union: What Changes
Union rates (IATSE, DGA, SAG-AFTRA) are governed by contract and typically run 15% to 40% higher than non-union for the same role. They also include:
- Mandatory pension and health contributions (P&H)
- Strict overtime rules
- Weekend and night differentials
- Sick pay, vacation accrual, scale increases
- Penalty payments for missed meals and short turnarounds
A non-union grip in LA at $600/day translates to roughly an $800 to $900/day union grip with full P&H benefits added. The cost to the production is higher; the take-home for the crew member is also higher in absolute terms but more so in long-term value (health insurance, pension).
For productions, the question is not "is union more expensive" but "is union worth the operational complexity." For crew, the question is "do my recurring days qualify me for membership, and is membership the right next step." Both are case-by-case.
The IATSE public rate schedules are the source of truth for union signatory rates by local.
Kit Fees: The Hidden Layer of Crew Pay
Kit fees are extra payments to crew who bring their own gear. They're a meaningful percentage of total day pay for many roles:
| Role | Typical kit fee (per day) | What's covered |
|---|---|---|
| PA | $25 to $50 | Walkie batteries, headlamp, multitool |
| Grip | $50 to $250 | Personal grip gear, gloves, knife, tape |
| Gaffer | $50 to $300 | Personal lighting tools, meter |
| Sound mixer | $300 to $750 | Mixer, recorder, mics, cart, cables |
| Boom op | $50 to $200 | Personal boom, headphones |
| HMU | $75 to $200 | Personal kit, brushes, products |
| 1st AC | $50 to $150 | Slate, AC tools, batteries |
| Costumer | $50 to $150 | Steamer, sewing kit, personal tools |
Sound mixers carry the heaviest kits and the highest kit fees because their gear (a Sound Devices recorder, a wireless system, lavs, a boom mic) can total $30,000+ in personal investment. Kit fees are how that gear earns out.
Productions sometimes try to roll the kit fee into the base rate. Don't accept that without negotiation. The kit fee compensates the use and depreciation of personally-owned gear; it's separate from your labor.
Overtime: When the Day Gets Long
Most non-union day rate contracts assume a 10-hour day. Time worked past hour 10 is typically billed at 1.5x for hours 10-12 and 2x past hour 12. Specifics:
- Hours 1-10: straight time (your day rate ÷ 10)
- Hours 10-12: 1.5x ("time and a half")
- Hours 12+: 2x ("double time")
- Some contracts use a 12-hour day baseline; check the call sheet
A $500 day rate translates to $50/hour straight time. Working a 14-hour day means: ($50 × 10) + ($75 × 2) + ($100 × 2) = $850 for the day, not $500. Many indie productions skip this math and pay a flat. Don't accept a flat for a day you suspect will run long unless the rate already accounts for it.
What's Different About 2026
Three things have shifted noticeably from 2024 and 2025:
1. Streamer rates have bottomed out and rebounded. The 2023-2024 streamer pullback compressed rates. By Q2 2026, demand has recovered for premium scripted and rates are back at or above 2022 levels in major markets.
2. Commercial work is the most stable category. Brand content and commercials kept paying through the slowdown. If you're a working freelancer, commercial work is the backbone right now in most markets.
3. Atlanta and Albuquerque have more concentrated power. Tax-credit markets that survived the slowdown have more leverage. Crews in those markets are seeing rate parity with NYC for similar roles in some cases, especially on tax-incentivized streamers.
How Crew Should Negotiate
Three rules that apply regardless of role:
1. Quote a range, not a number. "I'm typically $700 to $900/day depending on length and crew size" leaves room. Quoting a single number caps your earnings forever; it's hard to come back from "my rate is $600" when the next job offers $750.
2. Confirm the call time, wrap target, and overtime treatment in writing. If overtime will be billed at OT rates, get that in the deal memo. If they're proposing a 12-hour flat, confirm in writing.
3. Charge for prep and travel days separately. Prep days are typically half rate. Travel days are typically 8 hours flat at straight time. Don't roll prep into a free day; producers know to pay it when asked.
For a producer's view of how to budget these rates, see our Production Budget Template for Indie Filmmakers.
How Producers Should Budget These Rates
Three things that catch first-time producers off guard:
1. Day rates are 60-70% of crew cost, not 100%. Add ~10-15% for kit fees, ~10-20% for overtime contingency, ~7.65% for FICA on crew you're paying as employees rather than contractors, plus payroll fees if running through a payroll house (typically 1-3%). A "$600/day" grip is realistically a $750+/day budget line.
2. Crew want certainty more than they want maximum dollars. A confirmed 5-day shoot at a fair rate beats a "maybe 8 days at top rate" that might evaporate. When you can give crew prep, shoot, and wrap days locked, you'll pay slightly less for better commitment.
3. The crew you build a relationship with on a low-budget short will work for less on your bigger projects later. This is the entire economics of indie filmmaking. Budget for fairness, not for maximum extraction.
The Casting Director Note
Casting directors price differently than other crew. A casting director typically charges a flat fee per project rather than a day rate, because the work spans pre-production prep, breakdowns, sessions, callbacks, and wrap notes - not a single shoot day.
| Project type | Casting director fee (flat) |
|---|---|
| Indie short film | $1,500 to $4,000 |
| Indie feature | $5,000 to $15,000 |
| Single-location commercial | $2,500 to $7,500 |
| National commercial campaign | $7,500 to $25,000 |
| Episodic TV | Varies, often weekly |
Casting associates and casting assistants are typically billed at day rates or weekly rates. See our Casting Director Rates breakdown for the full picture.
Background and Talent Rates
Background actor rates (non-union) typically range $150 to $200 per day in major markets. SAG-AFTRA scale background is higher and includes union benefits. Featured talent and stunt performers are negotiated case-by-case and outside the scope of this guide.
For talent and casting-side rate guidance, our Commercial Casting Tips article covers the booking-side economics.
Where These Numbers Come From
This guide pulls from:
- Active 2026 listings on NeedaCrew across NYC, LA, ATL, Miami, Chicago, Austin, Toronto, and Vancouver
- Public IATSE local rate schedules (Local 80 grips, Local 728 set lighting, Local 600 cinematographers, Local 695 sound, Local 706 hair and makeup, Local 161 production office)
- Industry community surveys (Production Hub, ICG Magazine rate tables, ProductionBeast)
- US Bureau of Labor Statistics data on film and video editor wages and related occupations
We refresh this guide annually. The 2027 update will land in October 2026.
TL;DR
- Non-union below-the-line day rates in major US markets in 2026 range from $150 (PA) to $3,000+ (top-tier DP)
- Apply a 0.80x to 0.95x multiplier for markets outside LA
- Kit fees add 5-30% to total day pay for roles bringing personal gear
- Overtime typically kicks in at hour 10 (1.5x) and hour 12 (2x)
- Casting directors charge flat per-project fees rather than day rates
- Producers should budget 1.25x to 1.4x of crew day rates to cover kit, OT, payroll, and contingency
If you're a producer, post your gig on NeedaCrew and reach the working crew in your city.
If you're crew, list your services free on NeedaCrew and get found when productions are budgeting these rates.