What are the main factors that influence a Background Actor's salary?

The primary factors are: 1) Experience Level, 2) Geographic Location, 3) Education/Skills, 4) Company Size & Industry

How does experience change A Background Actor's salary?

A Background Actor's salary grows with experience: an Background Actor (0-0 years)earns $63,709, an Asst. Professor - Computer Science (0-0 years)earns $87,333, an Assoc. Professor - Computer Science (0-0 years)earns $105,598, a Professor - Computer Science (0-0 years)earns $127,193,

What are the highest paying states for a Background Actor?

Background Actor salary varies significantly by state. The top 3 highest paying states for Background Actor roles are District of Columbia $68,406, California $68,147, Massachusetts $67,238. These tech hubs typically pay 10-15% above the national average.

How much do different types of Background Actor roles make?

Salaries for Background Actor level roles vary by specialization: Background Investigator: $71,960; Broadway Actor: $71,876; Background Artist: $65,618; Actor/Performer: $64,845; Background Painter: $53,757.

How do different companies affect a Background Actor's salary?

Company size, industry, and compensation structure create significant salary variations for Background Actor roles. Large, established industry leaders like New York Police Department ($97,099) and State of New York - Metropolitan Transportation Authority ($95,962) offer base salaries 35-40% above the national average. In contrast, smaller firms or startups may offer closer to $75,106.

Background Actor Salary in the United States

How much does a Background Actor make in the United States?

As of July 01, 2026, the average salary for a Background Actor in the United States is $61,783 per year, which breaks down to an hourly rate of $30.

However, a Background Actor's salary can vary significantly. Here’s a look at the typical salary range:

Top Earners (90th percentile): $77,459
Majority Range (25th-75th percentile): $52,540 to $69,989
Entry-Level (10th percentile): $44,125

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Background Actor Salaries by Percentile

	Annual Salary	Monthly Pay	Weekly Pay	Hourly Wage
75th Percentile	$69,989	$5,832	$1,346	$34
Average	$61,783	$5,149	$1,188	$30
25th Percentile	$52,540	$4,378	$1,010	$25

You may get higher pay by adjusting the following factors:

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Key Factors That Influence Background Actor Salaries

A Background Actor's salary isn't a fixed number. It's shaped by several important factors. Below, we'll explore how your years of experience, geographic location, education and company size can directly affect your earning potential.

How Do Background Actor Salaries Vary from State to State?

Your salary can change significantly depending on where you work. States with a higher cost of living and strong industrial sectors often pay more to attract Background Actors. For example, consider the average annual salaries in these key locations:

District of Columbia: $68,406.
California: $68,147.
Massachusetts: $67,238.

District of Columbia $68,406 California $68,147 Massachusetts $67,238 Washington $66,991 New Jersey $66,966 Alaska $66,880 Connecticut $66,027 New York $65,681

Hawaii $64,575 Rhode Island $64,057 Maryland $63,704 Minnesota $63,222 Colorado $63,037 Illinois $62,975 Oregon $62,741 Delaware $62,568

New Hampshire $62,459 Virginia $62,215 Pennsylvania $61,505 Nevada $61,147 North Dakota $61,029 Michigan $60,844 Wisconsin $60,776 Vermont $60,640

Texas $60,263 Maine $60,238 Arizona $60,201 Ohio $60,158 Georgia $59,590 Indiana $59,305 Wyoming $59,250 Utah $59,163

Iowa $59,126 Kansas $58,830 Louisiana $58,743 North Carolina $58,712 Missouri $58,700 Florida $58,459 Montana $58,329 Nebraska $58,206

Kentucky $58,138 South Carolina $57,891 Tennessee $57,736 Idaho $57,674 New Mexico $57,223 Oklahoma $57,124 Alabama $56,760 South Dakota $56,148

Arkansas $55,815 West Virginia $55,636 Mississippi $55,098

Top Paying Cities for Background Actors

Salaries can also vary between different cities. Major metropolitan areas or cities with a high demand for technicians often offer more competitive pay. Here are a few examples of average annual salaries in different U.S. cities:

San Jose: $77,927
San Francisco: $77,074
Oakland: $75,449

San Jose, CA $77,927

San Francisco, CA $77,074

Oakland, CA $75,449

New York, NY $71,136

Paramus, NJ $70,271

Queens Village, NY $70,268

Passaic, NJ $70,209

Bergenfield, NJ $70,204

Stamford, CT $70,068

Huntington, NY $70,043

Newark, NJ $69,586

Bridgeport, CT $69,456

Vallejo, CA $69,333

New Brunswick, NJ $69,308

Petaluma, CA $69,271

Middlesex, NJ $69,154

Somerset, NJ $69,110

Santa Cruz, CA $69,030

Boston, MA $68,653

Monterey, CA $68,436

Seattle, WA $68,295

Santa Rosa, CA $68,282

Los Angeles, CA $68,264

Juneau, AK $68,103

Washington, DC $68,035

Orange, CA $67,815

Santa Ana, CA $67,652

Long Beach, CA $67,590

Anaheim, CA $67,578

Anchorage, AK $67,547

Santa Maria, CA $67,362

Everett, WA $67,350

Danbury, CT $67,132

Bremerton, WA $67,047

Tacoma, WA $66,824

New Suffolk, NY $66,823

Sacramento, CA $66,806

Santa Barbara, CA $66,738

Trenton, NJ $66,670

San Diego, CA $66,670

Brockton, MA $66,602

Fairbanks, AK $66,451

Lompoc, CA $66,293

Lowell, MA $66,243

Ventura, CA $66,231

Nashua, NH $66,219

Stockton, CA $66,213

Modesto, CA $65,762

Poughkeepsie, NY $65,626

Olympia, WA $65,508

Kennewick, WA $65,508

New Haven, CT $65,484

Lawrence, MA $65,261

Hartford, CT $65,199

Riverside, CA $65,187

New Bedford, MA $65,125

Richland, WA $65,125

Bakersfield, CA $65,039

San Bernardino, CA $65,014

New Britain, CT $65,008

Atlantic City, NJ $65,008

New London, CT $64,983

Norwich, CT $64,965

Portsmouth, NH $64,952

Boulder, CO $64,821

Portland, OR $64,736

Worcester, MA $64,730

Minneapolis, MN $64,538

Philadelphia, PA $64,452

Honolulu, HI $64,248

Saint Paul, MN $64,218

Vineland, NJ $64,205

Providence, RI $64,026

Chicago, IL $63,846

Bellingham, WA $63,772

Springfield, MA $63,723

Baltimore, MD $63,704

Chico, CA $63,550

Pittsfield, MA $63,383

Manchester, NH $63,266

Spokane, WA $62,994

Denver, CO $62,988

Albany, NY $62,697

Troy, NY $62,673

Nassau, NY $62,606

Schenectady, NY $62,543

Wilmington, DE $62,493

Burlington, VT $62,407

Salem, OR $62,382

Portland, ME $62,191

Yakima, WA $62,129

Rochester, MN $61,937

Reno, NV $61,906

Fresno, CA $61,906

Milwaukee, WI $61,851

Detroit, MI $61,789

Ann Arbor, MI $61,779

Allentown, PA $61,771

Colorado Springs, CO $61,666

Syracuse, NY $61,635

Carson City, NV $61,635

Houston, TX $61,548

Eugene, OR $61,517

Gary, IN $61,443

Springfield, OR $61,394

Bismarck, ND $61,381

Galveston, TX $61,338

Medford, OR $61,245

Fort Collins, CO $61,221

Concord, NH $61,190

Austin, TX $61,171

Mesa, AZ $61,042

Reading, PA $61,035

Phoenix, AZ $61,029

Dallas, TX $61,011

Saint Cloud, MN $60,951

Madison, WI $60,869

Utica, NY $60,702

Rochester, NY $60,603

Des Moines, IA $60,597

Raleigh, NC $60,590

Atlanta, GA $60,498

Battle Creek, MI $60,479

Salt Lake City, UT $60,461

Lancaster, PA $60,368

Harrisburg, PA $60,282

Kansas City, MO $60,220

Champaign, IL $60,207

Kansas City, KS $60,207

Fort Worth, TX $60,201

Columbus, OH $60,191

Boca Raton, FL $60,177

Pittsburgh, PA $60,152

Richmond, VA $60,127

Indianapolis, IN $60,115

Cleveland, OH $60,109

Las Vegas, NV $60,034

Cincinnati, OH $60,034

Petersburg, VA $59,942

Huntsville, AL $59,849

Lansing, MI $59,808

Lebanon, PA $59,800

Pueblo, CO $59,793

Appleton, WI $59,775

Buffalo, NY $59,750

Dayton, OH $59,732

Racine, WI $59,719

Charlotte, NC $59,713

Saint Louis, MO $59,695

York, PA $59,658

Elkhart, IN $59,658

Gastonia, NC $59,646

Billings, MT $59,631

Beaumont, TX $59,614

Lorain, OH $59,602

Benton Harbor, MI $59,590

Toledo, OH $59,577

Binghamton, NY $59,546

Rock Hill, SC $59,540

Rockford, IL $59,509

Springfield, IL $59,485

Elyria, OH $59,478

Fargo, ND $59,478

Flagstaff, AZ $59,435

Fort Lauderdale, FL $59,398

Duluth, MN $59,361

Miami, FL $59,361

Cheyenne, WY $59,318

Grand Forks, ND $59,318

Bangor, ME $59,182

Cedar Rapids, IA $59,114

Durham, NC $59,088

Louisville, KY $59,083

Grand Rapids, MI $59,071

Hialeah, FL $59,064

Casper, WY $58,978

Scranton, PA $58,904

New Orleans, LA $58,885

Virginia Beach, VA $58,879

Akron, OH $58,848

Peoria, IL $58,768

Sarasota, FL $58,756

Nashville, TN $58,712

Omaha, NE $58,712

Green Bay, WI $58,712

Baton Rouge, LA $58,681

Charleston, SC $58,669

Jamestown, NY $58,638

Davenport, IA $58,638

Tucson, AZ $58,607

Saint Petersburg, FL $58,570

Tampa, FL $58,558

Evansville, IN $58,521

Port Arthur, TX $58,521

Bradenton, FL $58,496

Santa Fe, NM $58,385

Orlando, FL $58,274

Clearwater, FL $58,255

Canton, OH $58,125

La Crosse, WI $58,125

Albuquerque, NM $58,088

Newport News, VA $58,082

High Point, NC $58,064

Ogden, UT $58,039

Corpus Christi, TX $57,989

Norfolk, VA $57,952

Laramie, WY $57,952

Rock Island, IL $57,915

Saginaw, MI $57,903

Jacksonville, FL $57,897

Salisbury, NC $57,884

Boise, ID $57,872

Moline, IL $57,841

Fort Myers, FL $57,823

Memphis, TN $57,810

Tulsa, OK $57,779

Waterloo, IA $57,742

Spartanburg, SC $57,681

Lincoln, NE $57,650

Fort Wayne, IN $57,637

Provo, UT $57,631

Cedar Falls, IA $57,557

San Antonio, TX $57,532

Greensboro, NC $57,508

South Bend, IN $57,501

Savannah, GA $57,433

Muskegon, MI $57,409

Birmingham, AL $57,402

Winston Salem, NC $57,372

Lake Charles, LA $57,223

Anderson, IN $57,211

Lexington, KY $57,192

Augusta, GA $57,174

Greenville, SC $57,174

Lima, OH $57,124

Wichita, KS $57,118

Tuscaloosa, AL $57,118

Columbia, SC $57,063

Springfield, OH $57,050

Asheville, NC $56,951

Bloomington, IN $56,908

Knoxville, TN $56,686

Shreveport, LA $56,680

Wilmington, NC $56,599

Roanoke, VA $56,599

Topeka, KS $56,488

Frankfort, KY $56,481

Oklahoma City, OK $56,439

Chillicothe, OH $56,414

Longview, TX $56,408

Melbourne, FL $56,402

Sioux Falls, SD $56,303

Mobile, AL $56,297

Terre Haute, IN $56,272

Altoona, PA $56,235

Amarillo, TX $56,192

Killeen, TX $56,173

Fayetteville, AR $56,124

Chattanooga, TN $56,105

Sioux City, IA $56,049

Idaho Falls, ID $56,037

Lynchburg, VA $55,988

Gainesville, FL $55,907

Portsmouth, OH $55,876

Little Rock, AR $55,864

Lafayette, LA $55,839

Youngstown, OH $55,839

Daytona Beach, FL $55,802

Clarksville, TN $55,796

Pensacola, FL $55,790

Temple, TX $55,786

Hopkinsville, KY $55,605

Erie, PA $55,592

Florence, SC $55,568

Charleston, WV $55,469

Great Falls, MT $55,438

Macon, GA $55,351

Tallahassee, FL $55,345

Fayetteville, NC $55,333

Waco, TX $55,320

Helena, MT $55,277

Pine Bluff, AR $55,254

Vincennes, IN $55,178

Lubbock, TX $55,154

Alamogordo, NM $55,117

Twin Falls, ID $55,061

Rapid City, SD $55,042

Jackson, MS $54,931

Huntington, WV $54,927

Greenville, MS $54,925

Parkersburg, WV $54,862

Montgomery, AL $54,851

Wichita Falls, TX $54,789

Springfield, MO $54,789

Biloxi, MS $54,758

Monroe, LA $54,696

Johnstown, PA $54,653

Sumter, SC $54,628

Columbus, GA $54,622

Pascagoula, MS $54,505

Abilene, TX $54,505

Kingsport, TN $54,344

Albany, GA $54,344

Gulfport, MS $54,326

Alexandria, LA $54,122

Fort Smith, AR $53,967

El Paso, TX $53,801

Las Cruces, NM $53,523

Harlingen, TX $53,366

Pocatello, ID $53,356

Florence, AL $53,275

Brownsville, TX $53,263

Mcallen, TX $53,133

Dothan, AL $53,047

Columbus, MS $52,680

Altus, OK $52,392

Lawton, OK $52,275

Pierre, SD $52,052

What Skills Can Increase a Background Actor's Salary?

Demanded Skills for the Role:

Commitment (Mentioned in 10.52% Job Postings): An agreement or pledge to do something in the future a commitment to improve conditions at the prison especially : an engagement to assume a financial obligation at a future date.
Law Enforcement (Mentioned in 1.86% Job Postings): Law enforcement is any system by which some members of society act in an organized manner to enforce the law by discovering, deterring, rehabilitating, or punishing people who violate the rules and norms governing that society. Although the term encompasses entities such as courts and prisons, it is most frequently applied to those who directly engage in patrols or surveillance to dissuade and discover criminal activity, and those who investigate crimes and apprehend offenders, a task typically carried out by the police or another law enforcement organization. Furthermore, although law enforcement may be most concerned with the prevention and punishment of crimes, organizations exist to discourage a wide variety of non-criminal violations of rules and norms, effected through the imposition of less severe consequences.
First Aid (Mentioned in 1.21% Job Postings): First aid refers to medical attention that is usually administered immediately after the injury occurs and at the location where it occurred.

See More Skills

Skills	Demand Percentage
Commitment	10.52%
Law Enforcement	1.86%
First Aid	1.21%

What skills can make your compensation higher?

Mastering certain specialized skills can lead to a significant increase in pay. Here are examples of skills and the potential impact they can have on a Background Actor's salary.

Coaching Others: Can increase your salary by up to 9%.
IDEA: Can increase your salary by up to 5%.
Commitment: Can increase your salary by up to 4%.

Skill	Salary	Salary % Increase
Coaching Others	$67,343	9%
IDEA	$64,872	5%
Commitment	$64,254	4%
Facilitation	$63,636	3%
Spring	$63,636	3%
Presentation	$63,636	3%

Get Latest Data

How Education impacts a Background Actor's Salary?

Your level of education can impact your salary potential. While many Background Actors enter the field with a Bachelor's Degree degree, higher education can lead to more specialized and higher-paying roles.

According to our 100% employer-reported salary data, the median salary for a Background Actor with a Bachelor's Degree is between $60,440 and $69,013).

Background Actor Salaries by Degree Level

Typical Education for Background Actor

No Diploma 1.0%

High School 2.0%

Associates 10.8%

Bachelors 26.5%

Masters 54.9%

Doctorate 4.9%

view as table

Degree Level	% of user with this level of education
No Diploma	1.0%
High School	2.0%
Associates	10.8%
Bachelors	26.5%
Masters	54.9%
Doctorate	4.9%

view as graph

Background Actor Salary: Hourly Rate, Weekly Pay, and Monthly Pay

Understanding how a Background Actor's annual salary breaks down can help with budgeting. Below, you can see the average hourly rate, weekly pay, and monthly pay for this role. Use the buttons to switch between different pay periods.

Last Updated on July 01, 2026

$52,540

Average $61,783/year

$69,989

$4,378

Average $5,149/month

$5,832

$1,010

Average $1,188/week

$1,346

$25

Average $30/hour

$34

	Annual Salary	Monthly Pay	Weekly Pay	Hourly Wage
75th Percentile	$69,989	$5,832	$1,346	$34
Average	$61,783	$5,149	$1,188	$30
25th Percentile	$52,540	$4,378	$1,010	$25

Salaries of jobs related to Background Actor

Salary Trends for Background Actor

Salaries for a Background Actor can change over time, reflecting shifts in market demand and the overall economy. The median salary decreased from $55,744 in 2023 to around $53,843 in 2025, reflecting changes in demand, location, experience, and the wider economy. For a detailed analysis of Background Actor salary trends, .

Average Annual Salary of Background Actor Over Time

2022

$???

2023

$55,744

2024

$55,031

2025

$53,843

2026

$???

2027

$???

Year	Average Annual Salary
2022	View More
2023	$55,744
2024	$55,031
2025	$53,843
2026	View More
2027	View More

Most common benefits for Background Actor

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Where Does Our Salary Data Come From?

Salary.com provides salary estimates, histograms, trends, and comparisons using data from employer job postings and third-party sources.

We offer detailed salary information across multiple percentiles for your reference. (Click here to learn Why the Salary Midpoint Formula Is Crucial for Achieving Pay Equity.)

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