Actors may be paid by the show, week, day, or hour. Actors usually do not work full time. In addition, they may face long periods of unemployment. Because pay can be low and work intermittent, many actors work a second job to support themselves.

Only hourly wages are displayed. This is because there is wide variation in the number of hours actors work. Many jobs are short and last just one day or one week. It is rare for actors to have a guaranteed job for longer than three to six months.

Some professional actors belong to unions. Minimum wages are determined by union contracts. Well-known actors earn much more than minimum wage.

Actors who belong to a union and work more than a set number of weeks per year receive benefits such as health insurance and a pension fund. Actors who do not belong to unions generally do not receive these benefits.