Rates, 2026
What should a casting director charge in New York or LA?
About $900 a day for a casting director who is working and booked in New York or Los Angeles. $700 in the first years, $1,100 when senior. Casting a project runs about $5,250. Also called: casting associate, casting producer.
Other markets: a major city · remote · a smaller market
First years
$700
a day · $90 an hour
Working, booked
$900
a day · $125 an hour
Senior, sought after
$1,100
a day · $150 an hour
The rate card, working level
- Day rate$900 per day
- Hourlyfor anything that does not fit a day$125 per hour
- Casting a projectbreakdown, submissions, sessions, callbacks, deal memos$5,250 per project
Sold a project fee, by the day. The outcome is the unit; the day rate is for when a client wants your time instead.
What to charge for each thing
Ranges for New York or Los Angeles: the low end is the first years, the high end is senior. Working and booked sits in the middle.
- Commercial casting, one role$1,500 to $3,500 per project
- Commercial casting, full cast$3,500 to $8,000 per project
- Indie or short film casting$2,500 to $6,000 per project
- Casting session day (in room or self-tape review)$600 to $1,200 per day
- Street casting or real-people search$2,000 to $5,000 per project
- Callbacks or additional session$400 to $800 per session
How the number is made
Casting directors at this level day at about $900 ($600 to $1,200 in New York and LA). Put in the year you actually want on the perfect price page and the number moves with it.
Casting a project runs $2,500 to $8,000 and takes about 32 hours of your time; at your hourly that is $4,000. The number is the higher of the two, because the client is buying the outcome, not the hours.
Questions
- What is a fair day rate for a casting director in New York or LA?
- About $900 a day for someone working and booked, $700 in the first years, $1,100 when senior and sought after. Half days usually run 60% of the day.
- How much is casting a project?
- $5,250 at a working level in this market. The client is buying the outcome, so the price is the higher of what the market pays for it and what your hours in it are worth.
- Are these rates a rule?
- No. They are US 2026 ranges for the role, placed by level and moved for the market. What a client actually paid you beats all of it. The tool has a box for that, and it wins.
Your number, in five seconds.
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