Middle Class Averages

• A 2007 "CRS Report for Congress" defines the middle class as those having a yearly income between $19,178 and $91,705. Those above $91,705 and under $250,000 would be considered upper middle-class while those earning around $40,000 annually would be considered lower middle class. For actors, the median salary as of 2008 is $16.59 per hour with the middle 50 percent earning between $9.81 and $29.57 hourly, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Based on 40-work weeks, the average actor would earn a middle-class salary. However, actors often go extended periods of time without working and many have to work other jobs to survive.
  
  

A Real Life Example

• In May 2008, the Los Angeles Times chronicled the life of then-38-year-old actor John Eric Bentley who has had featured roles in "Bones," "CSI: Miami," and "Hannah Montana." The article reports that despite 50-plus television and film credits, he is barely able to support his family and pay his mortgage. With a salary of between $50,000 and $150,000, Bentley has taken a security guard job working the graveyard shift.
  
  

A Closer Look

• The Los Angeles Times article notes the efforts made by Screen Actors Guild officials to increase the salaries of its actors through residuals and online distribution. Guild statistics show that the average salaries for middle class actors decreased by 16 percent to $52,000 annually between 2001 and 2007. The article cites the last figures reported by the Bureau of Labor Statistics in 2006, that shows a decline of only 1 percent to $49,830 annually for middle class households.
  
  

Union Wages

• In the United States, professional actors generally belong to the following unions: the Screen Actors Guild, the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists and Actor's Equity Association. Actors in films earn wages according to SAG agreements which stipulate that day performers in feature-length films earn $809, while weekly peformers earn $2,808 as of 2010. Thus, those who work 52 weeks out of a year in films--though such a scenario is highly unlikely--would still earn a middle class salary. AFTRA and SAG determine the salaries for actors working in television. As of 2010, the rates for television actors are equal to those of film actors. Stage actors work under AEA agreements and actors may be paid as high as $1653 per week through August 2011. Actors who consistently earn union wages can make middle class salaries. Those who are able to negotiate higher wages (typically established veterans and celebrity actors) generally make more than $250,000.