Ever sat in the theatre and wondered: “how much do West End actors get paid?” Don’t feel bad, we've all done it - it's why we've written this! Whether you’re trying to start your career in theatre or you’re just nosy, we’ve got the stats about the stars.

How much does a West End actor earn?

Thanks to the hard work of unions, there is a minimum amount actors get paid for working in a West End show, with pay starting at £629.41 per week. There are a few factors to consider when answering the question “how much do West End actors get paid?” as salaries depend on theatre size, number of shows per week, and role within the company. 

With the cost of living, you’d hope the average salary for a West End performer would have grown alongside. And it has somewhat. In 2023, Equity announced a 16 per cent pay rise for performers and stage management teams. The increase has been staggered over two years.

Currently, actors will receive £629.41 to £900.36 per week, calculated by theatre size.

When calculated as an annual salary, that equates to approximately £32,780 to £45,760 per annum (if you work every single week of the year). This amount will increase again between now and April 2026.

Though an average of around £39,270 per year is close to the national average salary (recorded to be £42,219 in 2023), remember that actors don’t work consistently, and many have to take a second job to support their lifestyle.

Breakdown of the current pay bands:

Eight-week minimum

For venues with 1,100 seats or more, an actor will receive a standard fee of £768.98 per week (previously £695 in 2018).

Venues with 900 to 1,099 seats will see actors receiving £699.50 per week (previously £632 a week in 2018).

Actors performing in venues with up to 799 seats will be paid £629.41 per week.

12-week minimum

1,100+ seat venues will see actors receiving £900.36 per week. 

Venues with 900 to 1,099 seats will pay £818.49 a week.

Small venues with up to 799 seats will pay £736.65 per week.

Bonuses:

There are bonuses for certain roles within the company:

• Dance captains will see an increase of up to £135 a week.

• Swing members will receive up to an extra £120 a week.

• Understudy appearances will be bumped by £22 for supporting roles and £35 for principal roles.