Nobody in this industry likes talking about money, which is exactly why new models get burned. This page explains how pay actually works in New York, in plain language. We keep it structural on purpose: specific dollar amounts change with every contract and every production, so we show you how to read them and where the real current numbers live, instead of quoting figures that would be stale by winter.
How a paid day is structured
Most on-camera work in New York is paid by the day, not by the hour. A posting will name a rate for a set block of hours, commonly 8 or 10. Read three things in every posting:
- The base. What you earn for the stated block, even if they wrap early.
- Overtime. What happens after the block ends. On professional productions overtime is paid at an increased rate and tracked to the minute on your voucher, the pay slip you sign at wrap. Never leave set without confirming your voucher is right.
- Bumps. Extra payments stacked on the base for specific asks: bringing a car, a wardrobe change, getting wet, smoke work, a special skill like dancing or skating. Bumps are real money and they are listed in the casting notice. If you provided something extra that was not on your voucher, say so at wrap, not after.
Union vs non-union
New York film and TV work splits into two worlds:
- Union (SAG-AFTRA). Minimum rates are set by contract and published openly. The current background and principal rate sheets are on sag-aftra.org, and no union production may pay below them. If a posting says "SAG scale," that sheet is the number.
- Non-union. The production sets the rate, and it varies widely, from roughly minimum wage territory to rates that compete with scale when they need people fast. New York's current minimum wage is published at dol.ny.gov. A legitimate non-union posting states its rate up front. A posting that hides the rate until you have "registered" with a paid site is telling you something.
Theatre has its own version of this: Equity productions post through official channels with contract terms attached, and honest non-Equity postings state a stipend or fee plainly.
Where paid NYC castings post right now
This part we can show you live. Our castings board reads the casting companies' own public pages all day, every day, and marks what they mark as paid:
- Film and TV background from Grant Wilfley Casting, the house that staffs most of what shoots in this city.
- Theatre and performer calls from Playbill's staff-vetted board, deep-linked to each notice.
Every entry links to the source, because you should always read the original posting before you submit. It updates around the clock and it costs nothing.
TFP: when nobody pays and it is still fair
TFP means "time for prints": you shoot for free, the photographer shoots for free, and both walk away with images for their books. Early on, a good TFP shoot with a skilled photographer is often worth more than a small paycheck, because the photos get you the paid work. The test is symmetry. If you are both building, it is fair. If one side profits, from your fee, from selling the images, from "exposure" that never materializes, it is not TFP, it is unpaid labor.
What agencies take, and what they never should
Legitimate agencies and managers earn a commission on work they book for you. That is the whole model: they eat when you eat. What they never do is charge you to join, charge you to be "listed," or require you to buy their photographer's package before they will represent you.
At Dante's Models we keep it simple: your test shoot is free, your development is free, your page on this site is free, and we earn only when you book work. That is the standard you should hold anyone to, including us.
Red flags that mean walk away
- Any fee to submit, audition, or "be seen." Real casting never charges you. Ever.
- Rates revealed only after you pay to register.
- An "agency" that requires purchasing their photo package before representation.
- Payment promised in exposure, followers, or "next time."
- Pressure to decide tonight. Real productions run on schedules, not urgency scripts.
- A shoot address that is a private residence with no company name attached. Verify everything through the source posting.
Questions models ask us
Do I need an agent to get paid work in NYC? No. Background work through casting houses and self-submission platforms is open to everyone. An agent or manager matters later, for negotiated bookings, campaigns and contracts.
Should I ever work free? Sometimes, early, on true TFP terms with photographers whose work improves your book. Set a personal expiration date on free work and hold it.
How do I know a rate is fair? Compare it to the published union sheet for the same kind of work, and to the other postings on the same board that week. Underpriced postings become visible fast when you read enough real ones.
How do I start this week? Read the live castings board, register free with the casting houses named on it, and if you want photos that get you picked, apply to shoot with us. The first session costs you nothing.