Film crew day rates in 2026 run from about $150 a day for a production assistant to $1,500 or more for a director of photography, for a standard 10-hour day on an indie production. The number on the quote is only the start. Once you add overtime, a kit rental, fringes, and meals, a “$500 a day” crew member costs closer to $700. This guide gives role-by-role ranges, explains what moves them, and shows how to budget the real cost rather than the headline rate.
What does a film crew cost per day?
These are typical 2026 ranges for a 10-hour day on non-union or low-budget productions in mid-to-large US and Western European cities. Labor only; equipment is separate (see below). The low end is a smaller city or a favor rate; the high end is Los Angeles, New York, or London at a fair indie rate.
| Role | Indie / low budget | Mid budget | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Director of photography | $500 to $1,200 | $1,200 to $2,500 | Plus camera package if they own one |
| 1st AC (focus puller) | $350 to $550 | $550 to $800 | |
| 2nd AC | $250 to $400 | $400 to $550 | |
| Gaffer | $400 to $650 | $650 to $950 | Plus lighting package |
| Key grip | $400 to $650 | $650 to $900 | Plus grip package |
| Grip / electric (each) | $250 to $400 | $400 to $550 | |
| Sound mixer | $400 to $650 | $650 to $1,000 | Plus sound kit, usually $150 to $300 |
| Boom operator | $250 to $400 | $400 to $550 | |
| Production designer | $400 to $700 | $700 to $1,200 | Prep days too, not just shoot days |
| Art director / set dresser | $300 to $500 | $500 to $750 | |
| Hair and makeup | $300 to $550 | $550 to $900 | Kit fee $50 to $150 |
| Wardrobe / costume | $300 to $500 | $500 to $800 | |
| 1st AD | $400 to $700 | $700 to $1,100 | Prep days |
| 2nd AD | $250 to $450 | $450 to $650 | |
| Script supervisor | $300 to $500 | $500 to $750 | |
| Location manager | $350 to $550 | $550 to $850 | Scout days too |
| Production coordinator | $300 to $450 | $450 to $700 | Often weekly, not daily |
| Production assistant | $150 to $250 | $250 to $350 |
Union scale (IATSE, BECTU, and equivalents) is published and generally sits at or above the mid-budget column, with mandatory fringes on top. If your production is signatory, the published minimums replace this table.
What does a day rate actually include?
The five things that turn the quoted rate into the real cost:
- Overtime. Hours 11 and 12 are usually 1.5×; after 12, 2×. A 12-hour day on a $500 rate is $650, not $500.
- Kit or box rental. Crew who bring their own gear charge for it separately: a sound kit, a camera package, a hair and makeup kit. Ask for the labor number and the kit number on the same quote.
- Fringes. Payroll taxes, union contributions, pension and health, workers' compensation. 20 to 35 percent on union shoots; budget 10 percent minimum on non-union for payroll processing and insurance.
- Meals and per diems. A hot meal every six hours is standard. Meal penalties apply when you miss it. On distant locations, per diems and accommodation.
- Prep and wrap days. Department heads (production designer, gaffer, 1st AD, location manager) are paid for days before and after the shoot. Budget them.
Why do rates vary so much by city?
Because crew rates track local cost of living and local demand. In Los Angeles, New York, London, and Vancouver there is a deep pool of experienced crew and a lot of work competing for them. In a smaller city there are fewer people, less work, and lower rents. A gaffer with the same skill costs $650 in one and $400 in the other.
| Market | Relative rate level | What to expect |
|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles, New York, London | High (1.5 to 2× small markets) | Deep crew pool, union pressure on rates, everyone is busy |
| Atlanta, Vancouver, Berlin, Paris | Mid to high | Strong infrastructure, incentives attract productions |
| Mid-size cities with film schools | Mid | Good entry-level crew, thinner at department-head level |
| Small markets | Low (0.5 to 0.7× major cities) | May need to bring in key crew and pay their travel |
The trap is the partial sum. A smaller city saves 40 percent on day rates, then you fly in a DP and a sound mixer, put them in a hotel for two weeks, and give back most of the saving. Budget the whole crew cost, with travel, before choosing where to shoot.
How do you budget crew honestly?
- Get three quotes per department head in the city you are actually shooting in. Ask for labor and kit separately.
- Use the shoot-day count from the schedule, plus prep and wrap days for HODs. Not a guess: the schedule.
- Add overtime as a percentage of labor. Ten percent is optimistic; fifteen is honest for an indie shoot with night exteriors.
- Add fringes as a line, not buried in the rate.
- Add meals, travel, and per diems as their own lines.
- Then compare each line to the local average. A line well above it needs a reason (a specialist, a package); a line well below it is probably a favor that may not hold.
Indie rates, favor rates, and deferrals
Three different things, and it is worth being clear which one you are asking for.
- Indie rate: a discount on market, typically 20 to 40 percent, in exchange for a short schedule, a good script, and being treated well. Normal and respectable.
- Favor rate: well below market, from someone who likes you. Do not build a budget on favors; they evaporate when a paid job comes up.
- Deferral: no pay now, a share later. Put it in writing with a clear trigger. Never call it free.
Whatever the rate, write a deal memo: rate, hours, overtime terms, kit fee, start and end dates. A one-page memo prevents every wrap-day argument you can imagine.
About these numbers
The ranges are 2026 figures from our own budgets, rates producers report to us, and published union minimums, for 10-hour days on indie and mid-budget productions. They move every year and they move by city. Use them to check a budget, then replace them with quotes. To see crew in context with the rest of a budget, read How to Budget a Film and start from the free budget template. For who does what on set, see Film Crew Positions Explained.
Frequently asked questions
What is a standard film crew day?
Ten hours in the US and most of Europe, twelve in some markets, with overtime after that. A "day rate" almost always means a 10-hour day; confirm it in the deal memo so there is no argument at wrap.
How much does a DP cost per day?
On indie productions in 2026, roughly $500 to $1,200 a day for the person, more if they bring a camera package. Commercial and union DPs charge several times that. The package is often the bigger number.
Do crew rates include equipment?
Usually not. A DP, sound mixer, or gaffer who owns gear will quote a separate kit rental, often called a "kit fee" or "box rental," on top of their labor. Ask for both numbers.
What are fringes?
The costs on top of wages: payroll taxes, union contributions, pension and health where applicable, workers’ compensation. On a union shoot they add 20 to 35 percent to labor. On a non-union indie paying contractors, budget at least 10 percent for payroll handling and insurance.
Is it cheaper to hire crew in a smaller city?
Day rates are lower, often by 30 to 50 percent compared with Los Angeles or London, but you may need to fly in a few key people and pay their travel and accommodation. Do the whole sum, not just the day rate.