How Much Do Voice Actors Make? An Industry Guide
You booked your first discovery call, and the project sounds amazing. You resonate with the creative director's vision and know your voice will be perfect for this job. You’re thrilled—until you realize you have no idea what to charge.
When I started, I asked the same question: How much do voice actors make? The truth is, rates swing depending on the project, your experience, and how well you run your business.
In this guide, I’ll break down real-world numbers, what shapes them, and how you can build a career that pays you what you’re worth. Let’s dig into what matters most when it comes to getting paid in VO.
Voice Acting Salaries for Broadcast vs. Non-Broadcast Work
When people ask, how much do voice actors make, the honest answer often depends on one significant factor: whether the work is broadcast or non-broadcast.
Broadcast Voice Over
Broadcast work covers anything that goes out to the public, including TV commercials, radio commercials, streaming ads, and network promos. Because these projects are tied to public exposure and usage rights, they usually come with higher rates.
A 30-second commercial running nationally could pay anywhere from hundreds to thousands of dollars, depending on factors like market size, duration, and whether it's union or non-union. Usage fees, renewal payments, and exclusivity clauses often add even more to the overall value.
Non-Broadcast Voice Over
Non-broadcast work, on the other hand, includes e-learning courses, corporate training videos, internal communications, explainer videos, and more. These projects tend to pay lower upfront fees because they stay within a private audience or a limited use case.
You might earn a flat fee per finished minute, per finished hour, or even per project, often ranging from a couple of hundred to a few thousand dollars, depending on scope and complexity.
Both types of work can be rewarding and lucrative. Many working voice actors balance both, using broadcast work for those bigger, high-impact payouts and non-broadcast projects for consistent, steady income streams.
Professional vs. Beginner Voice Actor Salaries
It's important to understand that the average voice actor's salary often follows experience, skill development, and business savvy, not just time in the industry.
Entry Level Voice Actors
If you're just starting out, it’s normal to book smaller jobs that pay between $100 and $500 per project. Rates might be per finished minute, per word, or per project, depending on the genre.
Early on, most of your work will likely come from non-broadcast projects like e-learning modules, indie games, or internal corporate videos. Focus on training, building your portfolio, and learning how to work with different client types—not just chasing high paychecks right away.
Intermediate Voice Actors
Intermediates, or those with a few years of steady work, often earn $500 to $2,000 or more per project, depending on the market and genre. You’ll likely start seeing opportunities in regional commercials, ongoing corporate narration series, audiobooks, and more specialized eLearning or medical narration.
At this level, your rates grow not just because of your voice, but because you offer professionalism, speed, and reliability, all qualities clients value highly.
Experienced Voice Actors
Professional voice actors with strong reputations, niche expertise, a wide range of work, or major agency representation can command $2,000 to $10,000+ per job—especially for national commercials, high-end animated feature film projects, or major brand campaigns. Some work also pays ongoing residuals, especially if you're booking union-covered broadcast work.
Veteran voice talent also tend to have strong relationships with casting directors, studios, and agents, which means higher quality work, better clients, and less time spent auditioning for low-paying gigs.
How to Set Your Voice Actor Salary
Setting your voice-over rates isn’t about pulling a number out of thin air. It’s about knowing your value, your market, and what makes your work worth it.
Determine your minimum.
Before you even quote a job, know the minimum rate you’re willing to accept. Think about your costs—studio setup, coaching, software—and the time you’ll spend recording, editing, and communicating with clients.
If you don’t set a minimum, it’s easy to accept jobs that drain your time and energy without moving your career forward.
2. Understand the difference between union and non-union voice acting work.
Union jobs, like those through SAG-AFTRA, follow set pay structures with protections like residuals and health benefits. Non-union jobs can pay just as well, or even better in some cases, but hourly rates vary widely depending on the client and the project.
In non-union spaces, you’ll need to advocate for yourself and rely heavily on trusted resources like the GVAA and Gravy for the Brain rate guides.
3. Recognize how your experience level and niche talent impact your rates.
If you have specialized skills, like fluency in medical terminology, character work with dialects, or the ability to narrate long-form technical material, you can (and should) charge more.
Clients aren’t just paying for your voice; they’re paying for the confidence that you can deliver precisely what they need.
4. Factor in whether you have agency representation.
Working with a talent agent can open doors to higher-paying, exclusive projects. Agents negotiate on your behalf, set higher minimums, and protect your interests.
Even if you’re non-union, solid agency representation often elevates your access to serious, professional work.
5. Consider how well you market yourself.
The truth is, marketing plays a massive role in your earning potential. A polished website, a strong social media presence, professional demos, and good networking can all help you command better rates.
When clients perceive you as a professional—and when you show up consistently—you’re positioned to book higher-paying work.
How to Quote for Voice Over Projects
You need to understand the full scope of a project and adjust your rates to reflect the value you bring to the table as a voiceover actor. Before you send a quote, ask the client key questions:
What’s the project’s usage? (Internal, broadcast, social media?)
How long is the script? (Word count, numerous lines, or finished minutes?)
Is this a one-time session or ongoing work?
Will revisions, pickups, or additional edits be needed?
What is the project’s intended reach? (Local, regional, national, global?)
What kind of relationship do you want to build with this client? That can be an additional factor in your quote.
Usage is a considerable factor, and so is understanding where your quote fits compared to standard rates in the industry. A local training video carries a different value than a national commercial that will air for a year.
Broadcast projects, in particular, often involve usage fees and renewal options. When you build a quote, think beyond just “per word” or “per minute.” You’re quoting for:
Your voice and performance skills
Your studio set up, microphone quality, and editing expertise
The licensing and usage of your work
Your professionalism, timeliness, and communication
Resources, like the GVAA rate guide (in the U.S.) and Gravy for the Brain rate guide (in the U.K.), offer helpful benchmarks. Most importantly, quote with confidence. If a client pushes back on fair rates, it often says more about them than it does about your value. Look at this as an opportunity to educate the client and help them gain a better understanding of the industry.
Before quoting, take the time to answer any client questions (about usage and other details). Projects often move fast, and it can be easy to feel pressured to rush to quote, but it’s always better to quote accurately.
Voice Over Payment Methods
Once you’ve quoted and booked the job, you’ll need to make sure you’re set up to get paid promptly and professionally.
In voiceovers, most payments are made through direct deposit, PayPal, Wise, or ACH transfers. Some larger companies and agencies may prefer old-school checks, but electronic payment is by far the norm today.
It’s also common (and smart) to ask for partial payment upfront, especially for larger projects or a new client. A 50% deposit is a typical industry standard. It protects both you and the client, showing commitment on both sides. Here are a few quick tips:
Always send a formal invoice, even if the project feels casual.
List the project name, usage details, agreed-upon rate, and payment terms.
Set a net 30 payment term by default—but if you prefer faster turnaround, you can negotiate for net 15 or even upon delivery, depending on the client relationship.
Follow up politely if payment is late. Most clients appreciate a gentle nudge if an invoice falls off their radar.
Best Voice Over Fields for Salaries
Higher-paying fields like national commercials and medical narration often pull in salaries well above the average voice actor working in non-broadcast or indie projects. These opportunities tend to demand a polished sound across a range of media, from television to online platforms.
National Commercial Voiceover
TV and radio spots with wide broadcast reach can pay thousands for short scripts, especially when usage fees, exclusivity clauses, and renewals are involved.
Video Game and Animation Work
Character-driven roles for major studios often offer strong upfront rates plus the potential for ongoing work if a project is part of a franchise.
eLearning and Medical Narration
Longer-form projects in specialized fields pay well because they require clarity, consistency, and sometimes technical knowledge.
Corporate Explainer Videos for Major Brands
High-profile corporate work often demands polished, high-quality VO and budgets accordingly.
Worst Voice Over Fields for Salaries
On the other end, there are fields where pay rates are consistently lower, and often not worth the time investment for experienced talent. Here’s where you might want to be cautious:
Low-Budget Indie Video Games
Passion projects are great for gaining experience early on, but they often offer little to no pay.
Fiverr and Crowdsourcing Sites
While some people choose to build starter portfolios here, most jobs are underpriced, and it's tough to create a sustainable income.
YouTube Explainers and Internet Ads for Small Brands
While there's growing demand in these areas, rates can vary wildly, and often skew low unless you negotiate carefully.
Student and Nonprofit Work
These projects can be fulfilling, but they’re usually better suited for passion projects or demo material rather than reliable income.
How Much Do Voice Actors Make: Frequently Asked Questions
How much do actors get paid for their voices?
Voice actors typically earn anywhere from $100 to $10,000+ per project, depending on factors like usage, project type, experience, exclusivity and whether the job is union or non-union. Broadcast commercials and major animation projects usually pay the highest rates.
How much do beginner voice actors get paid?
Beginner voice actors often make between $100 and $500 per project. Early opportunities are typically in non-broadcast work like elearning, audiobook narration, or indie games, where rates vary based on script length, word count, and project complexity.
Is voice acting a high-paying job?
Voice acting can be a high-paying career, especially at the professional level. However, income varies widely based on experience, niche specialization, marketing efforts, and consistency of work. It often takes time, training, and business skills to reach the highest earning tiers and build a consistent annual voice actor salary.
Who is the highest-paid voice actor?
The highest-paid voice actor is often cited as Matt Stone, co-creator and voice talent behind South Park, who earns millions annually through voice acting, production, and royalties. In pure voice-over work, Nancy Cartwright, the voice of Bart Simpson, is also among the top earners with reported salaries reaching $400,000 per episode at peak contracts.
Let’s Connect and Build Stronger VO Careers Together
Hi, I’m Lauren Bandman—a full-time voice actor on the journey to building a fulfilling career in this ever-changing industry.
If you want to talk shop with someone who truly gets the work behind the mic, I’d love to connect. Whether you’re a fellow talent, coach, or creative partner, let’s keep growing, supporting, and raising the bar together.
