MEAA doesn't publish a day rate for on-camera TVC talent in 2026. The figures that are published come from three places: the MEAA voiceover card, where a 15 or 30-second television spot running nationally for 12 months is $985; the Award, which from 1 July 2026 pays a performer in an advertising production at least $54.50 an hour and an extra $44.94; and the Casting Guild of Australia, whose guideline sets the $1,500 featured extra floor and $150 an hour of overtime that producers use with the MEAA contract. Super at 12% goes on top of all of them.
The 2026 figures in one table
| What | Rate | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Performer, advertising production, per hour | $54.50 | Award cl. 13.8(a) |
| Extra, advertising production, per hour | $44.94 | Award cl. 13.8(a) |
| Minimum call, on-camera | 4 hours | Award cl. 64.3(a) |
| Late 30-minute meal, weekday | $40.88 | Award cl. 67.1(e) |
| Featured extra, adult day floor | $1,500 | CGA guideline |
| Featured extra, child day floor | $750 | CGA guideline |
| Overtime, each hour past 10 | $150 | CGA guideline |
| Night loading, work past 22:00 | $500 | CGA guideline |
| Voiceover, television, 15/30s, national, 12 months | $985 | MEAA voiceover card |
| Voiceover, radio, national, 12 months | $545 | MEAA voiceover card |
| Super Guarantee, on top of the fee | 12% | Superannuation Guarantee Act |
On-camera TVC: no MEAA day rate
The MEAA TVC Standard Contract 2024 is the agreement a performer signs for a commercial. It sets usage terms, rollovers, cancellation, payment and AI consent, and it leaves the fee to the booking. MEAA's reason:
"Market rates are well above the minimum wages in the Award and are not included in the standard contract at this time."
So the session fee for a principal is whatever the agent negotiates. Our calculators open a principal at $4,500 as a working figure, and the performer rates guide sets out the market ranges for each tier. The one published floor on camera is the CGA's $1,500 for an adult featured extra ($750 for a child).
Usage is priced as a percentage of that fee under the CGA guideline: BVOD +50%, BVOD and streaming together +80%, social media +25%, cinema +50%. The CGA vs MEAA guide splits what each document decides.
The Award floor under every booking
Part 2 cl. B.5 of the MEAA contract adopts the Broadcasting, Recorded Entertainment and Cinemas Award 2020, so its minimums sit under every employed TVC performer. The rates below took effect on 1 July 2026.
- Hourly rates. $54.50 for a performer and $44.94 for an extra in an advertising production (cl. 13.8(a)).
- Minimum call. 4 hours on camera, so a performer is paid at least $218 and an extra $179.76for any day they're called (cl. 64.3(a)).
- Juveniles. 50% of the adult rate for the same classification (cl. 13.5(e)).
- Sundays. All time worked on a Sunday is paid at 200% (cl. 69.1).
- Late meals.A meal is due within 5 hours of call. If it's late, the meal period is paid at 150% on a weekday, 175% on Saturday, 200% on Sunday and 250% on a public holiday: $40.88 for a 30-minute weekday meal (cl. 67.1(e)).
- Turnaround. 10 clear hours between wrap and the next call. A shorter break is paid at 200% until the performer gets one (cl. 67.1(j)).
The overtime and meal penalties guide works these through a shoot day.
MEAA voiceover rates for 2026
The MEAA Voiceover Industry Rate Card that took effect on 1 July 2025 is the current card through 2026. It is a real rate card: every cell is a minimum. For a 15 or 30-second spot:
- Television, national: $590 for 3 months, $785 for 4 to 6 months and $985 for 12 months.
- Television, one state, 12 months: $645.
- Television and BVOD, 12 months: $1,375. Add paid online placement and it's $1,425.
- Radio, national, 12 months: $545; radio and audio streaming: $815.
- Submission or revision: $220 an hour. Each character voice: $220 per track.
The voiceover card guide covers lengths, bundles, territories and the AI rider, and the voiceover calculator prices any combination.
What this page doesn't cover
Film and television drama run on different MEAA agreements: the ATPA for television drama, the Actors Feature Film Collective Agreement for feature films, and the Motion Picture Production Agreement (MPPA) for crew. None of their rates are on this page. The current MPPA schedules, dated 1 January and 1 July 2026, sit in MEAA's members' area rather than on its public site, so ask MEAA for the schedule that applies to your production.
Pricing a 2026 booking
For a whole job, the project budget puts talent, voiceover, super, workers compensation and payroll tax on one page. For a single performer, use the performer calculator; for the shoot day itself, the overtime calculator applies the Award and CGA rules above. Extras have their own guide.
