How much does a screenwriter earn in the United States?
Salary of a screenwriter in Hollywood
A screenwriter earns according to the budget of the film: here is the minimum for a film:
- budget under $5 million: $41,740.
- budget over $5 million: $85,902.
According to the WGA (Writers Guild of America), the average salary is $110,000 with a range of $72,600 to $136,000.
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the average salary is $67,120.
Payment is made in stages.
Let's take the example of a low budget film (less than $5 million):
- 1. delivery of original treatment : 45% : $32,922
- 2. delivery of first draft screenplay : 40% : $28,613
- 3. delivery of final draft screenplay : 15% : $11,127
Then, as in France, you will have to pay many fees:
- screenwriter's agent: 10%.
- manager : 10% of the cost
- lawyer : 5%.
- taxes: at least 10%.
Netflix screenwriter salary
How much does a screenwriter earn at Netflix?
As it happens, Netflix is a signatory to the Writers Guild of America charter so
they adhere to standard rates for low-budget films.
A script for a half hour will pay $12,000, while one will pay you $22,000.
A feature script will pay $50,000 and finally a feature script with treatment will pay $95,000.
For a big budget film (over $10 million), the income will be higher.
A syndicated writer on a team will be paid $3,5000 per week but only $500 if you are not syndicated (story editor).
(information found on Quora)