The published floor for the step
See the official Guild minimum for a named writing step — original, rewrite, polish, story and teleplay, or a staff week — in the MBA year you choose.
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WGA Minimums 2026: How Much Screenwriters Make
What a screenwriter is paid at minimum in 2026: official WGA floors for a feature screenplay, a TV episode, a staff week and streaming residuals, free.
Useful output, not a score
What this tool gives you
Four-year schedule where it exists
Feature, episode, staff, and High-Budget SVOD residual tables publish Years 1–4, as the official schedule and FAQ list them.
A copyable readout
Copy the family, the step, the floor, and the source. The memo is not a quote and not a deal.
How to use it
- 1
Choose a deal family
High-budget feature, low-budget feature, half-hour, hour, staff week, or a streaming residual table.
- 2
Pick the writing step
Original, rewrite, polish, story and teleplay, or the residual platform row. For story-and-teleplay, optionally apply the official pilot or backup multiple.
- 3
Read the floor, then confirm the Guild
Copy the readout if you want it in notes. The live schedule on the Guild site is the authority.
Questions writers ask
Is this a salary calculator?
No. It shows published Guild floors for named writing steps. Typical earnings, quotes, and residuals on a specific title are a different question.
Does a spec pay scale?
Scale applies after a signatory hires or buys covered work. A spec can sell; until then the pages are yours. Confirm whether the buyer is a signatory before treating any figure as a Guild floor.
Where do the numbers come from?
The official 2026 Schedule of Minimums for theatrical, television, and staff rates, and the 2026 MBA Contract Changes FAQ for High-Budget SVOD three-year residual totals.
Can I use this as legal or financial advice?
No. This page is not legal advice, not financial advice, and not a quote for your deal. Minimums, credits, and residuals are fact-specific: the writing step, the budget band, whether the company is a signatory, and the credit on the picture all change the number. Confirm the live Guild schedule and the MBA FAQ before you rely on a figure. Talk to the Guild or a qualified representative about your contract.
Defined in the glossary
WGA (Writers Guild of America)
The labor union representing film, television, radio, and new-media writers in the United States — two affiliated bodies, the Writers Guild of America West and the Writers Guild of America East, split by geography.
2026 WGA MBA
The current Minimum Basic Agreement between the WGA and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers, effective May 2, 2026, with minimums and working protections for covered writing.
Residuals
Payments owed under the WGA agreement to a credited writer when covered work is reused after its first run — broadcast repeats, licensing to another market, home video, and streaming. They are separate from the fee paid to write the script.
Guaranteed Second Step
A second paid writing step guaranteed in qualifying WGA-covered theatrical deals. Under the 2026 MBA, the protection expands to writers hired for a first-draft screenplay at up to 225% of the applicable minimum.
WGA Signatory
A company that has agreed to be bound by the WGA collective-bargaining agreement for covered writing employment, including applicable minimums, credits, residuals, and pension and health contributions.
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