Behind the Lens

Film Career · Stunts / Transportation

Precision Driver

Stunts / Transportation · SAG-AFTRA when on camera

Union
SAG-AFTRA when on camera
Day rate
~$1,000–$3,000/day
Experience
5–10 yrs
How to join your union View in the set org chart

What does a Precision Driver do?

Precision drivers execute exact vehicle work on camera: hitting marks at speed, close formation traffic, and controlled slides. When the driving is performance, the driver works under SAG-AFTRA as a stunt performer, distinct from the teamsters who move vehicles off camera.

What does a Precision Driver make?

  • Day rate about $1,000-$3,000, booked as a stunt performer at scale (about $1,100 a day) plus per-gag bumps that can add hundreds to thousands per stunt.
  • Roughly $80K-$200K a year for top drivers working steadily.
  • Risk of the gag and how many bumps stack up drive it.

Film work is gig based, so crew are paid a day or weekly rate rather than a salary. These are realistic 2024-2025 ranges grounded in union rate cards and industry data; actual pay swings with budget tier, market, overtime, and reputation.

Sources & how we estimate pay

Union scale is the floor; the ranges above also reflect market day rates above scale. They are grounded in the following 2024–2025 sources:

On the job

  • Execute driving choreography to exact marks, take after take
  • Perform formation and traffic work inches from other vehicles
  • Translate the stunt coordinator's plan into repeatable runs
  • Maintain total vehicle control across surfaces and weather

You’ll like and be good at this job if:

Hard skills

  • You have elite car control and can hit a mark at speed
  • You know vehicle-stunt safety and rigging

Soft skills

  • You have steady nerve
  • You put safety and repeatability above showing off

Career progression

Precision drivers come from motorsport, stunt driving schools, and the stunt community. Screen careers build from driving in commercials and second unit work toward feature action, and veterans move into stunt coordinating vehicle sequences.

A typical path, from entry to the top of the craft. Times are rough and vary by market, luck, and how steadily the work comes.

  1. Stunt Performer· 3-6 yrs

    ~$60K–$300K+/yr

  2. Stunt Driver· 2-4 yrs

    ~$60K–$300K+/yr

  3. Precision Driveryou are here· specialist peak

    ~$80K–$200K/yr

How do you become a Precision Driver?

Note that a so-called precision driver is an industry term, not a SAG-AFTRA classification — on camera the contract recognizes Stunt Driver (stunt-level) and Vehicle Driver (skilled non-stunt). Formal stunt-driving school credits plus documented seat time open the door; driving coordinators hire from courses they trust, and a clean reel of real car control beats claims every time.

On covered productions, rates, hours, and conditions for the role are set by SAG-AFTRA when on camera contracts.

Covered by a union? The joining a film union guide explains how each one takes members.

For productions

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