West members hit an all-time high of $1.56 billion for the fiscal year ended March 31 – up 4.2% from the previous year, according to the guild’s latest annual report. Earnings have topped the $1 billion mark for seven years in a row.
Earnings from television and digital platforms topped $1 billion for the second year in a row, coming it at nearly $1.07 billion – up 3% from the prior year. Total employment was down 1.5% from 2017, however, with 4,830 writers reporting income from television and digital platforms, though the guild said that this figure is likely to increase with late reporting.Screenwriter earnings and employment continued to rebound in 2018, with 2,040 writers reporting $481 million in earnings – up 7.
“Writer-producers report their weekly salary to the Guild at Article 14 minimum, meaning the Guild’s data regarding television and digital platform earnings is generally based on MBA minimums,” the report states. “For this reason, these figures do not reflect the downward pressure on writers’ overscale income as a result of short season orders and other changes in the television and digital media industry.