How much do Location Managers make?

If you’ve ever watched a film crew quietly take over an entire borough before sunrise, that logistical ballet is the work of the locations department. It’s one of the most responsibility-heavy and negotiation-dependent roles in the UK screen industries, and yes, it can be very well paid… when you’re working.

In the UK, most freelance jobs in film and high-end TV are paid on a day rate rather than a salary. Whether you’re working on current movies, shooting a TV commercial, or part of a six-month streamer drama shooting in London, your pay will usually reference the latest BECTU rate cards.

The most widely used benchmark is the January 2026 Guidance from BECTU (the BECTU union), often aligned with the Pact/BECTU TV Agreement. These are recommended rates — negotiation still very much exists in the wild.

Below is a practical, UK-focused guide to BECTU rates, holiday pay, commercials (APA rates), and what a “good year” actually looks like.

The Budget Bands (why your rate changes depending on the show)

For scripted TV drama, BECTU splits projects into:

• Band 1: up to £1.25m
• Band 2: £1.25m–£3m
• Band 3 (HETV): £3m–£8m
• Band 4 (Streamers): £8m+

Some discussions now reference a Band 5 hourly rate, informally for ultra-high-budget streamer projects, but this sits outside the formal card and is typically “by negotiation”.

For feature films:

• Below £10m
• £10m–£30m
• £30m+ (Major Feature)

Day Rates by Grade (BECTU Recommended, Jan 2026)

All figures below are approximate hourly base. Most are calculated on a 10-hour day. The rate card states rates include rolled up holiday pay (12.07%).

From April 2026, BECTU lists hourly base at roughly:

• TV Band 1: £16.20–£16.90/hr
• TV Band 4: £16.20–£18.00/hr

Major Feature: £15.64–£17.91/hr 

That’s around £162.00–£180.00 for a 10-hour day, depending on band. Yes, you know you will do more than “10 hours” in your heart.

This role often overlaps with entry-level film extra jobs in terms of career starting point, though the responsibilities are entirely different.

Typically:

Typical hourly base:

• TV Band 1: £15.90–£18.00/hr
• TV Band 4: £18.00–£23.20/hr
• Major Feature: £16.91–£21.09/hr 

So you’re looking at roughly £159.00 – £232.00 per 10-hour day. 

Often the stepping stone into Location Scout jobs or Assistant Location Manager roles.

• Roughly £17.00 – £29.00/hr

So around £170.00 – £290.00 per day.

This role bridges production logistics and locations, often involved in large-scale shooting London operations.

BECTU lists this role from Band 2 upwards (self-employed / Ltd / PAYE options):

• TV Band 2: £26.40–£31.70/hr
• TV Band 4: £31.70–£38.00/hr
• Major Feature: £29.55–£35.91/hr

So around £264.00 – £380.00 per day.

Hourly base:

• TV Band 1: £26.40–£31.60/hr
• TV Band 4: £31.60–£37.90/hr
• Major Feature: £29.55–£36.91/hr 

That’s roughly £264.00 – £379.00 per 10-hour day on TV drama bands. 

• £26.00 – £44.00/hr depending on band

So approximately £260.00–£440.00 per day.

Whether you’re a Film Location Scout for a major feature or working on a prestige TV drama, this is skilled creative and logistical work, not just pretty photos.

If you’re searching for Location Scout jobs, note that commercial and TV advertisement work often pays differently (see APA below).

The main character energy.

Hourly base:

•     TV Band 1: £32.20–£38.50/hr
•     TV Band 4: £39.60–£51.70/hr
•     Major Feature: £38.00–£48.55/hr

On a 10-hour day, that’s about £322.00 – £517.00 for TV drama.

BECTU notes these LM rates are for an LM with a Supervising Location Manager above; if you’re the top location lead, it’s “by negotiation.” 

SLM rates are largely:

“By negotiation.”

So what does that mean exactly? Whispers on the street speak of breaching the £600.00 a day mark, for the elder statesperson level SLM.

Reference points on the card show hourly figures in the £40.00 – £55.00+ range, plus negotiable weekly deals on bigger projects.

For the mortals… approximately £400.00 – £550.00 + per day.

This is where you’re not just running locations, you’re managing the politics of half the borough.

The Extras!

Rates above don’t typically include:

• Car allowance £25.00 – £40.00 per day
• Box allowance £5.00 – £10.00 per day
• Meal Allowance £15.00 – £35.00 per day, assuming catering is not available
• Phone allowance £5.00 per day typical
• Parking and congestion at cost, so not really a benefit

Generally, the more senior you are, the higher these extras will be.

If you’re shooting in London, those allowances matter, the cost of living has a habit of eating into your rate.

Commercials & TV Advertisement Rates (APA)

Commercials in the UK often follow guidance from the Advertising Producers Association via the APA rate card.

APA rates can differ from BECTU drama rates and are typically structured as:

• Day rates
• Overtime structures
• Separate prep and wrap days

Commercials can be lucrative but short-term, high intensity, compressed timelines.

If you’re crossing between drama and TV advertisement work, it’s worth comparing APA rates against BECTU rate cards carefully.

The current APA rate card, which came into effect in September 2025, states that a Location Manager should earn between £489.00 – £580.00, with a basic overtime hourly rate of £58.00 per hour.

Although on the face of it, this is a superb rate, as discussed, commercials are short lived, and this rate reflects the short term nature of those gigs.

So What Does a UK Location Manager Actually Make?

On paper as a daily:

• £320.00 – £500.00+ per day on HETV / streamer drama
• £400.00 – £550.00+ per day on major features (negotiated)
• £489.00 – £580.00 per day on APA commercials

So…what does this really look like a year?

We will use a Location Manager as the example:

150 days worked: £55,800-£91,500

200 days worked: £74,400-£121,400

250 days worked: £93,000-£151,750

300 days worked: £111,600–£182,100 (Rare)

But there is a great deal of risk here.

You have zero security and could do as little as 50 days in a year, you can do very well, but there are no guarantees.

Typical full-time UK salaries for comparison:

• Baker: £24,000 – £28,000, gotta get up early, but hold on, that’s Location Management all over!
• Chartered Accountant: £40,000 – £65,000, gotta be able to budget…
• Investment Banker: £70,000 – £120,000 plus bonuses. These guys are made of something else. I think it’s called money.

Location Managing annualised, that looks enormous compared to:

• What is average wage in UK? → roughly £34,000–£36,000
• Average working hours UK → about 36–37 hours per week

But here’s the twist.

Film work isn’t 37 hours a week. It’s 55–70+ hours.

And it’s not year-round…

Assuming a mid-range rate, a Location Manager earning £2,000 for a 5 day week, broken down per hour to a 70 hour week is £28.50 per hour.

This is around the same rate as an HGV driver, gas engineer or sales executive, only they are getting paid for every one of the hours that they work…which a Location Manager is not.

A “good year” in UK locations might mean:

• 120–180 paid shoot days
• A few prep and wrap weeks
• Maybe one commercial

That might gross £50,000 – £80,000+ depending on grade and band.

But:

• No sick pay
• No paid holiday (it’s rolled in)
• No pension unless you set it up
• Gaps between shows/films
• Vulnerable to strikes, streamers pausing commissioning, pandemics

Well Paid… But at What Cost?

Here’s the honest bit.

Yes, senior Location Managers in the UK are generally very well paid compared to national averages.

But:

• Zero job security
• No paid sick leave
• No guaranteed holiday
• No employer pension continuity
• Massive exposure to market downturns

You’re paid for the instability.

You’re paid for knowing which council officer answers at 07:00 am.

You’re paid for your charm.

You’re paid for preventing disasters no one else ever hears about.

It is lucrative.

It is volatile.

It requires stamina and emotional intelligence in equal measure……and occasionally, you will question your life choices in a lay-by at 05:30am.

You can earn more in six months than many salaried roles pay in a year.

You can also spend three months refreshing your inbox.

Final Thoughts

Whether you’re researching:

• Location manager jobs
• Location scout jobs
• Film location scout career paths
• Or comparing BECTU rates with APA rates

The UK Locations Department sits in a curious place:

Highly skilled.

Often chaotic.

Frequently invisible.

Surprisingly well paid.

Deeply insecure.

If you’re freelance in locations, you are not paid for the calm days.

You’re paid for the days when 200 people, three horses, a drone operator on FAA rates, and a council film officer all want something at once and somehow, you make it happen……and yes, someone is being paid to make that look intentional!