One of the big milestones for getting going with making a living out here is SAG (Screen Actors Guild, "the union") membership. It's the Great Velvet Curtain that one must climb over to be considered a REAL actor. Getting in the union is not a happy pill for success. I hear that the average SAG Member makes about $3,500 a year. I have no idea what the real number is, but that one has been repeated to me. The number is out there to scare people like me from attempting to join (less competition) and to let agents off the hook for not getting you work.
There is, however, another union; AFTRA. AFTRA is the consolation prize of unions. Soap operas are AFTRA shows. There are two advantages to joining this one. It is still a union and California is not a right to work state, so you need to join to make more money. There is a back door to SAG. When one has worked AFTRA for a year, he has the option to join SAG and add  $1600 initiation to the $1300 already paid to AFTRA. So if I make the average SAG cash next year, I could clear $600 for the whole year. That could amount to a crisp $50 bill every month. That won't cover cable, but it will subsidize it a little. One might conclude: It cost more to watch TV than you make by being on it.
Not a real good business model, I know.
So, I guess I should say that I have joined AFTRA. I will pay into it as I get AFTRA work. I was hired to be a series regular background performer on a pilot for Comedy Central. If the show gets picked up, it will likely mean some steady work for me.
We will see. It should open up a couple doors for me and get me a chance at roles like: "Man lurking In The Dark", "Grocery customer #3", or even the challenging stuff like "Disgruntled Popcorn Vendor".