Casting Directors are paid by the producer and usually work on a set fee basis. Their goal is to find the appropriate actor for your needs. Talent Agents are paid by the talent themselves and usually work on a commission basis. Their goal is to find work for their actors.

Casting Directors have many more resources when looking for suitable talent, including relationships with talent agents. These relationships give casting directors access to talent that a producer would not be able to audition by calling a talent agent directly or by advertising. And they can often negotiate more favorable rates for talent than a producer could or than a Talent Agent would be willing to negotiate.