List of highest-paid American television stars

Last updated

This is a list of people starring on American television that are the highest-paid, based on verified sources for each person.

Contents

TV and streaming salaries per episode

NameProgramRoleSalaryInflation AdjustedYearRef.
Sarah Jessica Parker Sex and the City Carrie Bradshaw $3.2 million$5,327,0002001–2004 [1]
Jennifer Aniston The Morning Show Alex Levy$2 million$2,460,0002019– [2] [3]
Reese Witherspoon Bradley Jackson
Charlie Sheen Two and a Half Men Charlie Harper $1.8-2 million$2,516,0002010–11 [4]
Ray Romano Everybody Loves Raymond Raymond Barone $1.825 million$2,737,0002003–05 [5]
Kelsey Grammer Frasier Frasier Crane $1.6 million$2,664,0002002–04 [6]
Chris Pratt The Terminal List James Reece$1.4 million$1,701,0002022– [7]
Tim Allen Home Improvement Tim Taylor $1.25 million$2,359,0001998–99 [4]
Jerry Seinfeld Seinfeld Jerry Seinfeld $1 million$1,929,0001997–98 [8]
Helen Hunt Mad About You Jamie Buchman $1 million$1,888,0001998–99 [9]
Paul Reiser Paul Buchman
Jennifer Aniston Friends Rachel Green $1 million$1,665,0002002–04 [10]
Courteney Cox Monica Geller
Lisa Kudrow Phoebe Buffay
Matt LeBlanc Joey Tribbiani
David Schwimmer Ross Geller
Matthew Perry Chandler Bing
James Gandolfini The Sopranos Tony Soprano $1 million$1,516,0002006–07 [11]
Kaley Cuoco The Big Bang Theory Penny $1 million$1,310,0002015–17 [12]
Johnny Galecki Leonard Hofstadter
Jim Parsons Sheldon Cooper
Simon Helberg Howard Wolowitz 2017 [13]
Kunal Nayyar Raj Koothrappali
Nicole Kidman Big Little Lies Celeste Wright$1 million$1,230,0002019 [14]
Reese Witherspoon Madeline Martha Mackenzie
Jeff Bridges The Old Man Dan Chase$1 million$1,215,0002021–24 [7]
Sarah Jessica Parker And Just Like That Carrie Bradshaw $1 million$1,160,0002021– [1]
Roseanne Barr Roseanne Roseanne Conner $875,000$1,754,0001996-97 [15]
John Goodman Roseanne / The Conners Dan Conner $860,000$1,754,0001996-97; 2019- [16]
Ashton Kutcher Two and a Half Men Walden Schmidt $755,000$989,0002014 [4]
Drew Carey The Drew Carey Show Drew Carey$750,000$1,249,0002001–04 [4]
David Hyde Pierce Frasier Niles Crane $750,000$1,249,0002004 [17]
Lauren Graham Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life Lorelai Gilmore $750,000$983,0002016 [18]
Alexis Bledel Rory Gilmore
Bryan Cranston Your Honor Michael Desiato$750,000$911,0002019–2020 [7]
Hugh Laurie House Dr. Gregory House $700,000$959,0002011–12 [19]
Andrew Lincoln The Walking Dead Rick Grimes $650,000$814,0002017–18 [20]
Kate Winslet Mare of Easttown Mare Sheehan$650,000$790,0002019–2020 [7]
Jon Cryer Two and a Half Men Alan Harper $620,000$822,0002013–15 [21]
Julia Louis-Dreyfus Seinfeld Elaine Benes $600,000$1,157,0001997–98 [4]
Jason Alexander George Costanza
Michael Richards Cosmo Kramer
Eric McCormack Will & Grace Will Truman $600,000$936,0002005–06 [22]
Debra Messing Grace Adler
Megan Mullally Karen Walker
Sean Hayes Jack McFarland
Steve Martin Only Murders in the Building Charles-Haden Savage$600,000$729,0002020– [7]
Martin Short Oliver Putnam
Selena Gomez Mabel Mora [23]
Gillian Anderson The First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt $600,000$729,0002021– [7]
Viola Davis Michelle Obama
Michelle Pfeiffer Betty Ford
Pedro Pascal The Last of Us Joel Miller $600,000$729,0002021–
Ellen Pompeo Grey's Anatomy Meredith Grey $575,000$707,0002005– [24]
Alec Baldwin Dr. Death Robert Henderson$575,000$699,0002020–2021 [7]
Norman Reedus The Walking Dead Daryl Dixon $550,000$689,0002017–18 [20]
Julia Louis-Dreyfus Veep Selina Meyer $500,000$749,0002019 [25]
Julie Bowen Modern Family Claire Dunphy $500,000$615,0002017-2020 [26]
Ty Burrell Phil Dunphy
Jesse Tyler Ferguson Mitchell Pritchett
Ed O'Neill Jay Pritchett
Eric Stonestreet Cameron Tucker
Sofía Vergara Gloria Pritchett

Television hosts

Simon Cowell Simon Cowell in December 2011.jpg
Simon Cowell
Ellen DeGeneres, host of the eponymous The Ellen DeGeneres Show Ellen DeGeneres 2011.jpg
Ellen DeGeneres, host of the eponymous The Ellen DeGeneres Show

Network primetime salaries per season

NameProgramRoleSalaryYearRef.
Simon Cowell The X Factor Judge$75 million2012–13 [27]
Ariana Grande The Voice Coach$25 million2021 [28]
Katy Perry American Idol Judge2017–18 [29]
Jennifer Lopez Judge$20 million2011–12 [30]
Christina Aguilera The Voice Coach2011–16 [31]
Mariah Carey American Idol Judge$18 million2012–13 [32]
Ryan Seacrest American IdolHost$15 million2013–16 [27]
Britney Spears The X FactorJudge2012 [32]
Miley Cyrus The Voice Coach$13 million2016–17 [33]
Adam Levine 2016–18 [33]
Blake Shelton 2016–18 [33]
Kelly Clarkson $12 million2018 [34]
Shakira 2013 [35]
Gwen Stefani 2017 [36]
Nicki Minaj American IdolJudge2012–13 [37]

Daytime annual salaries

NameProgramRoleSalaryYearRef.
Ellen DeGeneres The Ellen DeGeneres Show Host $50 million2017 [38]
Judith Sheindlin Judge Judy Judge $47 million2013 [39]
Barbara Walters The View Host $13 million2007 [40]
Bob Barker The Price Is Right Game show host $10 million2001 [41]

News presenters

NameProgramRoleSalaryYearRef.
Matt Lauer Today Anchor$21 million [42]
Meredith Vieira TodayAnchor$15 million [43] [44]
Katie Couric CBS Evening NewsNews anchor$15 million [45]

References

  1. 1 2 "You Truly Won't Believe How Much Money the Cast of 'And Just Like That...' Is Making". Cosmopolitan. June 29, 2023. Retrieved September 21, 2024.
  2. ↑ Reese Witherspoon and Jennifer Aniston Finally Give Us a Peek at The Morning Show. W. 25 March 2019.
  3. ↑ Inside Apple's Long, Bumpy Road to Hollywood. ‘’The Hollywood Reporter’’. 16 October 2019.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 "The Highest Paid TV Actors Of All Time Per Per Episode - UPROXX". UPROXX. August 5, 2014.
  5. ↑ "For $50 Mil, Producers Love Raymond". PEOPLE.com.
  6. ↑ "Kelsey Grammer: NBC's $1.6 Million Man". PEOPLE.com.
  7. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Schneider, Michael; Otterson, Joe (August 18, 2021). "Streaming Boom Keeps TV Salaries at Heady Levels: Here's What Kate Winslet, Jason Sudeikis and More Are Earning". Variety . Penske Media Corporation. Archived from the original on August 18, 2021. Retrieved August 19, 2021.
  8. ↑ Fahey, Mark (May 31, 2015). "Seinfeld's per-line payday". CNBC.
  9. ↑ Flint, Joe (April 10, 1998). "Helen Hunt and Paul Riser get a raise". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved May 10, 2018.
  10. ↑ Carter, Bill (June 11, 2004). "The fame and fat paycheck from Friends--$1.25 million per episode last season". The New York Times. Retrieved August 30, 2018.
  11. ↑ Mahan, Colin (July 5, 2006). "Sopranos actors end pay dispute". TV.com. Retrieved May 10, 2018.
  12. ↑ "Big Bang Theory Actors Set to Earn $1 Million an Episode".
  13. ↑ "Why the 'Big Bang Theory' Stars Took Surprising Pay Cuts". The Hollywood Reporter . March 29, 2017.
  14. ↑ Apple shelling out millions for TV talent reportedly helped Reese Witherspoon triple her salary on season 2 of HBO's 'Big Little Lies'. Business Insider. 17 January 2018.
  15. ↑ "What is Roseanne Barr's Net Worth?". May 29, 2018.
  16. ↑ "What is Roseanne Barr's Net Worth?". May 29, 2018.
  17. ↑ Acuna, Kirsten (September 25, 2012). "The Highest-Paid Actors On TV This Fall". Business Insider. Retrieved September 10, 2014.
  18. ↑ "Salaries of TV's Top Talent Revealed". October 4, 2016. Retrieved October 27, 2016.
  19. ↑ Schneider, Michael (February 13, 2012). "The Real Story Behind House's Cancellation". TV Guide . Archived from the original on January 30, 2015. Retrieved October 20, 2022.
  20. 1 2 Goldberg, Lesley (November 17, 2016). "Robert De Niro's Making How Much?! TV Is Becoming an ATM for Top Talent". The Hollywood Reporter . Retrieved December 15, 2016.
  21. ↑ Balloni, Matthew (May 1, 2013). "'Two and a Half Men': Jon Cryer Gets a Raise, Ashton Kutcher Doesn't". Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved January 11, 2017.
  22. ↑ "Report: 'Will & Grace' to return in '06". Today . April 26, 2005.
  23. ↑ "THese Are The Richest Self-Made Women Under 40". Forbes. June 5, 2025. Retrieved June 5, 2025.
  24. ↑ "Ellen Pompeo Reveal's Why She Stayed on Grey's Anatomy".
  25. ↑ You Know Julia Louis-Dreyfus Could Be a Billionaire in Her Lifetime? You Do Now. 23 July 2023.
  26. ↑ "How Much Were The Modern Family Cast Paid For The First Episode & The Final One". ScreenRant . June 27, 2021.
  27. 1 2 "Britney Spears signs onto 'X-Factor': Highest paid stars on TV". New York Daily News . Retrieved July 4, 2017.
  28. ↑ Burgos, Jenzia (September 20, 2021). "Ariana Grande Is the Highest-Paid Coach in 'Voice' History—Here's Her Salary & Net Worth". Yahoo! . Retrieved November 10, 2021.
  29. ↑ Wallenstein, Andrew (May 30, 2017). "Paying Katy Perry Top Dollar Doesn't Make Sense for 'American Idol'". Variety . Penske Media Corporation . Retrieved July 4, 2017.
  30. ↑ Elliott, Hannah (May 16, 2012). "The Real American Idol: How J.Lo Got Her Mojo Back". Forbes . Retrieved July 24, 2017.
  31. ↑ Aguilera sources:
  32. 1 2 Maloney, Devon (July 24, 2012). "Mariah Carey's $18 Million 'Idol' Deal: How Does it Measure Up to Stars' TV Paydays?". Spin . Retrieved July 4, 2017.
  33. 1 2 3 Maglio, Tony; Waxman, Sharon (March 25, 2016). "'Voice' Judge Shakeup: Miley Cyrus and Alicia Keys to Join, Pharrell Williams to Exit Next Season (Exclusive)". TheWrap . Retrieved July 4, 2017.
  34. ↑ Rushfield, Richard=Idol Terror - Is Seacrest Out? An Ankler Special Report. "The Ankler: Idol Terror - is Seacrest Out? An Ankler Special Report". The Ankler. Retrieved July 4, 2017.
  35. ↑ Buchanan, Kyle (September 19, 2012). "How Much Will Shakira Make for The Voice?". Vulture . Retrieved February 2, 2019.
  36. ↑ Gerencer, Tommy (November 28, 2016). "How Much Money Do The Voice Coaches Make?". MoneyNation. Retrieved July 4, 2017.
  37. ↑ Soghomonian, Talia (June 1, 2013). "Nicki Minaj and Mariah Carey quit 'American Idol'". NME . Retrieved February 2, 2019.
  38. ↑ "TV Personalities". CBC News. July 25, 2007. Archived from the original on September 8, 2018. Retrieved September 7, 2018.
  39. ↑ "TVs Highest Paid Star? Judge Judy (by a mile)". newser.com. August 22, 2013.
  40. ↑ "Barbara Walters". Forbes.com. June 14, 2007. Retrieved May 8, 2008.
  41. ↑ "Spotlights Monologues extended". Toronto Star. January 30, 2001. Archived from the original on October 22, 2012.
  42. ↑ Starr, Michael (May 2, 2002). "Stays for Another 'Day'". Fox News. Archived from the original on August 15, 2013. Retrieved August 12, 2013.
  43. ↑ Durden, Douglas (September 14, 2006). "'Today' gives new host a very warm welcome". Richmond Times.[ dead link ]
  44. ↑ "Vieira chosen as Couric's 'Today' successor". NBC. April 7, 2006. Retrieved September 10, 2014.
  45. ↑ Carter, Bill (December 20, 2001). "Katie Couric Signs NBC Contract Said to Be Largest in TV News". The New York Times. Retrieved August 12, 2013.
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