List of highest-paid American television stars

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

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

TV and streaming salaries per episode

More information Name, Program ...
Name Program Role Salary Inflation Adjusted Year Ref.
Jennifer Aniston The Morning Show Alex Levy $4 million $2,519,000 2019– [1][2]
Reese Witherspoon Bradley Jackson
Charlie Sheen Two and a Half Men Charlie Harper $1.8-2 million $2,576,000 2010–11 [3]
Ray Romano Everybody Loves Raymond Raymond Barone $1.825 million $2,802,000 2003–05 [4]
Kelsey Grammer Frasier Frasier Crane $1.6 million $2,727,000 2002–04 [5]
Chris Pratt The Terminal List James Reece $1.4 million $1,742,000 2022– [6]
Tim Allen Home Improvement Tim Taylor $4 million $2,416,000 1998–99 [3]
Jennifer Aniston Friends Rachel Green $1.1 million $2,008,000 2003 and 2004 [7]
Courteney Cox Monica Geller
Lisa Kudrow Phoebe Buffay
Matt LeBlanc Joey Tribbiani
David Schwimmer Ross Geller
Matthew Perry Chandler Bing
Jerry Seinfeld Seinfeld Jerry Seinfeld $1 million $1,975,000 1997–98 [8]
Helen Hunt Mad About You Jamie Buchman $1 million $1,933,000 1998–99 [9]
Paul Reiser Paul Buchman
James Gandolfini The Sopranos Tony Soprano $1 million $1,553,000 2006–07 [10]
Jennifer Aniston Friends Rachel Green $1 million $1,705,000 2002 [11]
Courteney Cox Monica Geller
Lisa Kudrow Phoebe Buffay
Matt LeBlanc Joey Tribbiani
David Schwimmer Ross Geller
Matthew Perry Chandler Bing
Kaley Cuoco The Big Bang Theory Penny $1 million $1,342,000 2015–17 [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 $1,259,000 2019 [14]
Reese Witherspoon Madeline Martha Mackenzie
Jeff Bridges The Old Man Dan Chase $1 million $1,244,000 2021–24 [6]
Sarah Jessica Parker And Just Like That Carrie Bradshaw $1 million $1,188,000 2021–25 [15]
Roseanne Barr Roseanne Roseanne Conner $875,000 $1,796,000 1996-97 [16]
John Goodman Roseanne/The Conners Dan Conner $860,000 $1,796,000 1996-97; 2019-25 [17]
Ashton Kutcher Two and a Half Men Walden Schmidt $755,000 $1,013,000 2014 [3]
Drew Carey The Drew Carey Show Drew Carey $750,000 $1,278,000 2001–04 [3]
David Hyde Pierce Frasier Niles Crane $750,000 $1,278,000 2004 [18]
Lauren Graham Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life Lorelai Gilmore $750,000 $1,006,000 2016 [19]
Alexis Bledel Rory Gilmore
Bryan Cranston Your Honor Michael Desiato $750,000 $933,000 2019–2020 [6]
Hugh Laurie House Dr. Gregory House $700,000 $982,000 2011–12 [20]
Andrew Lincoln The Walking Dead Rick Grimes $650,000 $833,000 2017–18 [21]
Kate Winslet Mare of Easttown Mare Sheehan $650,000 $809,000 2019–2020 [6]
Jon Cryer Two and a Half Men Alan Harper $620,000 $842,000 2013–15 [22]
Julia Louis-Dreyfus Seinfeld Elaine Benes $600,000 $1,185,000 1997–98 [3]
Jason Alexander George Costanza
Michael Richards Cosmo Kramer
Eric McCormack Will & Grace Will Truman $600,000 $958,000 2005–06 [23]
Debra Messing Grace Adler
Megan Mullally Karen Walker
Sean Hayes Jack McFarland
Steve Martin Only Murders in the Building Charles-Haden Savage $600,000 $746,000 2020– [6]
Martin Short Oliver Putnam
Selena Gomez Mabel Mora [24]
Gillian Anderson The First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt $600,000 $746,000 2021– [6]
Viola Davis Michelle Obama
Michelle Pfeiffer Betty Ford
Pedro Pascal The Last of Us Joel Miller $600,000 $746,000 2021–
Ellen Pompeo Grey's Anatomy Meredith Grey $575,000 $724,000 2005– [25]
Alec Baldwin Dr. Death Robert Henderson $575,000 $715,000 2020–2021 [6]
Norman Reedus The Walking Dead Daryl Dixon $550,000 $705,000 2017–18 [21]
Julia Louis-Dreyfus Veep Selina Meyer $500,000 $767,000 2019 [26]
Julie Bowen Modern Family Claire Dunphy $500,000 $630,000 2017-2020 [27]
Ty Burrell Phil Dunphy
Jesse Tyler Ferguson Mitchell Pritchett
Ed O'Neill Jay Pritchett
Eric Stonestreet Cameron Tucker
Sofía Vergara Gloria Pritchett
James Gandolfini The Sopranos Tony Soprano $400,000 $691,000 2003-2004 [10]
Sarah Jessica Parker Sex and the City Carrie Bradshaw $100,000-150,000 $209,000 2001 [15]
Close

Television hosts


Network primetime salaries per season

More information Name, Program ...
Name Program Role Salary Year Ref.
Simon Cowell The X Factor Judge $75 million 2012–13 [28]
Ariana Grande The Voice Coach $25 million 2021 [29]
Katy Perry American Idol Judge 2017–18 [30]
Jennifer Lopez Judge $20 million 2011–12 [31]
Christina Aguilera The Voice Coach 2011–16 [32]
Mariah Carey American Idol Judge $18 million 2012–13 [33]
Ryan Seacrest American Idol Host $15 million 2013–16 [28]
Britney Spears The X Factor Judge 2012 [33]
Miley Cyrus The Voice Coach $13 million 2016–17 [34]
Adam Levine 2016–18 [34]
Blake Shelton 2016–18 [34]
Kelly Clarkson $12 million 2018 [35]
Shakira 2013 [36]
Gwen Stefani 2017 [37]
Nicki Minaj American Idol Judge 2012–13 [38]
Close

Daytime annual salaries

More information Name, Program ...
Name Program Role Salary Year Ref.
Ellen DeGeneres The Ellen DeGeneres Show Host $50 million 2017 [39]
Judith Sheindlin Judge Judy Judge $47 million 2013 [40]
Barbara Walters The View Host $13 million 2007 [41]
Bob Barker The Price Is Right Game show host $10 million 2001 [42]
Close

News presenters

More information Name, Program ...
Name Program Role Salary Year Ref.
Matt Lauer Today Anchor $21 million [43]
Meredith Vieira Today Anchor $15 million [44][45]
Katie Couric CBS Evening News News anchor $15 million [46]
Close

References

Related Articles

Wikiwand AI