Top TV Star Salaries

By on February 24, 2015 in ArticlesEntertainment

When watching your favorite television shows you might not stop and think about how much the actors or actresses are making for entertaining you in your own home. It is crazy to think how some of these people are making a million dollars just to star in one episode! Here are the biggest money makers on TV.

#1: Judy Sheindlin, Judge Judy, $47 million per year

The verdict is in and Judge Judy is the Queen of TV. She has been on the air for almost 20 years and been nominated for 14 Emmy Awards. Judy Sheindlin has a net worth of $200 million.

 Judge Judy

Valerie Macon/Getty Images

#2: Jon Stewart, The Daily Show, $25 to $30 million per year

Stewart has been hosting The Daily Show since 1999 and has a net worth of $80 million.

#3: Matt Lauer, NBC, $22 to $25 million per year

Lauer has hosted The Today Show on NBC since 1997 and has a net worth of $60 million.

#4: The Big Bang Theory cast (Jim Parsons, Johnny Galecki, and Kaley Cuoco-Sweeting), $24 million per year or $1 million per episode

Net worths: Jim Parsons – $30 million, Johnny Galecki – $35 million, Kaley Cuoco – $30 million

#5: David Letterman, Late Show, $20 million per year

Why would Letterman want to leave a gig like this? David Letterman has a net worth of $400 million.

#6: Ashton Kutcher, Two and a Half Men, $16.5 million per year or $750,000 per episode

Kutcher joined the cast in 2011 as a replacement for Charlie Sheen and has a net worth of $140 million.

#7: Howard Stern, America's Got Talent, $15 million per year

Stern makes $15 million to work two days a week over the summer. He has a net worth of $550 million.

#8: Jon Cryer, Two and a Half Men, $14.3 million per year or $650,000 per episode

Cryer has starred on Two and a Half Men since 2003 and won two Primetime Emmy Awards for the show. Jon Cryer has a net worth of $45 million.

#9: Mark Harmon, NCIS, $11.5 million per year or $525,000 per episode

Harmon has starred on NCIS since 2003 and has a net worth of $40 million.

#10: Jimmy Kimmel, Jimmy Kimmel Live, $10 million per year

Kimmel has hosted his own late night talk show since 2003 and has a net worth of $35 million.

#11: Mariska Hargitay, Law & Order: SVU, $8.8 million per year or $400,000 per episode

#12: Blake Shelton, The Voice, $8 million per year or $4 million per cycle

#13: Grey's Anatomy cast (Sandra Oh, Ellen Pompeo, and Patrick Dempsey), $7.7 million per year or $350,000 per episode

#14: Rachel Maddow, MSNBC, $7 million per year

#15: Michael Weatherly, NCIS, $5.5 million per year or $250,000 per episode

#15: Bones cast (David Boreanaz and Emily Deschanel), $5.5 million per year or $250,000 per episode

#17: Ed O'Neill, Modern Family, $4.8 million per year or $200,000 per episode

#18: Modern Family cast (Julie Bowen, Eric Stonestreet, Ty Burrell, Sofia Vergara, Jesse Tyler Ferguson), $4.2 million per year or $175,000 per episode

#18: Patricia Heaton, The Middle, $4.2 million per year or $235,000 per episode

#18: Tim Allen, Last Man Standing, $4.2 million per year or $235,000 per episode

Did we make a mistake?
Submit a correction suggestion and help us fix it!
Submit a Correction