List of highest paid American television stars

This is a list of people starring on television that are the highest-paid, based on various sources.

Television series
Jennifer Aniston
Reese Witherspoon

Network primetime salaries per episode
Name Program Role Salary Inflation Adjusted Year Ref.
Jennifer Aniston The Morning Show Alex Levy $2 million $2,000,000 2019– [1][2]
Reese Witherspoon Bradley Jackson
Charlie Sheen Two and a Half Men Charlie Harper $1.8 million $2,046,000 2010–11 [3]
Ray Romano Everybody Loves Raymond Raymond Barone $1.725 million $2,225,000 2003–05 [4]
Kelsey Grammer Frasier Frasier Crane $1.6 million $2,166,000 2002–04 [5]
Tim Allen Home Improvement Tim Taylor $1.25 million $1,918,000 1998–99 [3]
Peter Dinklage Game of Thrones Tyrion Lannister $1 million $1,043,000 2017–18 [6]
Nikolaj Coster-Waldau Jaime Lannister
Lena Headey Cersei Lannister
Emilia Clarke Daenerys Targaryen
Kit Harington Jon Snow
James Gandolfini The Sopranos Tony Soprano $1 million $1,233,000 2006–07 [7]
Jennifer Aniston Friends Rachel Green $1 million $1,354,000 2002–04 [8]
Courteney Cox Monica Geller
Lisa Kudrow Phoebe Buffay
Matt LeBlanc Joey Tribbiani
David Schwimmer Ross Geller
Matthew Perry Chandler Bing
Helen Hunt Mad About You Jamie Buchman $1 million $1,535,000 1998–99 [9]
Paul Reiser Paul Buchman
Jerry Seinfeld Seinfeld Jerry Seinfeld $1 million $1,569,000 1997–98 [10]
Johnny Galecki The Big Bang Theory Leonard Hofstadter $1 million $1,000,000 2017–19 [11]
Jim Parsons Sheldon Cooper
Kunal Nayyar Raj Koothrappali
Simon Helberg Howard Wolowitz
Kaley Cuoco Penny
Nicole Kidman Big Little Lies Celeste Wright $1 million $1,000,000 2019 [12]
Reese Witherspoon Madeline Martha Mackenzie
Ashton Kutcher Two and a Half Men Walden Schmidt $755,000 $804,000 2014 [3]
Drew Carey The Drew Carey Show Drew Carey $750,000 $1,015,000 2001–04 [3]
Lauren Graham Gilmore Girls Lorelai Gilmore $750,000 $799,000 2016 [13]
Alexis Bledel Rory Gilmore
David Hyde Pierce Frasier Niles Crane $750,000 $1,015,000 2004 [14]
Hugh Laurie House Dr. Gregory House $700,000 $780,000 2014
Andrew Lincoln The Walking Dead Rick Grimes $650,000 $662,000 2017–18 [15]
Jon Cryer Two and a Half Men Alan Harper $620,000 $669,000 2013–15 [16]
Julia Louis-Dreyfus Seinfeld Elaine Benes $600,000 $941,000 1997–98 [3]
Jason Alexander George Costanza
Michael Richards Cosmo Kramer
Ellen Pompeo Grey's Anatomy Meredith Grey $575,000 $575,000 2005- [17]
Norman Reedus The Walking Dead Daryl Dixon $550,000 $560,000 2017–18 [15]
Sarah Jessica Parker Sex and the City Carrie Bradshaw $300,000 $406,000

[18]

 2001-2004

Television hosts
Simon Cowell
Ellen DeGeneres, host of the eponymous The Ellen DeGeneres Show

Network primetime salaries per season
Name Program Role Salary Year Ref.
Simon Cowell The X Factor Judge $75 million 2012–13 [19]
Katy Perry American Idol $25 million 2017–18 [20]
Jennifer Lopez $20 million 2011–12 [21]
Mariah Carey $18 million 2012–13 [22]
Christina Aguilera The Voice Coach $20 million 2011-2016 [23][24]
Ryan Seacrest American Idol Host 2013–16 [19]
Britney Spears The X Factor Judge 2012 [22]
Miley Cyrus The Voice Coach $13 million 2016–17 [25]
Adam Levine 2016–18 [25]
Blake Shelton 2016–18 [25]
Kelly Clarkson $12 million 2018 [26]
Shakira 2013 [27]
Gwen Stefani 2017 [28]
Nicki Minaj American Idol Judge 2012–13 [29]

Morning annual salaries
Name Program Role Salary Year Ref.
Ellen DeGeneres The Ellen DeGeneres Show Host $50 million 2018 [30]
Judith Sheindlin Judge Judy Judge $47 million 2013 [31]
Barbara Walters The View Host $13 million 2007 [32]
Bob Barker The Price Is Right Game show host $10 million 2001 [33]
Wendy Williams The Wendy Williams Show Host $20 million 2019
Tyra Banks The Tyra Banks Show Host $3.5 million [34][35]

News presenters
Name Program Role Salary Year Ref.
Matt Lauer Today Anchor $21 million [36]
Meredith Vieira Today Anchor $15 million [37][38]
Katie Couric CBS Evening News News anchor $15 million [39]

References
  1. Reese Witherspoon and Jennifer Aniston Finally Give Us a Peek at The Morning Show. W. 25 March 2019.
  2. Inside Apple's Long, Bumpy Road to Hollywood. ‘’The Hollywood Reporter’’. 16 October 2019.
  3. "The Highest Paid TV Actors Of All Time Per Per Episode - UPROXX". UPROXX.
  4. "For $50 Mil, Producers Love Raymond". PEOPLE.com.
  5. "Kelsey Grammer: NBC's $1.6 Million Man". PEOPLE.com.
  6. Nikolaj Coster-Waldau Made More Than $1 Million Per Episode for Game of Thrones' Final Season. Harper's Bazaar. 6 September 2018.
  7. Mahan, Colin (July 5, 2006). "Sopranos actors end pay dispute". TV.com. Retrieved May 10, 2018.
  8. 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.
  9. Flint, Joe (April 10, 1998). "Helen Hunt and Paul Riser get a raise". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved May 10, 2018.
  10. Fahey, Mark (May 31, 2015). "Seinfeld's per-line payday". CNBC.
  11. Goldberg, Lesley (March 29, 2017). "Why the 'Big Bang Theory' Stars Took Surprising Pay Cuts". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved January 4, 2018.
  12. 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.
  13. "Salaries of TV's Top Talent Revealed". Retrieved October 27, 2016.
  14. Acuna, Kirsten (September 25, 2012). "The Highest-Paid Actors On TV This Fall". Business Insider. Retrieved September 10, 2014.
  15. 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.
  16. 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.
  17. {{cite web|url=https://www.goodmorningamerica.com/culture/story/ellen-pompeo-reveals-decided-stay-greys-anatomy-72187271 |title=Ellen Pompeo Reveal's Why She Stayed on Grey's Anatomy
  18. Nikolaj Coster-Waldau Made More Than $1 Million Per Episode for Game of Thrones' Final Season. Good Morning America
  19. "Britney Spears signs onto 'X-Factor': Highest paid stars on TV". New York Daily News. Retrieved July 4, 2017.
  20. 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.
  21. Elliott, Hannah (May 16, 2012). "The Real American Idol: How J.Lo Got Her Mojo Back". Forbes. Forbes, Inc. Retrieved July 24, 2017.
  22. 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.
  23. Collins, Scott (May 13, 2013). "Will Christina Aguilera return to 'The Voice' with big pay bump?". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved February 2, 2019.
  24. "'The Voice': Christina Aguilera Will Be Back For Season 5". The Huffington Post. May 13, 2013. Retrieved February 2, 2019.
  25. 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.
  26. Rushfield, Ricchard. "Idol Terror - Is Seacrest Out? An Ankler Special Report". The Ankler. Retrieved July 4, 2017.
  27. Buchanan, Kyle (September 19, 2012). "How Much Will Shakira Make for The Voice?". Vulture. Retrieved February 2, 2019.
  28. Gerencer, Tommy (November 28, 2016). "How Much Money Do The Voice Coaches Make?". MoneyNation. Retrieved July 4, 2017.
  29. Soghomonian, Talia (June 1, 2013). "Nicki Minaj and Mariah Carey quit 'American Idol'". NME. Retrieved February 2, 2019.
  30. "TV Personalities". CBC News. July 25, 2007. Archived from the original on September 8, 2018. Retrieved September 7, 2018.
  31. "TVs Highest Paid Star? Judge Judy (by a mile)". newser.com. August 22, 2013.
  32. "Barbara Walters". Forbes.com. June 14, 2007. Retrieved May 8, 2008.
  33. "Spotlights Monologues extended". Toronto Star. January 30, 2001.
  34. http://goliath.ecnext.com/coms2/gi_0199-3216709/Everybody-loves-raises-LIFE-ARTS.html%5B%5D
  35. http://www.thestreet.com/p/newsanalysis/sbmanagement/10380979_2.html%5B%5D
  36. Starr, Michael (May 2, 2002). "Stays for Another 'Day'". Fox News. Retrieved August 12, 2013.
  37. Durden, Douglas (September 14, 2006). "'Today' gives new host a very warm welcome". Richmond Times.
  38. "Vieira chosen as Couric's 'Today' successor". NBC. April 7, 2006. Retrieved September 10, 2014.
  39. 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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