What does it take to get the big bucks on TV in the U.S. ? We ’re not talk just goodsalaries , or even great salaries , but sky - high salary ? It helps to have a hit show . If you ’re a whiz of a No . 1 - rated series , you ’ll probably feel the electronic web ’s appreciation . Sometimes histrion at the top get their pay repeat . If you have a account of hits , even upright . A proved track phonograph recording is a meshwork ’s dreaming .
There are other way to get rank in this sole social club . Movies stars that make the permutation from the fully grown screen to the TV screen sometimes draw huge salaries because they draw Brobdingnagian audiences . lead in premium cable shows might have extremely gamy weekly paychecks because there are few payday . Typically , cable series do n’t make as many episodes per time of year as program show . Also , a cast that negotiates as a group may have a better probability of winning . There ’s strength in numbers . Check out the accompany act for the earnings of America ’s best - paid TV performer .
10: Jon Cryer
" Two and a Half Men " were making enough money for 100 human . Jon Cryer , one of the adept of the highly rated CBS sitcom , make $ 650,000 per episode [ source : CBS News ] . In 2003 , Cryer initiate the lineament of Alan Harper , an ever - anxious individual dad of one Logos . Cryer grounded the show as the comedic humanity to other , more flamboyant track characters . Portraying a hapless soul who ’s the butt of many joke has other reward , too . Cryer acquire twoEmmysfor the role .
Prior to " Two and a Half Men , " Cryer work on Broadway ( " Brighton Beach Memoirs " and " Torch Song Trilogy " ) and in Hollywood ( who could forget his character Ducky in " Pretty in Pink " ? ) . He ’d also had his plowshare of less - than - successful series , admit " The Fabulous Teddy Z , " " Partners " and " sire Personal . " The final sequence of " Two and a Half Men " aerate in 2015 . Cryer was the only primary cast phallus who puzzle it out the integral time .
9: Ashton Kutcher
Ashton Kutcher replaced the star of one of the hottest show on television set . No sweat . Charlie Sheen ’s lead character , also named " Charlie , " was killed off on CBS ' " Two and a Half military personnel " in 2011 . The connection rap television and movie actor Ashton Kutcher ( " That ' 70 Show , " " Personal Effects " ) to take over for both Charlies . Kutcher appeared as billionaire Walden Schmidt , who buy Charlie ’s heavily mortgage home and let grieving pal Alan stick around .
The ratings stuck around as well . Initially , they were huge . Kutcher ’s first instalment drew the freehanded hearing ever for the serial [ source : The Huffington Post ] . Viewership dropped a bit after that but remain solid . Kutcher ’s reward : $ 750,000 per episode [ generator : TV Guide ] . say you not to worry .
8: Jerry Seinfeld
For a show about " nothing , " " Seinfeld " made a big splash . It won 10 Emmy award [ source : CNN ] . America welcome catchphrase , such as " no soup for you " and " yada , yada , yada , " into daily speech . Debuting on NBC in 1989 , the funniness did n’t have typical heartwarming moments ; the characters were aloof and self - absorbed . This insularism earned Jerry Seinfeld , who played a fabricated variant of himself , $ 1 million per installment [ source : Pener and Shaw ] . It also gave him bragging right : Seinfeld was the first sitcom player to strike that mark [ reference : Hontz ] . He had made his own fashion to the top , co - creating the series with Larry David .
NBC essay to entice Seinfeld to protract the living of the show , offering him $ 5 million an episode for the 1998 to 1999 time of year . Seinfeld refuse , wanting the series to end on a high decimal point . The money was n’t really an issue anyway . In the 16 old age immediately follow the close , " Seinfeld " rerun brought in more than $ 3 billion .
7: Helen Hunt and Paul Reiser
well good than sorry . That must be what NBC executive were consider in 1998 when they jibe to pay up " Mad About You " stars Helen Hunt and Paul Reiser $ 1 million an installment . Timing was essential ; the wad was seal hr before Hunt won the respectable actressAcademy Awardfor " As upright as It Gets . " It gets pretty safe : That ’s four times their premature salary for playing an NYC couple [ source : Hontz ] . If the connection had hesitate , Hunt ’s Oscar win would have put her in an even stronger negotiating positioning .
NBC made a prudent bet . " unbalanced About You " had solid ratings since its 1992 debut . During the 1997 to ' 98 time of year , the serial publication averaged 14.3 million viewers [ source : Huff ] . The web take " delirious " to keep up a warm Thursday night batting order , because " Seinfeld " was end . Well played , NBC , well played .
6: Cast of “Friends”
Though their characters may not always have been financially successful , the maven of NBC ’s " Friends " retain shooting up the remuneration scale . In 1996 , the integral cast held out for a earnings leap to $ 100,000 , which more than doubled their prior salaries [ origin : Lowry ] . In 2000 , that was bumped up to $ 750,000 . Two eld later , Jennifer Aniston , Courteney Cox , Lisa Kudrow , Matt LeBlanc , Matthew Perry and David Schwimmer were each promise a nerveless $ 1 million per episode for the highest - rated show on television [ reference : Carter ] . Adjusted for 2014 inflation , that comes to over $ 1.3 million hebdomadary [ informant : Stock ] . Syndication revenue was icing on the cake .
In 2014 , Kudrow talk about the event of exceptionally gamy player ’s salaries with The Huffington Post . She pointed out that the earnings do n’t bankrupt web , which rake in money from theirhighest - grade shows . In plus , television player are essentially mercenary employees with no estimation how long they ’ll be in the public eye . It piddle sense to grab for the gusto during honest times . Who knows how long they ’ll all be ally ?
5: Leads from “The Big Bang Theory”
Friends that stay together get give together . Just like the NBC pals from 2002 , Jim Parsons , Johnny Galecki and Kaley Cuoco used teamwork in 2014 to negotiate their declaration for the eighth , 9th and tenth seasons of the CBSsitcom"The Big Bang Theory . " According to The Hollywood newsperson , each actor is guaranteed $ 1 million per sequence , as well as bring forth pacts that may increase their income to $ 100 million over the life of the contract . Parsons ' three Emmy wins have clear him additional " retainer " as well . Quite a jump from their premature occasional salaries of $ 350,000 .
As the No . 1 comedy in primetime , " Big Bang " still bring in about 5 million fewer viewers than " Friends " did in its heyday [ source : Goldberg ] . The rating for the all - important 18 - to-49 - year - old demographic are only half of what " Friends " engender . But in 2013 and 2014 , advertizer yield top dollar for commercial time on " Big Bang . " Only " Sunday Night Football " advertizing be more . Take that , Quaker .
4: Tim Allen
From drug dealer to stand - up comedian to television star to considerably - sell generator to box seat office draw : Tim Allen has been engaged with ego - melioration . It ’s no wonderment , then , that in 1998 , NBC paid the " Home Improvement " star $ 1.25 million per episode [ source : Flint ] . Even though the popular funniness had fallen out of the top 10 , it was still in a goodly fourteenth place overall [ author : Ryan ] . Allen skip to boostratingsthe following class with a stronger time slot .
The 1998 to 1999 season proved to be the last for " Home Improvement , " but Allen managed to keep officious . Film projects included his role as Buzz Lightyear in the " Toy Story " film enfranchisement , as well as further installments in the " The Santa Clause " series . In 2011 , Allen render with another successful television series , " Last human beings Standing . " The roles just keep hail , to infinity and beyond .
3: Kelsey Grammer
Analyze this : In the mid-1980s to early 1990s , Kelsey Grammer had a sweet supporting role as psychiatrist Frasier Crane on the hit NBC serial publication " Cheers . " Originally scheduled for a four - episode guest appearing , Grammer ’s quality was a hit and became a even . When " Cheers " finish in 1993 , " Frasier " was born .
The consultation screw the show , and so did the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences . " Frasier " welcome 107 Emmy nominating speech and 37 accolade , including ones for great clowning show and drollery writing . Grammer personally win four Emmys for his portrayal of the long - brook , insufferable call - in radiocommunication host [ origin : Television Academy ] . NBC could n’t help but give him a raise — to the melody of $ 1.6 million an episode for the 2002 and 2003 time of year . The pay bump netted Grammer about $ 75 million for the show ’s concluding two year [ source : Adalian ] . Turns out , this analysis is easy : That ’s a whole lotta money .
2: Ray Romano
" Everybody roll in the hay Raymond . " Well , almost everybody . The viewer did . The serial publication run from 1996 to 2005 , and during its last season it was the only situation comedy in the top 10 [ generator : FOX News ] . The finale captured about one - third of the full watch audience [ root : Heritage ] . The Academy of Television Arts and Sciences also appreciated the serial : It gain 13 Emmys . However , around the homestead , dearest was n’t always in the line . Raymond ’s situation comedy family was often angry , put out or exasperated with him .
CBS loved the star of the show , Ray Romano , and made him the highest - paid TV actor at the time , at $ 1.8 million per sequence [ source : Silverman ] . That ’s a important bump from his late weeklysalaryof $ 800,000 . All secernate , Romano earned about $ 50 million for the season . He monitored the affection , however , observe , " The conjuring trick is to get out when you ’re still want . Not too soon but not too late . "
1: Charlie Sheen
The sexual love was last . In 2011 , when " Two and a Half Men " was the top situation comedy on CBS , its superstar , Charlie Sheen , was fired . Warner Brothers , the product ship’s company , claim the actor could n’t cooperate , had difficulty learning lines , made negative assertion and was n’t physically in a condition to work . Assertions were also made about drug abuse and violent behavior . WB end the relationship , even though Sheen was committed to eight more episodes that season and 24 the next . Sheen drop off a job that was paying him about $ 2 million an instalment [ source : Carter ] .
CBS killed off Sheen ’s character , and " Two and a Half Men " continued . Ashton Kutcher was engage to fill the nullity , and the next season of " Men " open with its highest rating ever [ root : The Huffington Post ] . Sheen did n’t mope around . By 2012 , he had a new series , " Anger Management , " on FX . With 6 million viewers , its premier episode limit a cable length record for sitcom [ source : Rosenbaum and Piester ] . The love was back .
