‘NCIS’ Cast Net Worth Rankings: Who Is the Richest Star?

More than two decades after its premiere, NCIS remains one of television’s most successful crime dramas. The CBS procedural has survived major cast departures, character deaths, leadership changes, and the expansion of an entire television franchise. Its 24th season premiered in October 2026, bringing another significant change with the return of a familiar character. Behind the fictional investigations, the show’s enormous longevity has also helped several cast members accumulate remarkable fortunes through acting salaries, producing, directing, and subsequent television projects.

The net worth ranges below are based on widely reported public internet estimates and analysis, so they should be treated as informed approximations rather than exact figures.

This ranking includes 10 important performers from the original series across different eras, including current and former regulars. It considers reported wealth accumulated through television, film, voice acting, directing, producing, and other professional ventures. Some salaries have been widely reported, while individual contracts and actual personal assets remain private. The estimates also include two performers whose fortunes are measured at the time of their deaths. Ranked from lowest to highest estimated wealth, here are the richest stars from the flagship NCIS cast.

10. Brian Dietzen

Brian Dietzen has played Dr. Jimmy Palmer since 2004, gradually transforming a recurring assistant medical examiner into one of the show’s most dependable central characters. Jimmy initially worked under Donald “Ducky” Mallard, providing nervous humor and occasional awkwardness during autopsies. Over time, the character became more confident, developed a family, experienced devastating personal losses, and eventually assumed responsibility for the medical examiner’s office. Dietzen’s performance helped Jimmy become increasingly important as the series lost several original cast members.

Dietzen’s estimated net worth is approximately $2 million. His long tenure on NCIS provides his clearest financial foundation, although his contract details have never been publicly established with the same confidence as those of the show’s biggest stars. He has also appeared in films such as From Justin to Kelly and worked in independent productions. More recently, Dietzen expanded his involvement behind the scenes by co-writing episodes of NCIS, including the emotional tribute to Ducky following the death of David McCallum. His financial success reflects more than two decades of steady employment on a major network drama.

9. Rocky Carroll

Rocky Carroll became one of the show’s longest-serving performers as Director Leon Vance, joining the cast in 2008. Vance initially appeared to be an intimidating bureaucrat whose decisions regularly frustrated Gibbs and his team. As the series developed, Carroll gave the character greater complexity, particularly through stories involving his family, professional loyalty, and personal losses. Vance remained a central figure for 18 seasons before his death in the show’s landmark 500th episode in 2026. Carroll’s television career had begun long before his arrival at the agency.

His estimated net worth falls around $4 million – $5 million, reflecting decades of television, theater, and directing work. Carroll previously starred in Roc and appeared in Chicago Hope, while his stage career included an acclaimed performance in The Piano Lesson. He also developed a substantial second career directing episodes of NCIS. That additional creative responsibility distinguishes his financial profile from performers whose earnings depend entirely on acting. Although Vance’s story has concluded, Carroll’s long association with the franchise remains one of the most significant achievements of his career.

8. Gary Cole

Gary Cole joined NCIS in Season 19 as Alden Parker, the former FBI agent who eventually replaced Gibbs as leader of the Major Case Response Team. Taking over after such an iconic character was a difficult assignment, but Cole established a different personality through Parker’s dry humor, measured leadership, and unconventional investigative instincts. The role introduced him to another enormous television audience after decades of memorable appearances in comedy, drama, film, and animation.

Cole’s net worth is estimated at approximately $5 million. His extensive résumé includes Office Space, The Brady Bunch Movie, The West Wing, The Good Wife, and Veep. Voice acting has provided another substantial source of work, particularly through animated television and video games. Although his career includes numerous recognizable characters, the financial estimates remain relatively modest compared with the highest-paid network television leads. His continuing role on NCIS offers another consistent source of earnings while adding a major procedural drama to an unusually diverse career.

7. Cote de Pablo

Cote de Pablo became one of the franchise’s most popular stars after joining Season 3 as Ziva David, a former Mossad officer who eventually became an NCIS special agent. Her complicated relationship with Tony DiNozzo developed into one of the show’s defining emotional storylines, while Ziva’s family history and intelligence background introduced a more international dimension to the investigations. De Pablo left the series as a regular in 2013 but later returned, eventually reuniting with her longtime co-star for the Paramount+ spinoff NCIS: Tony & Ziva.

Her publicly reported net worth ranges from approximately $6 million to $9 million. At the height of her original NCIS run, de Pablo reportedly earned around $120,000 per episode, representing a substantial annual salary during full network seasons. She also appeared in The 33 and The Dovekeepers, alongside stage and musical work. Her reunion series added executive-producing responsibilities to her acting career, although its financial terms were never publicly disclosed. Despite that spinoff ending after one season, Ziva remains one of her most commercially valuable and recognizable roles.

6. David McCallum

David McCallum played Dr. Donald “Ducky” Mallard from the original 2003 premiere until his death in September 2023. The experienced medical examiner became one of the show’s most beloved figures through his endless historical anecdotes, gentle humor, and deep loyalty to Gibbs and the investigative team. Long before NCIS, McCallum was already internationally famous as Illya Kuryakin on The Man from U.N.C.L.E.. His earlier film career also included The Great Escape and Billy Budd.

McCallum’s net worth was estimated at approximately $15 million at the time of his death. His reported NCIS compensation reached around $175,000 per episode, adding significantly to earnings accumulated across more than six decades of entertainment work. Beyond acting, McCallum recorded music, published the novel Once a Crooked Man, and appeared in numerous British and American productions. His decades of television recognition provided a particularly durable financial foundation. The series honored both the actor and his character during Season 21, reflecting how important Ducky had become to the franchise’s identity.

5. Wilmer Valderrama

Wilmer Valderrama joined NCIS in 2016 as Special Agent Nick Torres, a former undercover operative whose impulsive personality initially created considerable tension with the established team. The role gave Valderrama a dramatic television identity after becoming famous as Fez on That ’70s Show. His career also includes From Dusk Till Dawn: The Series, Grey’s Anatomy, and voice performances in animated productions such as Handy Manny and Encanto.

Valderrama’s net worth is estimated at approximately $20 million. His reported salary for NCIS has been placed around $100,000 per episode, although his current contract has not been publicly disclosed. Acting, producing, voice work, endorsements, and investments have all contributed to his financial position. He has also worked behind the scenes developing television projects, giving him opportunities outside performance contracts. His continuing role as Torres has become one of the longest-running dramatic commitments of his career, adding another substantial financial foundation to the fortune he began building during his sitcom years.

4. Pauley Perrette

Pauley Perrette became one of television’s most recognizable forensic scientists as Abby Sciuto, whose gothic wardrobe, energetic personality, and exceptional laboratory skills made her a favorite among viewers. Abby served as the team’s forensic specialist for 15 seasons before Perrette departed in 2018. Her character’s contrast with the military seriousness surrounding Gibbs and the field agents became one of the show’s defining features. Perrette later starred in the CBS comedy Broke, which ran for one season in 2020.

Perrette’s estimated net worth is approximately $22 million. Her reported NCIS salary reached $200,000 per episode, creating substantial earnings during the later part of her tenure. Her career has also included writing, music, photography, voice acting, and appearances outside the franchise. Following Broke, Perrette stepped away from professional acting, making her long-running NCIS salary and accumulated assets particularly important to her financial history. Abby remains one of the franchise’s most recognizable characters, and Perrette’s earnings place her comfortably among the wealthiest performers associated with the original series.

3. Sean Murray

Sean Murray has portrayed Timothy McGee since the first season, evolving from an inexperienced probationary agent into one of the team’s most senior investigators. McGee’s technological expertise, increasingly confident leadership, and long-running relationships with his colleagues have helped make him a consistent presence through numerous cast changes. Before joining the series, Murray appeared in Hocus Pocus, This Boy’s Life, and JAG. His lengthy career on the flagship show has since overshadowed those earlier roles.

Murray’s publicly reported net worth is approximately $25 million, with estimated compensation reaching $300,000 per episode in some reports. Those salary figures have not been independently verified through published contracts, and his actual assets remain private. His financial estimates also warrant caution following his 2025 divorce, because the settlement’s detailed property arrangements were not publicly disclosed. Nevertheless, more than two decades as a major regular on one of CBS’s most successful dramas provide a clear explanation for his substantial earning history. His continuing presence in Season 24 makes him one of the franchise’s longest-serving performers.

2. Michael Weatherly

Michael Weatherly became a founding member of the NCIS ensemble as Anthony “Tony” DiNozzo, whose humor and frequent movie references helped establish the original team’s chemistry. Weatherly left in 2016 after 13 seasons, subsequently headlining the CBS legal drama Bull for six seasons. His earlier credits included Dark Angel and the soap opera Loving. In 2025, he reunited with de Pablo for NCIS: Tony & Ziva, before returning to the flagship series in 2026 as the agency’s new director.

Weatherly’s net worth is estimated at approximately $45 million, placing him far ahead of most of his former co-stars. His income comes from multiple long-running leading television roles, directing, producing, and other screen work. Public estimates have placed his earnings during Bull at approximately $10 million annually, although that figure should be treated as reported rather than contractually verified. His return to NCIS adds another major chapter to an already lucrative career. Only one cast member has accumulated a substantially larger estimated fortune through the franchise.

1. Mark Harmon

Mark Harmon defined the original NCIS through his portrayal of Leroy Jethro Gibbs, the disciplined former Marine whose leadership, personal rules, and complicated history shaped the series for nearly two decades. Harmon first introduced Gibbs through JAG before leading the spinoff from its 2003 premiere until stepping away as a regular in 2021. He had already achieved major television success through St. Elsewhere and Chicago Hope, alongside films including Summer School and Freaky Friday.

Harmon’s estimated net worth is approximately $120 million, making him overwhelmingly the richest performer in this ranking. His reported NCIS salary reached around $525,000 per episode, while his executive-producing responsibilities provided an additional source of compensation. Decades of television work, film acting, production involvement, and business interests further strengthened his financial position. Harmon remains connected to the franchise as an executive producer and narrator of NCIS: Origins, where Gibbs’s earlier life continues to unfold. His fortune is more than twice Weatherly’s estimated wealth, leaving little uncertainty about which flagship cast member occupies the top position.