Television has become just as lucrative as the big screen, producing some of Hollywood’s highest-paid actors. This is especially true with the rise of streaming platforms, as well as syndication royalties. Unlike in movies, actors’ contracts typically pay them per episode. Depending on the show’s success, actors often renegotiate their salaries to reflect their value within the series.
While there’s no denying the existence of a pay disparity between male and female actors, television seems to be a leveler, as financial reports indicate female actors have earned more per episode than their male counterparts. With several actors earning $1 million per episode, the list begins with actors who have earned over $1 million for their roles. Unarguably, the list is subject to disclosed earnings made available to the public. In the history of television, here are the top 8 highest-paid actors based on their nominal salary per episode at the time the show aired.
8. Tim Allen — $1.25 Million
Actor and comedian Tim Allen became a household name in the 1990s, playing Tim “The Toolman” Taylor in the ABC sitcom Home Improvement (1991–1999). At the start of the show, Allen was reportedly earning $200,000 per episode and was later receiving executive consultant fees. However, for the eighth and final season, Tim Allen’s salary was increased to $1.25 million per episode. Adjusted for inflation, Tim Allen’s $1.25 million in 1998 and 1999 is the equivalent of $2.4 million today.
7. Kevin Costner — $1.3 Million
Actor and filmmaker Kevin Costner is one of the highest-paid actors on television in recent times. The multi-award-winning actor led the cast of the Taylor Sheridan and John Linson-created neo-Western drama series Yellowstone for five seasons as John Dutton III. Costner was reportedly paid a staggering $1.3 million per episode. According to his IMDb page, the actor earned $10 million in season 5. Although previous seasons had about 10 episodes each, the fifth and final season was split into two parts, with Kevin Costner appearing in only the first half, comprising 8 episodes.
6. Chris Pratt — $1.4 Million
Chris Pratt is no stranger to any list of highest-paid actors. On the big screen, his film has grossed over $14.1 billion at the worldwide Box Office. From 2015 to 2017, Pratt was ranked by Forbes as its highest-paid actor. Additionally, besides being ranked one of Time magazine’s 100 most influential people in the world in 2015, Pratt is among the world’s top 5 highest-paid actors of all time.
Although not a stranger to television, Chris Pratt returned to take a major role as US Navy SEAL Lieutenant Commander James Reece in the Amazon Prime Video’s action thriller series The Terminal List. The show debuted on July 1, 2022, and has since been greenlit for a second season. With The Terminal List, Chris Pratt reportedly shelved $1.4 million per episode for the 8-episode first season.
5. Kelsey Grammer — $1.6 Million
Veteran actor and producer Kelsey Grammer first portrayed psychiatrist Dr. Frasier Crane on the NBC sitcom Cheers (1984–1993). However, it is his salary in his character-led spin-off Frasier that puts him on this list. The original run of Frasier aired from 1993 to 2004. At the start of the show, Grammer reportedly earned around $250,000 per episode. However, by the early 2000s, Kelsey Grammer reportedly negotiated a salary increase to $700,000 per episode.
Grammer became the highest-paid actor on television at the time when his salary was increased to $1.6 million for the final 24-episode eleventh season. Frasier was revived in 2023 and lasted for 2 seasons before it was canceled. There were unconfirmed reports that Kelsey Grammer was paid higher than his $1.6 million per episode salary in the reboot. However, with no official confirmation, Grammer remains on the list as the fourth-highest-paid actor on television.
4. Ray Romano — $1.725 Million
Stand-up comedian and actor Ray Romano is regarded as one of television’s legends. He made his big break playing Raymond Barone in the CBS sitcom Everybody Loves Raymond. For 9 seasons, Romano and the cast thrilled audiences from 1996 to 2005. Everybody Loves Raymond was an instant hit, becoming one of the most-watched shows on the network. Unsurprisingly, this attracted an impressive salary. As the star and title character, Ray Romano reportedly received $1.725 million per episode. To put things in a better perspective, the actor was paid an estimated $2.7 million, if adjusted for inflation today.
3. Charlie Sheen — $1.8–2 Million
Hate or love him, Charlie Sheen dominated television for almost a decade, from 2003 to 2011. Sheen played Charlie Harper in the CBS sitcom Two and a Half Men. By 2007, Sheen was receiving $350,000 per episode to play a fictionalized version of himself as Charlie Harper. In the next two years, the salary was increased from $825,000 to $875,000 per episode. However, in 2010, Charlie Sheen renegotiated his salary and reportedly received $1.8 million per episode. By his final season on the show, Sheen’s earnings reportedly reached $2 million.
2. Jennifer Aniston & Reese Witherspoon — $2 Million
Actresses Jennifer Aniston and Reese Witherspoon share the second spot as they were paid the same $2 million per episode salary for their roles in the Apple TV+ drama series The Morning Show. Aniston and Witherspoon lead the cast as Alexandra “Alex” Levy and Bradley Jackson, respectively. The Morning Show has aired for 3 seasons, with its fourth season scheduled to premiere on September 17, 2025. As such, at $2 million per episode, Jennifer Aniston and Reese Witherspoon are currently the highest-paid actors on television since their show is still on air.
1. Sarah Jessica Parker — $3.2 Million
Sitting undisputedly at the top position on the list of highest-paid actors is none other than actress Sarah Jessica Parker. Her $3.2 million-per-episode salary as Carrie Bradshaw in Sex and the City has remained unbeatable for over two decades. When the show debuted in June 1998, Parker reportedly received $100,000 per episode.
By the third season, she was earning $150,000 per episode. However, by 2000, Parker became an executive producer of the show. With that position, she was able to renegotiate her salary for the last three seasons of the show. As an actor and producer, Sarah Jessica Parker reportedly earned $3.2 million per episode from seasons 4 to 6.
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