No wonder a lot of kids want to be TV celebrities when they grow up. A Yahoo! article shows that several US TV stars are indeed paid a lot.
Leading the pack is perennial top-paid talk show host Oprah Winfrey, who earns $315 million per year for her The Oprah Winfrey Show.
Judge Judy Sheindlin may be an unknown TV personality in other parts of the world, but she has no reason to worry because she is paid $45 million per year for her courtroom reality show Judge Judy. Another reality show host earning big bucks is Ryan Seacrest, who takes home $15 million a year for hosting the hugely popular American Idol franchise.
For TV drama series, Hugh Laurie of House, M.D. gets $400,000 per episode while Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (SVU) partners Christopher Meloni and Mariska Hargitay each get $375,000 per episode for their role. The ladies of Desperate Housewives don’t feel desperate as they each earn $400,000 per episode.
Below is the list of the highest-paid TV stars per category.
Highest Paid Talk Show Hosts (per year)
- Oprah Winfrey (Oprah Winfrey Show) – $315 million
- Judge Judy Sheindlin (Judge Judy) – $45 million
- David Letterman (The Late Show) – $28 million
- Jay Leno (The Tonight Show) – $25 million
- Conan O’Brien (The Conan O’Brien Show) – $10 million
- Ellen DeGeneres (The Ellen DeGeneres Show) – $8 million
- Jimmy Kimmel (Jimmy Kimmel Live) – $6 million
- Chelsea Handler (Chelsea Lately) – $3.5 million
- George Lopez (Lopez Tonight) – $3.5 million
Highest Paid TV Drama stars (per episode)
- Hugh Laurie (House) – $400,000+
- Christopher Meloni & Mariska Hargitay (Law & Order: SVU) – $395,000 (each)
- David Caruso (CSI: Miami) – $375,000
- Marg Helgenberger (CSI) – $375,000
- Mark Harmon (NCIS) – $375,000
- Laurence Fishburne (CSI) – $350,000
- Kyra Sedgwick (The Closer) – $350,000
- Denis Leary (Rescue Me) – $350,000
- Gary Sinise (CSI: NY) – $275,000
- Patrick Dempsey (Grey’s Anatomy) – $250,000
- David Boreanaz (Bones) – $200,000
- Jeffrey Donovan (Burn Notice) – $200,000
- Julianna Margulies (The Good Wife) – $175,000
- Dana Delany (Body of Proof) – $150,000
- Lauren Graham (Parenthood) – $150,000
- Jada Pinkett Smith (HawthoRNe) – $150,000
- Jimmy Smits (Outlaw) – $150,000
- LL Cool J (NCIS: Los Angeles) – $125,000
- Chris O’Donnell (NCIS: Los Angeles) – $125,000
- Mark Feuerstein (Royal Pains) – $125,000
- Jason Lee (Memphis Beat) – $125,000
- Joe Mantegna (Criminal Minds) – $125,000
- Tom Selleck (Blue Bloods) – $125,000
- Michael Weatherly (NCIS) – $125,000
- Matt Bomer (White Collar) – $100,000
- Nathan Fillion (Castle) – $100,000
- Thomas Gibson (Criminal Minds) – $100,000
- Jon Hamm (Mad Men) – $100,000
- Cole Hauser (Chase) – $100,000
- Alex O’Loughlin (Hawaii Five-0) – $100,000
- Timothy Olyphant (Justified) – $100,000
- Scott Caan (Hawaii Five-0) – $80,000
- Angie Harmon (Rizzoli & Isles) – $75,000
- Anna Paquin (True Blood) – $75,000
- Blair Underwood (The Event) – $75,000
- Zachary Levi (Chuck) – $60,000
- Ian Somerhalder (The Vampire Diaries) – $40,000
- Shailene Woodley (The Secret Life of the American Teenager) – $40,000
- Ashley Tisdale (Hellcats) – $30,000
Highest Paid TV Comedy stars (per episode)
- Charlie Sheen (Two and a Half Men) $1.25 million
- Jon Cryer (Two and a Half Men) $550,000
- Marcia Cross (Desperate Housewives) $400,000
- Teri Hatcher (Desperate Housewives) $400,000
- Felicity Huffman (Desperate Housewives) $400,000
- Eva Longoria Parker (Desperate Housewives) $400,000
- Dan Castellaneta (The Simpsons) $400,000
- Julie Kavner (The Simpsons) $400,000
- Tina Fey (30 Rock) $350,000
- Jeremy Piven (Entourage) $350,000
- Steve Carell (The Office) $297,000
- Angus T. Jones (Two and a Half Men) $250,000
- David Duchovny (Californication) $200,000
- Kevin Dillon (Entourage) $200,000
- Adrian Grenier (Entourage) $200,000
- Miranda Cosgrove (iCarly) $180,000
- Edie Falco (Nurse Jackie) $175,000
- William Shatner ($#*! My Dad Says) $150,000
- David Spade (Rules of Engagement) $150,000
- Ed O’Neill (Modern Family) $100,000
- Patrick Warburton (Rules of Engagement) $85,000
- Betty White (Hot in Cleveland) $75,000
- Kaley Cuoco (The Big Bang Theory) $60,000
- Johnny Galecki (The Big Bang Theory) $60,000
- Ty Burrell (Modern Family) $50,000
- Jane Lynch (Glee) $50,000
- Jim Parsons (The Big Bang Theory) $40,000
- Matthew Morrison (Glee) $30,000
- Selena Gomez (Wizards of Waverly Place) $30,000
- Dylan and Cole Sprouse (The Suite Life of Zack and Cody) $20,000 (each)
- Rico Rodriguez (Modern Family) $15,000
Highest Paid Reality TV stars (per year)
- Ryan Seacrest (American Idol) $15 million
- Joel McHale (The Soup) $2 million
- Piers Morgan (America’s Got Talent) $2 million
- Kate Gosselin (Kate Plus 8) $250,000 per episode
- Nicole “Snooki” Polizzi (Jersey Shore) $30,000 per episode
Source: Yahoo! TV
