Who were the highest paid child stars of the 90s and how much did they earn?

Though Macaulay Culkin took a hiatus from Hollywood after Richie Rich (1994), he’d already cemented himself as the wealthiest child star of the decade, becoming the first child actor to earn over $1 million for a single film thanks to My Girl (1991). After earning around $100,000 for the first Home Alone (1990) film, Macaulay secured a far more lucrative contract for its second instalment in 1992, raking in approximately $4.5 million as well as 15 percent of merchandising revenue – with his total take-home earnings estimated to be well over $200 million.

Though he’s no longer earning the staggering sums of the 90s, with an approximate net worth of $25 million, Macaulay is back delighting us on screens again with a recent turn in Prime’s smash-hit Fallout (2025).

As one of several child stars on the hugely popular sitcom Home Improvement (1991–1999), Jonathan Taylor Thomas was earning an estimated $8,000 per episode – though it’s believed the show’s child actors unsuccessfully tried to negotiate with Disney for a higher sum. Despite this, Jonathan likely got a hefty sum from the network when he voiced Young Simba in The Lion King (1994), followed by an approximate $600,000 for his role in Tom and Huck (1995).

While he no longer acts, Jonathan has served as a national board member of SAG-AFTRA, the media labour union, since 2017 – and still has a net worth of around $12 million.

After joining Full House (1989–1995) aged just nine months old, Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen entered the 90s as some of the most well-to-do tots in Hollywood, believed to have been making $80,000 per episode by the time the show ended. After their global empire Dualstar was founded in 1993, the twins went on to earn millions from films, merchandise, and cosmetics, with the company grossing over $1 billion by 2002.

The pair are now successful fashion designers who spend much of their time running their luxury brand, The Row, though they likely still have their media empire to thank for their $1 billion joint net worth.

Though Wednesday herself is believed to have only made a modest sum for her breakthrough role in The Addams Family (1991) and its 1993 sequel, Christina Ricci reportedly went on to make a much larger sum for Casper (1995) thanks to the film’s box office gross of $290 million worldwide. Christina revealed to The Guardian that she helped out her family “quite a bit” at just 10 years old, adding that “I wanted to keep working, because all of a sudden my brother could go to college.”

With high paydays for subsequent hits like Sleepy Hollow (1999), combined with her modern standouts like Yellowjackets (2021–), the fan-favourite star has maintained an estimated net worth of $9 million.

After landing the main role of Kevin Arnold in The Wonder Years (1989–1993) at 12 years old, Fred Savage is thought to have been one of the show’s highest-paid stars, though it’s unclear exactly what his salary totaled. Following his acting stint, Fred also began working as a director in adulthood, directing episodes of popular TV shows like It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia and Modern Family. 

With both his on and off-screen talents combined, Fred now has an average net worth of around $30 million, likely still earning residuals for the hugely successful sitcom; the Hollywood star also has launched a watch grading company in 2025.

The iconic Kirsten Dunst made an equally iconic acting debut with 1994’s Interview with the Vampire opposite Brad Pitt, starring in subsequent major films like Little Women (1994) and Jumanji (1995). While her earnings as a child star are unclear, Kirsten has since become an outspoken advocate for pay equality in adulthood, revealing to The Independent that the pay disparity between her and Tobey Maguire in the Spider-Man trilogy was “very extreme”. 

With a career spanning over three decades, Kirsten’s net worth is believed to be around $25 million today, with four upcoming film roles on the horizon including The Entertainment System Is Down, opposite Keanu Reeves.