The highest paid sitcom stars of all time

This sitcom-dramedy may have paid its leading quartet fashionably, but Carrie’s paycheck was substantially higher. Thanks to her additional role as producer in season four, Sarah Jessica Parker was reportedly making around $3.2 million per episode of Sex and the City (1998–2004) – or $147 million across seasons four to six.

SJP’s significant salary bump was allegedly a source of contention between her and Kim Cattrall, which fans believe kept Kim from joining And Just Like That (2021–2025) despite the star maintaining it wasn’t about money. Sarah’s net worth is reportedly still a cool $200 million – likely boosted by her return in the highly-anticipated spin-off.

During his time on Two and a Half Men from 2003 to 2011, Charlie Sheen was believed to be the highest-paid actor on TV at the time. Charlie jumped from film to TV stardom with a salary that would rival even the biggest blockbuster, reportedly earning $1.25 million per episode – a sum which later climbed to almost $2 million.

The Platoon star recently fronted his own tell-all documentary on Netflix, aka Charlie Sheen (2025). With a net worth of $150 million in his sitcom glory days, Charlie is now sitting on a more modest sum – in comparison – of around $1 million.

A star vehicle which made Ray Romano a household name, the popular Letterman alum’s generous payday came from both his starring role and position as a co-writer alongside Phil Rosenthal. Ray reportedly raked in around $1.75 million per episode of Everybody Loves Raymond (1996–2005), earning a rough total of $28-44 million per season.

The actor-comedian reunited with the Raymond cast for the show’s 30th-anniversary reunion special, where he paid tribute to his late on-screen parents, Doris Roberts and Peter Boyle. Ray’s continued success, including his popular role in the Netflix series No Good Deed (2024), means he still boasts a net worth of $200 million.

No one told them life was gonna be this way when they first began starring in Friends (1994–2004), but the ensemble cast went on to become some of the most generously paid TV stars of all time. Thanks to negotiating efforts by all six lead actors, their salaries rose from $22,500 per episode in the first season to $1 million by the penultimate season.

Jennifer Aniston now holds the mantle of the highest-paid Friends star in 2026, with a staggering net worth of $320 million – and is reportedly earning $2 million per episode of Apple TV’s The Morning Show as both its star and an executive producer.

The hit sitcom Frasier (1993–2004) scored 37 Emmys during its 11-year run – so it’s no surprise its leading star enjoyed a sizeable payday. Already beloved for his role as psychiatrist Frasier Crane on Cheers, this spin-off series garnered actor Kelsey Grammer around $1.6 million per episode, or around $38 million per season, at its peak.

Despite Paramount’s cancellation of the Frasier reboot (2023–2024), the actor is still doing pretty well for himself. He’s set to star in the upcoming Marvel flick Avengers: Doomsday (2026), and still holds a net worth of approximately $80 million.

After contract negotiations that stalled production on The Big Bang Theory (2007–2019), the show’s cast – Jim Parsons, Kaley Cuoco, Simon Helberg, Johnny Galecki, and Kunal Nayyar – began earning $1 million per episode. However, Variety reported that tight-knit cast went on to take a pay cut by season 11 so their newer co-stars, Melissa Rauch and Mayim Bialik, could earn more – the duo’s salaries were bumped from $200,000 to $450,000 after the five founding members took a $100,000 cut each.

While the cast still have net worths in excess of millions, frontrunners Kaley Cuoco and Jim Parsons are reportedly the front runners, boasting impressive sums of $110 and $160 million, respectively.

During Home Improvement’s (1993–1999) heyday, Tim Allen was making a colossal $1.25 million per episode for his role as Tim Taylor, a substantially bigger payday than his co-stars. His on-screen wife, played by Patricia Richardson, later revealed to the Los Angeles Times that she gave producers an ultimatum for season nine, requesting equal pay with Tim.

Tim is still sitting comfortably with a net worth of $100 million today, and with his Home Improvement salary adjusted for inflation, he’s believed to be the fifth highest-paid TV actor of all time in relation to salary per episode.