Ever wondered just how much Netflix stars earn? Well, research shows that the popular streaming platform generally pays its actors per episode
In fact, Netflix actors could get paid anywhere between £65,784 ($80,000 | €74,330) to £287,627 ($350,000 | €325,990) on average for each episode they are featured in. This amounts to anything from £825,510 ($1 million | €930,470) to £1.6 million ($2 million | €1.8 million) in total for just one season.
As Netflix continues to grow within the global entertainment industry, so will its huge payouts. That’s why the online bingo experts at Slingo thought it would be interesting to look at some of the most popular Netflix series to find out how much successful stars make per episode.
To put a fun twist on it we’ve created an interactive calculator that allows you to insert your annual income to find out how long it would take you to earn as much as your favourite Netflix star earns in just one episode.
It comes as no surprise that Netflix produces some of the most well-known series of today. In fact, if there is anything the streaming giant is known for, it’s its big budget. Research shows that in 2021 alone, Netflix released 129 original content titles and hit a record of £14 billion ($17 billion | €16 billion).
What’s more, it is well known that Netflix pays its actors considerably more than other traditional studios - but it comes to popular series, who are Netflix’s highest earners?
@henrycavill
Estimated earnings per episode
Henry Cavill takes top on our list as the Netflix star that earns the most per episode on The Witcher. Thanks to his much-loved character, Geralt of Rivia, Cavill reportedly made £329,532 ($400,000 | €371,704) per episode in season one. However, this drastically increased by season two as he is said to have cashed in a whopping £825,510 ($1,000,000 | €930,470) for each episode
@anthonysbrownie
Estimated earnings per episode
Widely known for his role as Sam Wilson in Marvel’s Captain America, Anthony Mackie has also appeared on the small screen taking on the role as Takeshi Kovacs in the second season in Netflix’s Altered Carbon.
According to sources, the American actor earns approximately £390,350 ($475,000 | €442,415) per episode on the show. This amounts to a hefty paycheck of £3.1 million ($3.8 million | €3.5 million) for the season.
@connorwjessup
Estimated earnings per episode
Playing the role of Tyler Locke on the Netflix series Locke & Key, Connor Jessup takes third spot on our list. The Canadian actor reportedly earned around £330,152 ($400,000 | €372,188) per episode in season 3 of the show.
|
Estimated earnings per episode |
||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
|
Actor, Character, Series |
|
|
|
Stranger Things has become one of Netflix’s most popular series – an international phenomenon to be precise. There is no denying that the show is in its prime. Hence, this made us curious as to who the highest-paid cast members are.
@winonaryderactress
Estimated earnings per episode
Well-known for her role as Joyce Byers in the popular Netflix series Stranger Things, Winona Rider is said to be the highest-paid actor in the show. The two-time Oscar nominee earns around £287,627 ($350,000 | €325,990) for every episode in season three. This is more than three times what she made in the series’ first two seasons which was around £82,275 ($100,000 | €92,954) per episode.
@dkharbour
Estimated earnings per episode
Joint in the top position is The Newsroom and State of Affairs actor David Harbour who currently plays the role of Jim Hopper in Stranger Things.
Despite having the second-highest salary in season one of the Netflix series where he was making approximately £65,784 ($80,000 | €74,330) per episode, Hooper received a nice salary boost. He now makes £287,627 ($350,000 | €325,990) for each episode of season three.
@milliebobbybrown
Estimated earnings per episode
Popular British actress, Millie Bobby Brown grabs the third spot. Playing the role of the series’ protagonist, Eleven, has proven to be a huge success in Millie’s career. So much so that the 18-year-old has witnessed the most significant raise in her salary.
Starting at just £16,436 ($20,000 | €18,628) per episode in season one, Millie Bobby Brown now takes home an impressive $300,000 on average per episode. This suggests that in season three of the series, the Netflix star made an impressive £2 million ($2.4 million | €2.2 million) for the season as a whole.
|
Estimated earnings per episode for the cast of Stranger Things |
||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
|
Actor, Character |
|
|
|
Another major hit series on Netflix, The Umbrella Academy has proven to be a major favourite among fans. According to Forbes, in 2020 the series was the third show to hold the top spot for 14 days straight.
Looking back at its success and how much it’s grown since it first debuted we wanted to find out how much its cast members earned per episode for season three.
@tom.hopperhops
@castanedawong
@emmyraver
@rozzymikes
@aidanrgallagher
@justinmin
Estimated earnings per episode
Based on the comic book series, The Umbrella Academy is a popular American superhero series on Netflix. According to sources, six of the seven main characters – Tom Hopper, David Castañeda, Emmy Raver-Lampman, Robert Sheehan, Aidan Gallagher, and Justin H. Min – received a substantial pay raise from the show's third season. Each cast member reportedly earned £164,358 ($200,000 | €186,280) for their roles.
Sources also suggest that fellow cast member, Elliot Page who now plays the role of Viktor Hargreeves, also received a raise in salary. However, the popular Canadian actor earns more than the other cast members.
|
Estimated earnings per episode for the cast of The Umbrella Academy |
||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
|
Actor, Character |
|
|
|
Not only famous for its viral dance scene but the recent release of The Addams Family spin-off – Wednesday – has certainly created a buzz among fans. Both weird and wonderful, this mystery series kept viewers on their toes.
As a result of the show's immense popularity, it left us wondering, just how much did the cast of Wednesday earn per episode?
@jennaortega
Estimated earnings per episode
Though one of Netflix’s most recent releases, Wednesday has earned its way up as one of the streaming platform’s most popular series. Jenna Ortega plays the role of Wednesday Addams - the show’s protagonist. The 20-year-old reportedly earned £28,763 ($35,000 | €32,599) for each episode.
Due to its success, the American comedy horror series recently announced it will return for a second season. Hence, it is very likely that Jenna Ortega’s salary could increase in future seasons.
@loueyfromthehood
Estimated earnings per episode
With an acting career spanning over 40 years, Luis Guzmán comes in second place earning an estimated £24,654 ($30,000 | €27,942) per episode. The Puerto Rican actor has appeared in several films and television series such as Journey 2: The Mysterious Island and Narcos.
@catherinezetajones
Estimated earnings per episode
Catherine Zeta-Jones comes in third place with estimated earnings of £20,545 ($25,000 | €23,285) per episode. The Welsh actress has received many accolades during her acting career including an Academy Award, a Tony Award and a British Academy Film Award.
|
Estimated earnings per episode for the cast of The Umbrella Academy |
||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
|
Actor, Character |
|
|
|
hours, minutes and seconds to earn your salary
per episode
per season
per hour
per minute
per second
It will take - to earn the average UK salary of £33,000
It will take - to earn the average US salary of $53,490
hours, minutes and seconds to earn your salary
per episode
per season
per hour
per minute
per second
It will take - to earn the average UK salary of £33,000
It will take - to earn the average US salary of $53,490
To find the estimated earnings per episode for each Netflix star, we used various sources and articles including Cosmopolitan and Variety. The figures collected were then ranked in order to find the highest-earning Netflix star on our list.
Using sources such as Yahoo! and ShowbizGalore, we also selected some of the most popular shows on Netflix in order to find out which cast members earned the most per episode.
Calculations on how long it would take you to earn as much as these Netflix stars were based on how much each actor earned annually for one season using how much they make per episode. Due to the fact that many of these actors most likely make money from other sources, this data is only based on the Netflix shows they’ve featured in.
For the average annual salary for the UK, this figure was taken from ONS The US annual salary was sourced from Jobted. Both salaries show the median annual pay for full-time employees.
All estimated figures were originally USD but have also been converted into GBP and EUR.
