The so-called Golden Age of Television has transformed the industry this century, ushering in a prestige era of ambitious dramas and big-budget scripted series. As cable networks and streaming platforms poured billions of dollars into original programming, salaries soared too.
From breakout sitcom favourites and small-screen legends to Hollywood heavyweights drawn by acclaimed roles and cinematic storytelling, the boom has delivered some eye-watering paydays.
Read on to discover 15 stars who have pulled in more than $1 million (£745k) per episode, based on data from Celebrity Net Worth.
All dollar values in US dollars
Jerry Seinfeld made history in 1997 when he became the first TV star to earn $1 million per episode, the equivalent of just over $2 million (£1.5m) today. For the eponymous show's ninth and final season, he banked $24 million, which is worth more than double that amount now.
NBC later offered Seinfeld an extraordinary $5 million per episode to return for yet another season. Despite the mammoth deal, which could have made him $110 million, over $220 million (£164m) in 2026 money, the comedy genius politely declined.
Hot on Seinfeld's heels, fellow stand-up comic Tim Allen was the second star to join the club. In 1998, he scored $1.25 million per episode for the last season of his super-popular sitcom Home Improvement. That works out at $2.5 million (£1.9m) in today's money.
Best of all, the final season stretched to an impressive 27 episodes, meaning Allen grossed almost $34 million, the equivalent of around $68 million (£51m) in 2026.
Sarah Jessica Parker set a TV salary record with Sex and the City. During the final three seasons, she bagged a staggering $3.2 million per episode, including production credits. Her salary for those three seasons amounted to $147 million, which is roughly $260 million (£194m) in 2026 money.
Parker reprised the role of Carrie Bradshaw in 2021 for HBO Max's And Just Like That, reportedly getting around $1 million (£745k) per episode for the revival, which she also executive produced.
Jennifer Aniston is another of the handful of stars to earn a seven-figure payout per episode on more than one TV series. She first hit the mark in 2002 when the Friends cast negotiated $1 million per episode for the final two seasons, which translates to about $1.8 million (£1.3m) today.
In 2019, she did it again with Apple TV+'s The Morning Show, reportedly raking in a bumper $2 million (£1.5m) per episode while also serving as an executive producer.
Frasier star Kelsey Grammer also joined the club in 2002. For the last two seasons of the smash sitcom, the on-screen shrink was paid $1.6 million per episode, around $2.9 million (£2.2m) in 2026 money.
Fast-forward to the show's reboot in 2023, and Grammer secured another plum pay deal, reportedly pulling in $2 million (£1.5m) per episode for each of the Paramount revival's two seasons.
The late James Gandolfini's iconic performance as mob boss Tony Soprano helped define the Golden Age of Television. During fraught negotiations before season five in 2003, production of The Sopranos was stalled as he pushed for higher pay. HBO ultimately agreed to $1 million per episode, doubling the actor's salary to about $13 million per season, which is $23 million (£17m) in today's money.
After the deal, Gandolfini reportedly doled out the equivalent of $58,000 (£43k) in 2026 dollars each to several co-stars as a thank you for supporting him during the dispute.
By the final two seasons of Everybody Loves Raymond, Ray Romano had become one of the highest-paid actors on television. His deal gave him $1.7 million per episode for the CBS comedy's closing years. In today’s terms, that would be close to $3 million (£2.2m) per episode.
The series was a major ratings success throughout its run. Like other shows in this round-up, it remains incredibly profitable thanks to global syndication, which continues to generate generous residuals for the cast.
At the height of Two and a Half Men, Charlie Sheen was earning $1.8 million per episode, making him one of the best-paid actors on the small screen.
During his final season on the show, the troubled star's highly publicised off-screen meltdown led to production shutting down early. Sheen ultimately appeared in 16 episodes, earning $30 million for the season, the equivalent of about $45 million (£34m) in today's dollars.
Together with his co-stars Johnny Galecki and Kaley Cuoco, Jim Parsons renegotiated a blockbuster pay deal for the final three seasons of The Big Bang Theory. The trio were each awarded $1 million per episode, or about $24 million per season, which translates to $33 million (£25m) in today's money.
The deal represented an almost threefold rise from their previous per-episode salaries.
For the final seasons of HBO's Game of Thrones, Emilia Clarke, who fired up the small screen as Daenerys Targaryen, joined co-stars Peter Dinklage, Kit Harington, Lena Headey and Nikolaj Coster-Waldau in earning $1 million per episode, around $1.3 million (£968k) now.
The pay reflected the fantasy show's massive global success, even though its closing seasons became highly controversial and widely criticised by fans. Backlash aside, the series remains one of the most expensive and highest-paying productions in TV history.
In 2019, Reese Witherspoon landed a TV pay double. She clinched $1 million per episode for the second season of HBO's Big Little Lies, which she also produced through her company Hello Sunshine. That same year, the A-list actress began starring in Apple TV+'s The Morning Show, where she reportedly earns around $2 million (£1.5m) per episode alongside Jennifer Aniston.
Other actors to reach the $2 million-per-episode tier include John Krasinski for Jack Ryan and Robert Downey Jr for The Sympathizer.
Scoring a sensational hat trick, Nicole Kidman is the only actor to have earned a million dollars per episode on three different TV series.
The Hollywood star first reached the mark in 2019 on Big Little Lies season two, starring alongside Reese Witherspoon. She then repeated the feat with HBO's The Undoing and Hulu's Nine Perfect Strangers, making her one of the highest-paid actresses of the streaming era.
Elisabeth Moss reached the $1 million-per-episode level during the later seasons of The Handmaid's Tale. She also served as a producer on Hulu's acclaimed dystopian drama, which won her a tonne of awards in addition to a spectacular income.
In 2022, Moss matched that pay tier again with Apple TV+'s eight-episode thriller Shining Girls, underscoring her clout in the industry.
Kevin Costner earned $1.2 million (£894k) per episode for season five of Yellowstone, totalling $9.6 million (£7.2m) for the eight-episode run. The gritty neo-Western drama became one of TV's biggest shows and launched a broader franchise.
In the same universe, the prequel series 1923 also pays top dollar, with Harrison Ford and Helen Mirren each reportedly picking up a million big ones per episode.
Zendaya took her place in the $1 million-per-episode club after renegotiating her Euphoria contract in 2023, when she was just 26 years old. The landmark deal made her the youngest actor ever to reach the milestone and the highest-paid Black actress in TV history.
The pay bump came ahead of the long-delayed third season of HBO's hit teen drama, which finally premiered in April 2026.
Now meet the richest non-Hollywood actors