The fifth and explosive final season of Stranger Things has finally arrived, and it's fair to say it's bowing out on a high. The nostalgic 1980s genre mash-up of horror, sci-fi, and heartfelt drama has become the most-watched original series in Netflix history, and a magnet for awards and acclaim.

Since its debut in 2016, the show has turned its young leads into global stars and reignited the careers of several beloved 1980s icons. Read on to find out which Hawkins heroes and villains have built the biggest real-world bank balances, based on estimates from Celebrity Net Worth. All dollar amounts in US dollars.

Dacre Montgomery's big break came with 2017's Power Rangers. Global fame followed when he landed the role of Billy Hargrove, the menacing, Mind Flayer-possessed bully of Stranger Things. After departing the show in its fourth season, when his character returned for flashback scenes, Montgomery made a conscious decision to focus on indie and arthouse projects rather than mainstream Hollywood fare.

The Aussie actor has since appeared in Baz Luhrmann's Elvis and Gus Van Sant's Dead Man’s Wire, and is making his directorial debut with The Engagement Party.

As the show's fiercely loyal and level-headed Lucas Sinclair, Caleb McLaughlin is part of Stranger Things' core group of kids, along with Finn Wolfhard, Gaten Matarazzo, Noah Schnapp, and Millie Bobby Brown. His pay started at $10,000 (£7.5k) per episode in season one and hit $250,000 (£190k) per episode in season three. For season four, McLaughlin is said to have earned $2.25 million (£1.7m) in total.

Outside Hawkins, McLaughlin has starred in The New Edition Story and Netflix drama Concrete Cowboy, and is lending his voice to the upcoming animated movie Goat.

London-born Jamie Campbell Bower joined Stranger Things in its fourth season as Henry Creel, who transforms into the terrifying Vecna, the show's most chilling villain yet. Pre-Stranger Things, Bower was already a familiar face thanks to roles in The Twilight Saga and Harry Potter movies.

Away from acting, he was the lead vocalist for punk band Counterfeit and has a string of prestigious endorsements under his belt from brands including Burberry and Fendi.

The daughter of actors Ethan Hawke and Uma Thurman, Maya Hawke is candid about her 'nepo baby' privilege, but she has silenced detractors with genuine talent. Her breakout as the quick-witted Robin Buckley in season three of Stranger Things made her an instant fan and critic favourite.

Hawke has gone on to appear in major movies, including Asteroid City and Maestro, released three folk-inspired albums, and fronted a campaign for Calvin Klein.

As Will Byers, the boy whose disappearance first drew Hawkins into the horrors of the Upside Down, Noah Schnapp has been central to Stranger Things since the get-go. Like co-star Caleb McLaughlin, his salary began at $10,000 (£7.5k) per episode and rose to $250,000 (£190k) per instalment in seasons three and four.

Outside the show, Schnapp has built an impressive entrepreneurial profile with his vegan, palm oil-free snack brand TBH (To Be Honest), which offers a more sustainable alternative to Nutella. The star also has his own virtual restaurant brand, a fried chicken takeout called TenderFix.

Like many of her young co-stars, Sadie Sink was an accomplished child actor before gracing Stranger Things in its second season as the spirited and resilient Max Mayfield. Her emotional performance in season four, set memorably to Kate Bush's Running Up That Hill, earned rave reviews.

Beyond Hawkins, Sink has appeared in Taylor Swift's short film All Too Well and Darren Aronofsky's The Whale, and garnered praise on Broadway in John Proctor Is the Villain. A high-end fashion favourite, she's an ambassador for Prada and has worked with Armani, Chanel, and Chopard.

Charlie Heaton's global fame came suddenly in 2015 when he was cast in several BBC dramas and then in Stranger Things as shy budding photographer Jonathan Byers, Will's older brother. Quickly rising to fame, the English star saw his salary shoot up, from $10,000 (£8k) per episode in the first season to $250,000 (£189k) per instalment in the third and fourth.

In the meantime, Heaton has carved out an enviable movie career, landing plum roles in the likes of X-Men spinoff The New Mutants and serious dramas such as No Future and The Souvenir Part II. His side hustles include a global ambassador gig for Paco Rabanne's Phantom Parfum.

As savvy aspiring journalist Nancy Wheeler, Natalia Dyer has been a key player in Stranger Things since the beginning, evolving from small-town teen to determined monster-hunter. Off-screen, Dyer has been in a relationship with Charlie Heaton since 2016.

Away from the show, she has ventured into indie and horror cinema, with roles in Velvet Buzzsaw, Yes, God, Yes, and All Fun and Games, proving her range outside Hawkins and the Upside Down. Dyer has her fair share of luxury endorsements too, including a deal with YSL Beauty.

Part of the original core cast, Finn Wolfhard has grown up on screen as Mike Wheeler, the brave and big-hearted leader of the Stranger Things gang. The Canadian actor's success on the series, which netted him $250,000 (£190k) per episode in the third and fourth seasons, has opened the door to a thriving film career, with standout roles in It and It: Chapter Two and the Ghostbusters reboot.

A talented musician to boot, Wolfhard fronts the indie rock band The Aubreys and boosts his income with lucrative promotional contracts with top brands such as Saint Laurent and PlayStation.

From obnoxious high-school jock to unlikely fan favourite, Joe Keery's Steve Harrington has one of Stranger Things' most interesting character arcs. And over the time he has been in the show, his salary has soared from $10,000 (£7.5k) to $250,000 (£190k) per episode.

With his acting career going from strength to strength, Keery has appeared in Free Guy, Spree, and the series Fargo, and stars next in horror thriller Cold Storage. Like several of his co-stars, the multitalented star also has a burgeoning music career fronting psychedelic rock band Post Animal and his solo project Djo.

As Dustin Henderson, one of the show's central figures from the very start, Gaten Matarazzo has brought a comic character some serious depth, showing impressive range. This has translated to major roles on Broadway and in movies like Honor Society and Animal Farm.

As is the case with the show's other main child stars, Matarazzo has reaped the benefits of Stranger Things' unstoppable success, with a jaw-dropping pay rise, from $10,000 (£7.5k) to $250,000 (£190k) per episode for the third and fourth seasons.

English actor Cary Elwes, best known for his charming turn as Westley in the 1987 cult classic The Princess Bride, joined Stranger Things in season three as the corrupt Hawkins mayor Larry Kline. A veteran of both film and TV, Elwes' decades-long career spans everything from Robin Hood: Men in Tights to Saw and its sequels.

Away from Stranger Things, he remains a steady Hollywood presence, regularly appearing in high-profile action, horror, and comedy projects.

By the time he landed the role of Hawkins' cantankerous yet compassionate Chief Jim Hopper, David Harbour had already built up an impressive CV across Broadway, TV and film. But Stranger Things catapulted him to global stardom and firmly onto Hollywood's A-list.

Since then, Harbour has starred in Hellboy, Violent Night, and Gran Turismo, and joined both the Marvel and DC universes. Off-screen, he’s fronted campaigns for Tide and Brooks, and was married to British singer Lily Allen from 2020 until earlier this year.

A true horror legend, Robert Englund is forever synonymous with Freddy Krueger, the razor-gloved killer of the A Nightmare on Elm Street franchise. In a fitting homage to that legacy, Englund joined Stranger Things in season four as Victor Creel, a tormented figure whose dark backstory echoes the show's debt to 1980s horror.

The veteran actor continues to embrace his cult status, appearing in genre films, lending his voice to animation and video games, and wowing fans at conventions worldwide.

Another of the show's seasoned pros, Sean Astin first found international fame as Mikey in the 1980s adventure classic The Goonies, before winning over a new generation in the early 2000s as loyal hobbit Samwise Gamgee in The Lord of the Rings trilogy.

Astin arrived in Stranger Things in season two as Bob Newby, the good-natured RadioShack manager whose bravery made him one of the series' most popular supporting characters. Away from acting, he has long been active in politics and was recently elected president of the powerful SAG-AFTRA union.

Before joining Stranger Things as Karen Wheeler, the well-meaning but often oblivious mother of Mike and Nancy, Cara Buono had already made her mark with notable roles in The Sopranos and Mad Men.

Outside the show, Buono continues to amass impressive film and TV credits, with recent appearances in Supergirl, Law & Order, and V13.

An established Hollywood name long before Stranger Things, Matthew Modine rose to prominence in the 1980s with standout roles in Full Metal Jacket, Vision Quest, and Birdy. On the Netflix hit, he plays the morally ambiguous Dr Martin Brenner, Eleven's manipulative 'Papa' and one of the show's most sinister figures.

Beyond Hawkins, Modine continues to score coveted roles, with recent turns in movies including Oppenheimer and Hard Miles. Away from acting, he's a renowned political activist and environmental advocate.

As Eleven, the telekinetic heart of Stranger Things, Millie Bobby Brown has stormed to global fame and become one of the show's highest-paid cast members, reportedly earning $300,000 (£225k) per episode from season three onwards. Her success has since extended far beyond Hawkins.

Brown starred in and produced Enola Holmes and its sequel, reportedly earning $6.1 million (£4.6m) for the first film alone. She has launched her own clean beauty brand, Florence by Mills, and fronts campaigns for Louis Vuitton, Calvin Klein, and Chips Ahoy! Brown is also UNICEF’s youngest-ever Goodwill Ambassador.

A bona fide Hollywood and indie icon, Winona Ryder brought serious star power to Stranger Things from the start as Joyce Byers, the fiercely protective mother whose dogged determination helps unravel Hawkins' darkest secrets.

Alongside David Harbour, Ryder ranks as the show's highest-paid cast member. She is said to have earned $100,000 (£75k) per episode for the first two seasons, rising to $350,000 (£265k) in season three. For the final season, her salary has reportedly soared to $9.5 million (£7.2m), which works out at nearly $1.2 million (£910k) per episode.

Staying with icons, Linda Hamilton has gone down in Tinseltown history for her portrayal of Sarah Connor in the Terminator franchise and Golden Globe–nominated role in the 1980s TV series Beauty and the Beast.

She joins Stranger Things in its final season as Dr Kay, a “hyper-intelligent and intimidating” new antagonist who is set to push Hawkins to its brink.

Topping the Stranger Things rich list is veteran comedian and actor Paul Reiser. Before he was cast in season two of the show as Dr Sam Owens, Reiser had a wealth of hit movies and sitcoms behind him, including Diner, Beverly Hills Cop, Aliens, and Mad About You.

Back in 1999 during the final season of Mad About You, Reiser and his co-star Helen Hunt made TV history as the highest-paid actors in the world, reportedly earning a million dollars per episode. Beyond acting, he's a successful author, musician, and producer, with a property portfolio as impressive as his storied career.

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