Here’s who was paid the most and least on The Big Bang Theory (Photo Credit – Netflix)
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When The Big Bang Theory wrapped up its epic 12-season run, it didn’t just break TV records—it broke paychecks, too. The cast was swimming in cash, and the salary drama was almost as wild as the show.
Let’s talk big earners. Jim Parsons, aka Sheldon Cooper, was raking it in with a whopping $26.5 million (pre-tax) between June 2017 and June 2018. No shocker there—the guy owned that role and even scored extra dough as an exec producer on Young Sheldon. Toss in some endorsements, and his bank account was straight-up thriving.
Hot on his heels? Johnny Galecki, aka Leonard Hofstadter, pulled in $25 million. Not too shabby. And let’s not sleep on Kunal Nayyar (Raj) and Simon Helberg (Howard), who tied for third with a sweet $23.5 million each. Even without many side gigs, those juicy back-end profits kept their wallets happy.
Oh, and these legends? They even cut pay to hook Mayim Bialik and Melissa Rauch up with a raise. Big money and big hearts. Total class acts.
Speaking of Mayim and Melissa, they weren’t left out. By the time the final season rolled around, they were making at least $425,000 per episode—up from the $200,000 they were getting earlier. It was all part of that 2017 deal where the big five (Parsons, Cuoco, Galecki, Nayyar, and Helberg) took a $100K cut per episode to help their co-stars catch up. Nice move, right?
As for the “lowest-paid” cast member? Well, even the least-paid person on the show still lived the good life. Everyone was stacking cash, and the whole gang was making money off that sweet Big Bang success. But yeah, if you’re going to pick, it’s safe to say the bottom earners were still probably buying yachts.
And it wasn’t just the Big Bang crew raking it in. The Walking Dead’s Norman Reedus was pulling in $1 million an episode, proving that big salaries weren’t just a Big Bang thing.
The show may be over, but the cast will forever be remembered as the kings and queens of TV paydays. Jim Parsons might have taken the top spot, but the whole squad left with their pockets way heavier than when they walked in.
