How much do actors earn per episode?

Since its debut on Netflix in 2016, stranger things has become a cultural phenomenon. When Season 3 arrived in 2019, over 40 million people tuned in in the first few days. The sci-fi horror drama, set in the 80s, was nothing short of a slam dunk for Netflix.
Whereas stranger things is certainly loved, it is also incredibly expensive to produce. Between behind-the-scenes talent, special effects, marketing, and a major cast whose salaries continue to rise, each episode of Season 4 has been reported to cost Netflix around $30 million. Much of it goes into the pockets of the actors who bring the characters to life.
READ NEXT: Season 1 vs Season 4 Cast In Photos
Read on to find out who the richest actors are and how much they’re worth in 2022.
Paul Reiser
$75 MILLION
The most rich stranger things The actor is by far Paul Reiser, who is more known as a comedian than someone who usually appears in serious dramas or sci-fi projects. In the 90s, Reiser was one of the highest paid actors on television, as he and his co-star Helen Hunt both earned $1 million per episode on Crazy of youis the last season. He’s also appeared in blockbuster movies, written several bestselling books, and even made more than $20 million from a single estate sale, according to Celebrity Net Worth.
winona ryder
$18 MILLION
A two-time Oscar nominee in the ’90s, Winona Ryder dominated that decade as one of Hollywood’s hottest and freshest new stars. She made a name for herself by appearing in films like Edward Scissorhands, Heathers, Bram Stoker’s Dracula, The Age of Innocence, Reality Bites, and Little woman. His career stalled for a while and stranger things was considered by many to be his big comeback. According DeadlineRyder’s salary jumped in Season 3 to between $300,000 and $350,000 per episode.
Millie Bobby Brown
$10 MILLION
For the first season of stranger thingsMillie Bobby Brown was making $10,000 per episode, according to Celebrity Net Worth. This amount jumped to $30,000 per episode for the second season. In Season 3, that figure exploded to $300,000 per episode. Brown also reportedly earned at least $6 million for his starring role in Enola Holmes. Her contract also stipulated that if there were to be a sequel (which has apparently already wrapped filming), she would earn at least $7.5 million.
Cara Buono
$10 MILLION
Cara Buono has spent much of her career on television, and she was already a seasoned veteran before stranger things. Throughout his decades on the small screen, Buono has starred in popular shows like Third Watch, The Sopranos, The Dead Zone, Person of Interest, and Mad Menfor which she earned an Emmy nomination.
Matthew Modine
$10 MILLION
Matthew Modine first rose to prominence as an actor in the 1982 classic Full Metal Jacket, and since then he has continued to work constantly, both in films and in television shows. Some of his highest-profile recurring or starring roles on television include The New Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, The Bedford Diaries, Weeds, Proof, and now stranger things. In the mid-90s, he was nominated for an Emmy for his performance in And the band kept on playing.
David Harbor
$6 MILLION
Alongside his co-star Ryder, David Harbor received a huge pay rise when Netflix renewed stranger things for a third season. The two stars, who had more on their resumes than their younger counterparts, reportedly started earning between $300,000 and $350,000 per episode, according to Deadline. Prior to the franchise’s launch, Harbor had appeared in films like Brokeback Mountain, Revolutionary Road, Quantum of Solaceand superhero movies like Black Widow, Hellboyand The green hornet. He had also scored recurring roles on TV shows such as The Newsroom, Rake, Manhattan, and state of affairs.
Gaten Matarazzo
$5 MILLION
Before landing his star job stranger thingsGaten Matarazzo had previously appeared on Broadway in Wretched and Priscilla, queen of the desert. Like Brown, he earned $10,000 per episode for Season 1, $30,000 per episode for Season 2, and then a quarter million dollars per episode for the third season of the Netflix hit. He would have earned either another bump or a bonus for Season 4, as he was paid a total of $2.25 million, according to Celebrity Net Worth.
Finn Wolfhard
$4 MILLION
Before stranger things, many of Finn Wolfhard’s co-workers, even those his own age, had fuller resumes, while he had only played small one-off roles on a handful of TV shows. By season 3 of stranger things, just a few years after his debut in the industry, he was already earning $225,000 per episode. Once the Netflix series took off and became a hit, it landed its first film franchise and it has now starred in two movies of the horror series. This.
Natalia Dyer
$4 MILLION
years before stranger things first, Natalia Dyer had already starred in a handful of blockbuster movies and had gone to college. She appeared in Hannah Montana: The Movie and The Greening of Whitney Brown before moving to New York to attend New York University. She continued to act in small productions and concentrated on television for stranger things. The program not only helped her rise to new levels of fame and wealth (by Season 3, she reportedly earned $100,000 or more per episode), but she met her boyfriend Charlie Heaton on set.
Charlie Heaton
$4 MILLION
Like his girlfriend Dyer, Charlie Heaton earns between $100,000 and $150,000 per episode of stranger thingswhich remains the most popular title in which he appeared. Apart from acting, Heaton was also involved in a band in his home country of the UK before he started spending more time in America for his acting career.
Joe Keery
$4 MILLION
Similar to fellow bandmate Heaton, Joe Keery balances acting with making music, and for years was a member of Chicago-based garage and psych-rock band Post Animal. With the band, he was involved in writing and recording several projects, but he feared that his fame would hurt the band. In 2019, he launched a solo music career under the name Djo, which kept him busy between filming stranger things. Like many of her co-stars who have starring or recurring roles, her salary increased to $250,000 per episode in Season 3.
Caleb McLaughlin
$3 MILLION
Before landing the role of a lifetime in stranger things — for which he now rakes in a quarter of a million dollars each episode — Caleb McLaughlin has spent years learning his craft and acting in theatre. He began his career in an opera, then moved on to the role of Young Simba in Disney’s theatrical adaptation The Lion King. In 2021, he goes to the cinema, alongside Idris Elba in the Netflix production concrete cowboy.
Noah Schnapp
$3 MILLION
Noah Schnapp started acting at a very young age, as he was only 10 when he appeared in Steven Spielberg’s Oscar-winning film bridge of spies. He’s landed other roles, but lately Schnapp has been busy building, launching and running his own business. In November 2021, he launched a new snack product he calls TBH (To Be Honest), which offers a sustainable Nutella-like spread.
Sadie sink
$1 MILLION
At just 20 years old, Sadie Sink not only has a growing career as an actress, but she’s also modeled for some of fashion’s biggest clothing brands. She walked the runway at Paris Fashion Week when she was just 15 and posed for companies like Kate Spade, Chanel and Givenchy Beauty. In addition to all this work, she also acted in American Odyssey, two of cinema street films, and even those of Taylor Swift Too good: the short film.
Brett Gelman
$500,000
Brett Gelman has spent much of his acting career appearing in TV comedies like Love, Family Guy, American Dad, Fleabag, Another Time, and Speak frankly. stranger things helped him expand his repertoire, and his casting likely played a role in boosting his net worth.