Here's how much the highest-paid stars on TV actually make
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How much is Hollywood shelling out to get the biggest stars to move to TV?
In this age of wall-to-wall programming, marquee names have become essential in bringing sizable audiences to shows.
And with at least 50 different producers of TV shows, the competition is getting fierce and driving salaries to new highs.
Star salaries can range from $1.1 million an episode for the main players of HBO's "Game of Thrones" to as small as $20,000 per episode for the actors who play the Lyon kids on Fox's "Empire."
And now we're seeing film legends like Robert De Niro and Meryl Streep crossing into TV gigs and picking up huge checks.
Here's how much the highest-paid stars on TV are earning:
*Salaries are per episode, unless otherwise indicated. Some salaries may include producing fees and profit participation.
$1,100,000 — Kit Harington, "Game of Thrones" (HBO)
HBO.
Source:The Hollywood Reporter
$1,100,000 — Emilia Clarke, "Game of Thrones" (HBO)
HBO
Source:The Hollywood Reporter
$1,100,000 — Peter Dinklage, "Game of Thrones" (HBO)
HBO
Source:The Hollywood Reporter
$1,100,000 — Lena Headey, "Game of Thrones" (HBO)
HBO/screen grab
Source:The Hollywood Reporter
$1,100,000 — Nikolaj Coster-Waldeau, "Game of Thrones" (HBO)
Macall B. Polay/HBO
Source:The Hollywood Reporter
$1,000,000 — Jim Parsons, "The Big Bang Theory" (CBS)
CBS
Source: Variety
$1,000,000 — Kaley Cuoco, "The Big Bang Theory" (CBS)
Sonja Flemming/CBS
Source:Variety
$1,000,000 — Johnny Galecki, "The Big Bang Theory" (CBS)
Michael Yarish/Warner Bros.
Source:Variety
$825,000 – Meryl Streep, "The Nix" (Network TBA)
Kevin Winter/Getty Images
Source:The Hollywood Reporter
$750,000 – Robert DeNiro, Untitled David O. Russell series (Amazon)
Ernesto Ruscio/Getty Images
Source:The Hollywood Reporter
$750,000 — Lauren Graham, "Gilmore Girls" (Netflix)
Netflix; YouTube
Source:Variety
$750,000 — Alexis Bledel, "Gilmore Girls" (Netflix)
Getty Images
Source:Variety
$650,000 – Andrew Lincoln, "The Walking Dead" (AMC)
Gene Page/AMC
Source:The Hollywood Reporter
$650,000 – Norman Reedus, "The Walking Dead" (AMC)
"The Walking Dead"/AMC
Source:The Hollywood Reporter
$525,000 — Mark Harmon, "NCIS" (CBS)
Cliff Lipson/CBS
Source:Variety
$500,000 — Kevin Spacey, "House of Cards" (Netflix)
Netflix
Source:Variety
$450,000 — Claire Danes, "Homeland" (Showtime)
Showtime
Source:Variety
$450,000 — Mariska Hargitay, "Law & Order: SVU" (NBC)
Michael Parmelee/NBC
Source:Variety
$450,000 – Dwayne Johnson, "Ballers" (HBO)
HBO
Source:The Hollywood Reporter
$400,000 — Ellen Pompeo, "Grey's Anatomy" (ABC)
ABC
Source:Variety
$350,000 — Drew Barrymore, "Santa Clarita Diet" (Netflix)
David Buchan/Getty Images
Source:Variety
$350,000 – Emma Stone, "Maniac" (Netflix)
Getty Images
Source:Variety
$350,000 — Jonah Hill, "Maniac" (Netflix)
Michael Buckner / Getty Images
Source:Variety
$350,000 — Joel Kinnaman, "Altered Carbon" (Netflix)
Getty Images
Source:Variety
$350,000 — Reese Witherspoon, "Big Little Lies" (HBO)
(Getty)
$350,000 — Nicole Kidman, "Big Little Lies" (HBO)
Getty Images
Source:Variety
$300,000 – Keefer Sutherland, "Designated Survivor" (ABC)
ABC
Source:The Hollywood Reporter
Reality/News/Talk (yearly salary)
Jemal Countess/ Getty Images
$47 million — Judy Sheindlin, "Judge Judy" (Syndicated)
$22-25 million — Matt Lauer, "Today" (NBC)
$20 million — Ellen DeGeneres, "Ellen" (Syndicated)
$16-20 million — Kelly Ripa, "Live With Kelly" (Syndicated)
$13-15 million — Miley Cyrus, "The Voice" (NBC)
$13-15 million — Adam Levine, "The Voice" (NBC)
$13-15 million — Jimmy Fallon, "The Tonight Show" (NBC)
$13-15 million — Jimmy Kimmel, "Jimmy Kimmel Live" (ABC)
$12 million — Conan O'Brien, "Conan" (TBS)
$12 million — Robin Roberts, "Good Morning America" (ABC)
Source:Variety
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