1. The Sky-High Salaries of Television's Most Well-Paid Stars
Being a famous TV star is far from a thankless job. In addition to earning the
adulation of millions of television viewers and to enjoying heaps of free swag,
television's most successful actors and actresses rake in exorbitant salaries. Some
television stars will moan and complain about the long, arduous hours that they
have to spend on set, but don't let those complaints fool you. Every time one of
these stars steps onto the set, their change purse gets a whole lot plumper. To get a
clear idea about the types of salaries that today's most successful TV stars earn,
check out the following list.
Snooki
Some may consider her to be loud, obnoxious and abrasive, but Nicole Polizzi -
who is otherwise known as Snooki - is laughing all the way to the bank. The
"Jersey Shore" reality star reportedly earns $100,000 per episode, which isn't too
bad for someone who was snatched out of obscurity.
William Shatner
The times are far from tough for William Shatner, who first made a name for
himself as James T. Kirk on the original "Star Trek" series. The elderly actor was
earning $150,000 per episode on the series "S#*! My Dad Says," which has since
been taken off the air.
Kate Gosselin
Despite having eight little mouths to feed, Kate Gosselin doesn't have to worry
about anyone going hungry any time soon. The reality star of "Kate Plus Eight"
nets the handsome sum of $250,000 for each episode. Ex-husband Jon Gosselin is
undoubtedly green with envy.
Angus T. Jones
For someone who is too young to legally work at a fast food joint, child actor
Angus T. Jones really brings home the bacon. The young star of "Two and a Half
Men" makes $250,000 per episode, which is sure to keep him in new video games
all year long.
Mariska Hargitay and Christopher Meloni

2. "Law and Order: SVU" is one show that fans never want to miss. Stars Mariska
Hargitay and Christopher Meloni don't want to miss a day of work either; each
actor earns a reported $350,000 per episode. There is no end in sight for the
enduring series, so the two are surely banking plenty of cash.
Tina Fey
People just can't get enough of Tina Fey. "30 Rock" wouldn't be the same without
her, so it makes sense that she makes an incredible $350,000 per episode. Most
would agree that the actress more than deserves such compensation; she is really
good at what she does.
Laurence Fishburne
In an attempt to revive flagging interest in "CSI," respected actor Laurence
Fishburne was brought on board. For his trouble, the popular actor takes home a
reported $350,000 per episode. It is unclear whether his addition has improved the
show's ratings, but you can bet your bottom dollar that Fishburne is not
complaining.
Patrick Dempsey
It costs a lot of money to keep a dreamy actor on the air. Patrick Dempsey, who is
the star of the long-running medical series "Grey's Anatomy," banks a whopping
$11 million per year for his role as Dr. Derek Shepherd. It is safe to say that the
actor makes more in one hour than he did for all of his work on the film "Can't Buy
Me Love."
Ryan Seacrest
"American Idol" may be slipping in the ratings, but its most enduring face is
staying put. Who can blame Ryan Seacrest, anyway, when he earns $15 million per
year for his participation with the show? It is clear that Seacrest genuinely enjoys
the time that he spends on the show, so it has to be a dream job for him.
Steve Carell
Fans of the original, British version of "The Office" were worried when it was
brought over to the United States. Steve Carell helped to give the American
version a style all its own. It comes as no surprise that he is well compensated for

3. his work. The actor reportedly makes $34 million per year for his work as
character Michael Scott. It makes you wonder whether or not his British
counterpart came close to earning that much.
Hugh Laurie
Television's most neurotic and beloved doctor, Dr. House, is played by British
actor Hugh Laurie. Laurie has been pivotal to the show's wild success, and the
actor makes the tidy sum of $700,000 per episode for his trouble.
Jon Cryer and Charlie Sheen
Before his personal troubles got him booted off the show, Charlie Sheen was
earning $1.25 million per episode. His costar, Jon Cryer, isn't doing too poorly
himself. Cryer reportedly makes $550,000 per episode, which puts him right near
the top of the list of TV's highest-paid television actors and actresses.
Salaries like these make it easy to see why so many people aspire to become
famous actors and actresses. For one episode, a person could earn more than the
average middle-class working stiff.