Kelly Clarkson won “American Idol,” but her career did not stop there – that’s for sure. The win was just the tipping point in her climb to fame, which included a thriving music career. She also joined the cast of The Voice, but she was paid slightly less than her male costars.
Clarkson earned $12 million per season as a judge. That amounts to roughly $461,000 per episode, depending on the number of episodes. While she’s a perfect example of the gender pay gap, Clarkson is still making quite a lot of money for her work as a judge.
Julia Louis-Dreyfus – $600,000
Seinfeld was named after Jerry Seinfeld, but Julia Louis-Dreyfus is what made the show as successful as it was. Dreyfus played Elaine Benes, the female lead in the series. Like her other castmates, Dreyfus earned $600,000 per episode. After Seinfeld ended, Dreyfus’ acting chops kept her in the public eye.
She contributed heavily to Larry David’s show, and recently starred in the political comedy series "Veep." The show has already won numerous awards, yet another testament to Dreyfus’ incredible talent. So when you consider that Dreyfus has been a lead on not one, but two big shows, the paychecks have been coming quite consistently.
Mary-Kate & Ashley Olsen – $80,000
Although this salary doesn’t sound impressive compared to the large earnings on this list, it’s quite big when you consider that it was the Olsen twins’ first paycheck. Not only that, but they also earned this sum when they were just three years old!
Today, Mary-Kate and Ashley have a net worth of about $300 million. They have ventured out of the TV space and now focus most of their energy on fashion and other industries. One thing's for sure - we are convinced that the Olsens have been benefitting heavily from their time on "Full House" right up until the present day.
Norman Reedus – $550,000
While Andrew Lincoln was the highest earner on "The Walking Dead," Norman Reedus wasn’t far behind him. As Daryl Dixon, Reedus made $550,000 per episode. He quickly became one of the most beloved characters of the series. And with his nomadic, mysterious aura, it is not hard to see why fans loved him so much over the years.
"The Walking Dead" is easily Reedus’ biggest claim to fame. Beyond starring as Daryl, however, Reedus also had his own reality show, "Ride with Norman Reedus." And he is still benefitting from "The Walking Dead," appearing in some of the subsequent spinoffs.
Kim Kardashian – $1 million
"Keeping Up With the Kardashians" isn’t just a way for the family to stay in the spotlight. The show is actually very lucrative for everyone involved, especially as it continues to rise in popularity. While making every detail of her life public might be uncomfortable, the $1 million paycheck per episode likely dulls some of Kim Kardashian’s pain.
At one point, the star even earned a $5 million bonus after convincing her now ex-husband, Kanye West, to join in on the fun. It is safe to say that Kim and the rest of the Kardashians have so much money from that show that they really don't know what to do with it anymore.