The wickedly talented Patricia Heaton stars in “The Middle,” a beloved sitcom about a middle-class family just trying to survive. The show ran for nine seasons, ending in 2018, and Heaton played the leading lady, Frankie Heck.
As the heart of the series, Heaton earned $250,000 per episode. Before starring in “The Middle,” Heaton also earned awards and praise for her role as Debra Barone in “Everybody Loves Raymond.” So it makes sense that she was able to command such a huge salary for “The Middle” as she had already become a proven sitcom star by then. Fair game, we say.
The Cast Of Friends – $1 million
"Friends" was not only popular during its time on the air. Thanks to streaming services, it is now considered a classic TV show that continues to entertain the next generation, and the one after that. In fact, many people consider it to be the greatest TV show of all time.
By the final season, each of the six “friends”—Ross, Rachel, Monica, Chandler, Joey, and Phoebe—earned $1 million per episode. While some of the friends, like Jennifer Aniston, went on to have impressive careers, others were happy to relax and enjoy the benefits of their large salaries after the show’s final episode.
Katy Perry – $1,389,000
Much like Adam Levine, Katy Perry also made the big bucks when she decided to be a judge on "American Idol." But while Adam Levine only made a measly half a million per episode, Katy Perry made nearly $1.4 million. Now that sounds unfair, if you ask us.
Per season, Pery makes $25 million. In comparison, Lionel Ritchie, a fellow judge, only makes $10 million. Perry certainly makes sense as a judge, but viewers have questioned if she’s really worth the ridiculously high salary. At the end of the day, if the studios are happy to meet her demands, then who's complaining? Go Katy, go!
Mark Harmon – $525,000
Much like Mariska Hargitay, Mark Harmon enjoys playing the same character. Over the course of his career, he has landed multiple long-term roles on popular TV shows, creating a bit of job security for the talented actor. He starred in "St. Elsewhere" and "Chicago Hope," but he is best known for his role as Special Agent Leroy Jethro Gibbs on "NCIS."
In this role, Harmon earns $525,000 per episode. While there were rumors for a long that his character would take a step back in the series, Harmon continued to rake in the cash up until 2021, when it seemed like Gibbs was sailing off into the sunset for good.
Shakira – $520,000
Shakira is just one in a long line of music legends who brought their talents to "The Voice." During her time as a judge, Shakira made $12 million for the entire season, which amounted to roughly $520,000 per episode. Shakira’s large paycheck on "The Voice" came after years and years of building her career as a pop superstar.
She is now one of the most respected female pop singers in the world, joining the ranks of other talented women like Jennifer Lopez and Lady Gaga. But despite all of the riches at her disposal, her divorce from Gerard Pique was certainly a tough pill to swallow.