How much did The Big Bang Theory actors make?

Last Modified Jun 6, 2025 08:59 EDT
How much did The Big Bang Theory actors make?
The four male leading cast of the Big Bang Theory (Source: Instagram)


The Big Bang Theory is an American sitcom that revolves around the lives of 5 friends - Sheldon, Leonard, Rajesh, Howard, and Penny. The series contains 12 fun-packed seasons that were aired from 2007 to 2019. The show was created by Chuck Lorre and Bill Prady and has a runtime of 24 minutes per episode.


The Big Bang Theory has been one of the biggest series not only in America but across the globe, with 12 seasons and 279 episodes. While the show started on a minimum budget, it has made huge profits in show business as one of the most successful sitcoms in history. Let's check out the paychecks received by each of the main cast members in The Big Bang Theory.


How much did the main cast of The Big Bang Theory earn?


1: Jim Parsons as Sheldon Cooper

How much did The Big Bang Theory actors make?
Sheldon Cooper on The Big Bang Theory (Source: Instagram)


Jim Parsons is most well-known for his role in The Big Bang Theory as Sheldon Cooper. The actor is one of the main cast on the show and has received various awards and accolades for the same. The actor started with a salary of $60k per episode and by the end of the series was bagging around a million dollars per episode. In 2018, the actor was mentioned by Forbes as being one of the highest-paid television actors with an income of $26.5 million from the show.


2. Johnny Galecki as Leonard Hofstadter

How much did The Big Bang Theory actors make?
Leonard Hofstadter on The Big Bang Theory


Johnny Galecki is also one of the original cast members and the first main character introduced alongside Sheldon in the series. Johnny started with a paycheck of $60k but as the seasons went by, his paycheck increased significantly. According to the data shared by Forbes in 2018, Johnny was among the highest-paid television actors making an amount of $25 million through the series.


3: Simon Helberg as Howard Wolowitz

How much did The Big Bang Theory actors make?
Howard Wolowitz on The Big Bang Theory


Simon Helberg played the role of Howard Wolowitz, Sheldon and Leonard's close friend. The actor started with a salary of $45,000. According to Forbes’ data in 2018, the actor was tied for 3rd position on the highest-paid actors list with an income of $23.5 million in the series.


4. Kunal Nayyar as Rajesh Koothrappali

How much did The Big Bang Theory actors make?
Rajesh Koothrappali on The Big Bang Theory


Kunal Nayyar, along with Simon Helberg, was another actor who was introduced as Sheldon and Leonard’s friend, Raj Koothrappaali. The actor started off with a paycheck of $45k. According to Forbes, in 2018 Kunal was tied alongside Simon at 3rd place of being the highest-paid television actor of the year making an amount of $23.5 million in the series.


5. Kaley Cuoco as Penny

How much did The Big Bang Theory actors make?
Kaley Cuoco on The Big Bang Theory


Kaley Cuoco is also a part of the main star cast of The Big Bang Theory and has been one of the recurring characters besides the male cast of the series. According to Cosmopolitan, the actress started her journey in the show with a paycheck of $60k and ended the series with a payment of $900k per episode.


Read More About The Big Bang Theory


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FAQ about the characters of The Big Bang Theory

A. The role of Amy is played by the actress Mayim Bialik in The Big Bang Theory.

A. In The Big Bang Theory, Leonard’s mom goes by the name Beverly Hofstadter.

A.No, Howard’s father, Sam Wolowitz is not been featured physically in The Big Bang Theory.

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