Live From New York, It's Kenan Thompson's Net Worth in 2023

Kenan Thompson

Kenan Thompson's net worth has likely come mostly from the work he does on Saturday Night Live. He’s been on the show since 2003—by far the longest tenure of any cast member—and is still churning out popular sketches, along with his projects outside SNL. But the comedic actor's talents have certain extended beyond Studio 8H on screens big and small. Most recently, Thompson added “author” to his list of accomplishments when his new memoir, When I Was Your Age: Life Lessons, Funny Stories & Questionable Parenting Advice from a Professional Clown, hit bookstores on Dec. 5.

Read on for a look at how Thompson got his start in acting, as well as his net worth and what he’s been paid over the years.

Related: Everything to Know About Season 49 of ‘Saturday Night Live,' Including Who Is Hosting Each Week

How did Kenan Thompson get famous?

Thompson got his first real gig on the Nickelodeon show All That in 1994, when he would’ve been about 16 years old. All That was like a kid’s version of Saturday Night Live and Thompson honed his craft there for six years.

During this time, he appeared in a variety of shows and movies, from The Steve Harvey Show to the cult classic Good Burger. He also co-starred in the Nickelodeon show Kenan & Kel from 1996 to 2000.

It wasn’t until his time on SNL began in 2003 that Thompson became somewhat of a household name. His rise to comedy stardom was not without bumps in the road. In his new memoir, he says that he nearly quit SNL after bombing a sketch featuring Alec Baldwin.

"I was excited for the first opportunity to showcase my chops on the big stage," he wrote. "Thing was, I couldn’t make it through dress rehearsal. I stuttered over this one line and couldn’t ad-lib my way out of it."

Still, Thompson pushed past the misstep—and subsequent reduction in airtime—and went on to become one of the most prolific SNL stars of all time.

What is Kenan Thompson's net worth?

Kenan Thompson has an estimated net worth of $13 million, according to Celebrity Net Worth. The bulk of this has likely come from his 20 years on Saturday Night Live, although his list of TV and movie credits is quite impressive.

In 2022, Thompson was honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

“It’s crazy to think about being a chapter in a book, because when I started out, I just wanted to be an actor,” he told Variety. “I didn’t know what came along with fame or anything like that, or even what the business was. For me, it was just all about the performing of it all. And I figured if you do good enough performances, the rest of it will figure itself out. I don’t think I was necessarily wrong.”

What is Kenan Thompson's SNL salary?

Thompson’s SNL salary isn’t public information, but Celebrity Net Worth estimates it around $2 to $3 million a year. This translates to at least $95,238 per episode.

For context, the highest amount SNL cast members are “supposed” to be paid per episode is $25,000, and even this salary level is only paid to long-standing and big-name cast members. Thompson’s high salary is indicative of not only his many years on the show, but the talent and publicity that he brings to it.

Related: How Much Money Do 'SNL' Cast Members Make?

Is Kenan Thompson the longest-running SNL cast member?

Thompson is the longest-running SNL cast member by a long-shot, with 20 years and 21 seasons on the air. The cast member who comes second is Darrell Hammond, who was on the show for 14 seasons from 1995 to 2009.

Is Kenan Thompson the highest-paid SNL cast member?

As far as public record shows, no cast member is paid more than Kenan Thompson on SNL. His $2 to $3 million per year blows many other salaries out of the water, including that of Colin Jost, who co-hosts Weekend Update and is paid about $525,000 per year, according to Celebrity Net Worth.

What was Kenan Thompson's first SNL episode?

Thompson first appeared on Saturday Night Live during the show’s Season 29 premiere in October 2003. Jack Black opens the episode as host and during his monologue, he stops briefly to talk to Thompson and another new cast member, Finesse Mitchell.

"Oh my God, are you guys the new dudes? What’s your names?" Black asked. (Maybe the last time someone asked Kenan Thompson for his name.) Before they could reply, he'd walked away, throwing a "Like I care" over his shoulder.

How much did Kenan & Kel get paid for Good Burger?

Good Burger, a 1997 teen comedy starring Kenan Thompson and Kel Mitchell, is looked back on fondly as a ‘90s cult classic. Thompson and Mitchell play a pair of fast food employees who, through increasingly unbelievable means, save their restaurant from closing.

At the time, the actors were cast-mates on the Nickelodeon sketch show All That and were both about 19 years old.

It’s not known what Thompson or Mitchell were paid for their work on Good Burger, but due to the movie’s low budget and their inexperience, it probably wasn’t much. However, they did reunite to co-star in a sequel, Good Burger 2, which came out in November. Although the stars' salaries for that movie isn't public knowledge either, one can assume they got paid a much greater sum this time around. That's especially true for Thompson, who was also a producer on the movie—the sequel was the first major film to hail from the actor's own production studio, Artists For Artists, which he launched in 2021 with studio executive John Ryan Jr.

Speaking to SNL alum Seth Meyers for the Banff World Media Festival in 2021, Thompson discussed his plan to found such a company.

“I’d love to be as busy as I am right now and also know that I have to 300 people to work on something that has nothing to do with me, that’s very exciting," he said. "I’m a big fan of creative people all the way around the industry from set decs to make-up artists and cameramen, I’m just a big fan of the business so the idea of me being able to put a real project together and have people working and supporting their family and keeping that whole wheel in motion, that’s kind of the dream for me.”

Next, 20 Richest SNL Cast Members of All Time, Ranked By Net Worth