Here’s How Much Money the “Stranger Things” Cast Will Earn for Season 5

The first season of Stranger Things premiered on Netflix in July 2016, and instantly catapulted into the zeitgeist of 21st-century pop culture. The sci-fi series swiftly became one of the most-watched shows on the streaming service, and nearly seven years later, has maintained its success. When Volume 1 of season 4 premiered over Memorial Day Weekend 2022, it broke Netflix’s record for the biggest premiere weekend ever. According to Deadline, the seven-episode installment clocked 286.79 million (!!) viewing hours.

Four (almost five) iterations later, it’s grown into a global phenomenon and made mega-stars of its cast, including Millie Bobby Brown, Noah Schnapp, Finn Wolfhard, Caleb McLaughlin, Gaten Matarazzo, Sadie Sink, and many more. The franchise has expanded into a possible spin-off series, endless merch made for a mega-fandom, and Upside Down-inspired makeup collections.

Although the series soon comes to an end (😭), we can’t help but focus on the serious cash the cast has earned so far — and their salaries for season 5 will leave you absolutely stunned. On January 2, 2023, Matthew Belloni revealed in a Puck report that salary negotiations ahead of season 5 were broken into four tiers: Tier 1 (which consisted of Winona Ryder and David Harbour), Tier 2 (Finn Wolfhard, Gaten Matarazzo, Caleb McLaughlin, Noah Schnapp, and Sadie Sink), Tier 3 (Natalia Dyer, Joe Keery, Maya Hawke, and Charlie Heaton), and Tier 4 (additional cast). Per Belloni’s report, Tier 1 earns $9.5 million for the season, Tier 2 receives a little over $7 million, Tier 3 makes a little over $6 million, and Tier 4 will make “much less.” Millie Bobby Brown has her own deal with Netflix, which includes her income for separate projects such as the Enola Holmes franchise, according to Puck.

The Stranger Things’ salaries are definitely major contributors to each cast member’s overall wealth, but the stars collect their coins from a number of different television shows, films, brand deals, and more. Here, we break down the net worths of the Stranger Things cast.

Millie Bobby Brown (Eleven)

British actress Millie Bobby Brown instantly became a household name after the hugely successful first season of Stranger Things. According to Deadline, MBB was reportedly earning $30,000 per episode for seasons 1 and 2, and somewhere between $200,000 and $250,000 for season 3. It’s estimated she cashed in around $300,000 per episode for season 4, and that number likely increased for the final chapter. On top of Stranger Things, Millie has starred in 2019’s Godzilla: King of the Monsters and 2021’s Godzilla vs. Kong. She’s earned acting and producing credits on the film adaptations of the Enola Holmes Mysteries book series and the original Netflix film The Girls I’ve Been. In 2019, Millie launched her beauty line, Florence by Mills. All this, plus her campaigns with major brands such as Samsung, Converse, Vogue Eyewear, and EA Games, has earned the 18-year-old a net worth of around $14 million, according to Celebrity Net Worth.

Noah Schnapp (Will Byers)

The storyline of Noah Schnapp’s character, Will Byers, launched the Stranger Things franchise after he suddenly went missing on November 6, 1983. As mentioned earlier, Noah and the other younger cast members reportedly made around $30,000 per episode for the series’ first two seasons, and somewhere around $250,000 per episode for subsequent seasons. For the fifth and final season, his paycheck reportedly skyrockets to a little over $7 million, according to Puck. Noah also starred in Steven Spielberg’s 2015 film Bridge of Spies, 2019’s Abe, 2020’s Waiting for Anya, and he’s even voiced Charlie Brown in The Peanuts Movie. According to Celebrity Net Worth, Noah has a net worth of $3 million, but given his latest Stranger Things salary, that number is expected to increase.

Finn Wolfhard (Mike Wheeler)

Finn Wolfhard plays Mike Wheeler, a core member of the Dungeons and Dragons crew, Will’s BFF, and El’s eventual boyfriend. Apart from his starring role in Stranger Things, Finn boasts acting credits in many other film projects such as Ghostbusters: Afterlife, It, It Chapter Two, and The Goldfinch. Considering all this, according to Celebrity Net Worth, Finn’s estimated to have a net worth of $4 million.

Caleb McLaughlin (Lucas Sinclair)

Like many of his co-stars, Caleb landed his breakout role in Stranger Things. He stars as Lucas Sinclair and similarly now earns around $250,000 per episode of the sci-fi series. Before Stranger Things, the actor held guest spots on popular series such as Blue Bloods, Law and Order: Special Victims Unit, and Shades of Blue. In 2020, he starred opposite Idris Elba in the Netflix original film Concrete Cowboy, and in 2019, appeared in the Steven Soderbergh-directed sports drama High Flying Bird. According to Celebrity Net Worth, Caleb has a net worth of $3 million.

Gaten Matarazzo (Dustin Henderson)

Gaten Matarazzo has warmed all of our hearts as Dustin “Dusty” Henderson on Stranger Things, often coming in clutch in dire situations to communicate and solve mysteries via his ham radio. Before his standout role in the series, Gaten starred in Les Miserables: The Broadway Musical and held a guest spot on The Blacklist. But in the years since Stranger Things, he’s starred in The Angry Birds Movie 2, and on May 25, 2022, it was announced that he would return to the Broadway stage as Jared Kleinman in Dear Evan Hansen. The 19-year-old has also starred in campaigns for Verizon Fios and Old Navy, lending to his $5 million net worth, according to Celebrity Net Worth.

Sadie Sink (Max Mayfield)

Sadie Sink joined the Stranger Things cast as Max Mayfield in season two, and according to Statista, she made $150,000 per episode as of October 2018. But given her larger storylines in seasons three and four, it’s expected that she’s now making closer to $250,000 like her other costars. The actress also starred in Taylor Swift’s “All Too Well” short film opposite Dylan O’Brien and has been the face of campaigns for major fashion houses, including Miu Miu, Kate Spade, and Givenchy. She even walked the runway for Undercover’s Fall 2018 show during Paris Fashion Week. Celebrity Net Worth estimates that her net worth is around $1 million, but considering her salary per episode for Stranger Things, we expect it’s closer to $3 million and will only get higher.

Maya Hawke (Robin Buckley)

Maya Hawke — who comes from a famous family, being the daughter of actors Ethan Hawke and Uma Thurman — was also a later addition to the Stranger Things fam. It’s likely she makes about the same as her other cast members and earns around $200,000 or $250,000 per episode. She’s also appeared in Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood, Fear Street: Part One - 1994, and the Little Women television series. Apart from acting, she’s modeled for brands such as Vogue and Calvin Klein. This all culminates into her estimated net worth of $3 million, per Celebrity Net Worth.

Charlie Heaton (Jonathan Byers)

Charlie Heaton has maintained a significant role in Stranger Things since season 1, starring as Will’s shy older brother, Jonathan Byers. Before landing his role in the show, the actor had guest spots on British television series such as DCI Banks and Vera. He’s also starred in films including As You Are, Shut In, Marrowbone, and No Future. According to NME, Charlie previously played in a UK-based band, Comanechi, and toured with the group for over a year. Taking into consideration that he likely now makes about $250,000 per Stranger Things episode (but will soon earn much more), Celebrity Net Worth estimates that Charlie’s net worth is around $4 million.

Natalia Dyer (Nancy Wheeler)

Natalia Dyer’s acting credits date back to 2009 when she made her film debut as Clarissa Granger in Hannah Montana: The Movie. She went on to star in smaller film projects such as Blue Like Jazz, Don’t Let Me Go, and After Dark before landing the role of Mike’s older sister, Nancy Wheeler, in Stranger Things. The actress has appeared in several movies since and earns a salary similar to that of her Stranger Things costars, adding to her net worth of about $4 million, per Celebrity Net Worth.

Joe Keery (Steve Harrington)

Joe Keery has been a Stranger Things mainstay since season 1, first as Nancy Wheeler’s love interest and now as everyone’s favorite babysitter, Steve Harrington. He starred in films including the Jessica Chastain-led drama Molly’s Game in 2017, and the Shawn Levy-directed comedy Free Guy in 2021. Apart from acting, Joe was a guitarist in the Chicago-based psychedelic rock band Post Animal, per NME, but now, works solo under the name Djo — he’s even performed at festivals such as Lollapalooza and Boston Calling, and went on tour in April 2022. Celebrity Net Worth approximates that Joe’s net worth is about $4 million.

Winona Ryder (Joyce Byers)

As one of the biggest names in the business who signed onto Stranger Things, Winona Ryder is an established actress who’s starred in major productions like Beetlejuice, Heathers, Edward Scissorhands, and Girl, Interrupted. In 1994, she won the Golden Globe for Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role for her part in The Age of Innocence. She’s also been recognized for her roles in 1991’s Mermaids and Stranger Things. In 1994 and 1995, she was nominated for an Academy Award for The Age of Innocence and the 1995 television series Little Women.

Due to her storied career, Celebrity Net Worth reports that she initially made $100,000 per episode for the first two seasons of Stranger Things, and now earns about $350,000 per episode. The outlet estimates that her net worth comes in at around $18 million, but with the final season of Stranger Things, that total is expected to increase exponentially.

David Harbour (Jim Hopper)

Like Winona, David Harbour was a well-established actor when he joined the Stranger Things cast as police chief Jim Hopper. Before the sci-fi series, he appeared in films such as Brokeback Mountain, War of the Worlds, and Revolutionary Road. He’s more recently starred in Hellboy, Suicide Squad, Black Widow, and the HBO television series The Newsroom. According to Celebrity Net Worth, David and Winona have earned similar paychecks throughout Stranger Things’ run so far, and the outlet reports that the actor has a net worth of about $6 million.

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