Saturday Night Live Cast Salaries: Here’s How Much They Make Per Episode

Lea Veloso
·3 min read
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It’s one of the most iconic comedy shows in the world, and it’s no wonder that people would ask what the Saturday Night Live cast members’ salaries are.

Saturday Night Live was created by Lorne Michaels in 1975 on NBC and has kickstarted the careers of many comedians and actors who were once cast members of the sketch comedy show. Such SNL alums include Amy Poehler, Tina Fey, Seth Meyers, Jimmy Fallon, Bill Murray, and countless others. The show created a helm in modern pop culture with witty parody and satire that airs every Saturday.

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With the show coming close to its 50th anniversary, Michaels told The New York Times that they’re not stopping any time soon. “I have no plans to retire. I’m not a big person for celebrating. Even the 40th [anniversary show], in the end, the only way I got through it was because I knew I was doing a show, and at a certain point, the credits would roll and we’d be off the air. The 50th will be a big event. We’ll bring everyone back from all 50 years and hosts and all of that. It will be a very emotional and very strong thing. There won’t be as many plus-ones, I can tell you that much.”

So what are the Saturday Night Live cast members’ salaries? Read more to find out.

What is the Saturday Night Live cast members’ salary?

What is the Saturday Night Live cast members salary? The Saturday Night Live cast members’ salaries vary depending on their tenure.

When a cast member joins the cast in their first year as a featured player, they are paid $7,000 per episode according to Celebrity Net Worth. There are 21 episodes per season (excluding when COVID-19 lockdowns were in place in 2020 and during the SAG-AFTRA/Writers’ Guild Strike of 2023), so starter salaries totals to $147,000 per season. Second-year cast members make $8,000 per episode, or $168,000 per season. If a cast member makes it to their fifth season, they make $15,000 per episode, or $315,000 per season.

Who’s the highest-paid Saturday Night Live cast member?

Who is the highest-paid Saturday Night Live cast member? To no surprise and as someone who has been in the sketch comedy show for more than 20 years, Kenan Thompson reportedly takes home $2 to $3 million per year, which would mean he got paid at least $95,238 per episode according to Celebrity Net Worth.

Who is in the Saturday Night Live season 49 cast?

Chloe Troast was announced as a featured player on October 4, 2023, while cast members James Austin Johnson and Sarah Sherman were promoted to repertory status. Here’s a list of Season 49 Saturday Night Live’s cast members.

Repertory players

  • Michael Che

  • Mikey Day

  • Andrew Dismukes

  • Chloe Fineman

  • Heidi Gardner

  • James Austin Johnson

  • Punkie Johnson

  • Colin Jost

  • Ego Nwodim

  • Sarah Sherman

  • Kenan Thompson

  • Bowen Yang

Featured Players

  • Marcello Hernandez

  • Molly Kearney

  • Michael Longfellow

  • Chloe Troast

  • Devon Walker

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