Remember the most awkward episode of FRIENDS, when Monica, Ross, and Chandler realize the rest of their pals are broke? At that time, Chandler says, “I’m sorry we make more money than you, but we’re not gonna feel guilty about it!” When compared to other sitcom stars, perhaps this is what the actors from FRIENDS feel about their own salary. However, honestly, we’re not mad at it. It is a very small price to pay for the glory that is FRIENDS.
For a decade, we all tuned in to see the adventures of Ross, Rachel, Chandler, Monica, Joey, and Phoebe in a much simpler time. A time where there were no DVRs or smartphones. That time those six people in their twenty-somethings were our best friends. In fact, our extremely lucky and wealthy FRIENDS. On September 22, 1994, the NBC sitcom debuted with the gang hanging out at Central Perk, and Jennifer Aniston’s Rachel frantically enters the coffee shop in her wedding gown. She moves in with Monica, her high school friend, and the rest is history.
So, back then, what exactly was the FRIENDS cast salary? How much did the cast make in the form of salary from season one to season 10? And finally how much did they receive for the new “FRIENDS: The Reunion”? For everything you need to know, just keep on reading below.
1. Jennifer Aniston – Rachel Green
Jennifer Aniston started acting at a young age. She was no stranger to sitcoms before FRIENDS and had already booked roles in a few television series before. However, among them, four got quickly canceled. It made Aniston doubtful about her career prospects. But that all changed in 1994 when she joined the cast of FRIENDS as Rachel Green. Later, she became one of television’s most favorite female characters ever. She started season 1 with a $22,500 per episode salary. However, by season 2, she allegedly earned a salary bump of around $40,000 per episode because as per Business Insider, her on-screen relationship with Ross (David Schwimmer) became the center of the show.
By season 3, Aniston and the rest of the core cast banded together to renegotiate their salaries and they managed to raise a cool $75,000 per episode. Until the series end, they kept up their collective bargaining practice. By seasons 9 and 10, they were famously earning $1 million per episode. This made Aniston one of the highest-paid women on television. According to Wealthy Persons, in 2021, with an estimated net worth is $330 million, she still hasn’t given up that position.
Show Salary: $1 million per episode by Season 10
Reunion Salary: Between $2.5 and $3 million
Net Worth: $330 million
2. Courteney Cox – Monica Geller
Cox was arguably the most famous face out of the bunch while signing for FRIENDS. She cozied up with Bruce Springsteen in his “Dancing in the Dark” music video before joining the cast of FRIENDS and also starred in the successful sitcom alongside Michael J. Fox in “Family Ties”. She joined the cast of FRIENDS in 1994 as Monica Geller with a salary of $22,500 per episode.
Even though she may not have earned as much as Aniston during season 2, Cox along with the rest of her castmates managed to negotiate a $75,000 per episode salary by season 3. Cox joined the rest of her FRIENDS co-stars through their continued negotiation and made $1 million per episode by the end of the series. She is the second-wealthiest star among the FRIENDS cast. According to Celebrity Net Worth, Cox’s net worth is now estimated at roughly $150 million.
Show Salary: $1 million per episode by Season 10
Reunion Salary: Between $2.5 and $3 million
Net Worth: $150 million
3. Lisa Kudrow – Phoebe Buffay
Even though she isn’t the wealthiest member of the FRIENDS cast, she surely has one of the richest origin stories. The psychobiology graduate quit her job at her father’s medical practice after working for eight years to try her hand at show business. Fortunately, she landed a role on “Mad About You”, an NBC sitcom. You will recognize her character, Ursula Buffay, twin sister of Phoebe Buffay on the show. Phoebe Buffay is the character, Kudrow eventually played in FRIENDS. Because the characters were on two different shows at the same time, it gave the creators an opportunity to experiment and share a common storyline wherein they were considered twins.
Kudrow earned $22,500 per episode like the rest of her castmates when she first joined FRIENDS in 1994. She was making a much-improved $75,000 per episode salary by season 3 after she and her castmates negotiated for raises. For the next several years the cast continued to bargain over their salaries, which led to Kudrow along with her co-stars to earn $1 million per episode by the series end. Kudrow’s net worth is now estimated at $90 million, according to Celebrity Net Worth.
Show Salary: $1 million per episode by Season 10
Reunion Salary: Between $2.5 and $3 million
Net Worth: $90 million
4. Matthew Perry – Chandler Bing
Perry had already appeared in a number of television projects before joining the cast of FRIENDS. However, it was his 10-seasons run in the role of Chandler Bing on FRIENDS that really catapulted his career and bank account. The actor brought home $22,500 per episode like the rest of his castmates upon first joining the series. However, their salaries grew larger as they continued to negotiate for raises. The FRIENDS cast collective bargaining earned each one of them a salary of $1 million per episode by seasons 9 and 10 of the series. Perry also appeared in several films like “Almost Heroes”, “Three To Tango”, and more during his time on the show. As per Celebrity Net Worth, his current net worth is around $120 million.
Show Salary: $1 million per episode by Season 10
Reunion Salary: Between $2.5 and $3 million
Net Worth: $120 million
5. David Schwimmer – Ross Geller
Before joining the cast of FRIENDS, Schwimmer appeared in TV shows like “Monty” and “The Wonder Years”. However, his real breakthrough was when he joined the cast of FRIENDS in 1994. When he first began his role as Ross Geller on the series, he earned $22,500 per episode. As per the reports of Business Insider, when his on-screen relationship with Rachel (Jennifer Aniston) became the center of the show, Schwimmer quickly turned that around to $40,000 per episode by season 2.
However, he and his castmates banded together to negotiate salary increases from season 3 and beyond. During seasons 9 and 10, Schwimmer was making an impressive $1 million per episode along with the rest of his co-stars, thanks to all their efforts. Those generous paychecks played a big role in his net worth today. According to Celebrity Net Worth, his net worth estimates to be around $100 million.
Show Salary: $1 million per episode by Season 10
Reunion Salary: Between $2.5 and $3 million
Net Worth: $100 million
6. Matt LeBlanc -Joey Tribbiani
LeBlanc was working as a backup actor in music videos for the likes of Tom Petty, Alanis Morissette, Bon Jovi, and more before he became a household name. The Massachusetts-native went on to work for a recurring role in the popular sitcom in 1991 “Married… With Children”. He was propelled to stardom after three years when he was cast in FRIENDS for the role of loveable ladies man Joey Tribbiani.
Much like the rest of his cast, LeBlanc earned a not-too-shabby $22,500 per episode upon joining the series. But that salary looks paltry compared to the $1 million per episode which he and the rest of his core cast were finally able to negotiate for by the end of the series. As per Celebrity Net Worth, his time on FRIENDS certainly made a generous impact on his $80 million net worth today.
Show Salary: $1 million per episode by Season 10
Reunion Salary: Between $2.5 and $3 million
Net Worth: $80 million
Earnings For Life Guaranteed Program
If you total it all up, each FRIENDS cast member earned around $90 million in base salary alone. That amount is before backend bonuses and ongoing royalties. The cast was able to demand backend points on the show in their 2000 contract negotiations which would allow them to earn royalties from the sale into syndication of the show. FRIENDS continues to generate a whopping amount of $1 billion per year in streaming deals and syndication royalties. The cast members make money every time the show is sold to a streaming service like Hulu or Netflix. Reportedly, to this day each cast member earns $10-20 million from the show in royalties.
There are several other facts about FRIENDS which you might be interested in. To learn them all, click here and find out some more amazing facts about FRIENDS.
