I assume they're not getting a million bucks a year, except for maybe the most high profile. Is it all baked into union contracts?
How much money do soap opera performers get paid?
by Anonymous | reply 52 | July 11, 2025 3:24 AM |
Brendad Ickson will know the answer to this.
by Anonymous | reply 1 | May 19, 2025 10:55 AM |
They get paid in fucks
by Anonymous | reply 2 | May 19, 2025 11:49 AM |
I've always wondered this as well.
by Anonymous | reply 3 | May 19, 2025 11:58 AM |
A woman from my home town who is around my age was offered a soap role. She turned it down. She did get roles in some films and tv shows that did not go into syndication, I wonder if she now regrets turning down the soap. She moved back to our hometown when the roles dried up (because she aged beyond 40).
by Anonymous | reply 4 | May 19, 2025 12:07 PM |
Back in the day there were so many appearances and extras. Now, being on a soap has none of that and the production are scaled back so much. You never see a restaurant full of background actors or any high production sets.
by Anonymous | reply 5 | May 19, 2025 12:35 PM |
didly squatš
by Anonymous | reply 6 | May 19, 2025 1:40 PM |
I can't believe none of these contracts have ever been leaked.
by Anonymous | reply 7 | July 9, 2025 8:23 PM |
A general contract runs in weeks not years. The big names on the shows probably get close to 1 million a year but the salaries have dropped over all due to ratings dropping and less soaps. Game shows and Talks shows are cheaper to produce. A typical contract player will make about 200-250 thousand a year. There are background players, under 5 which are less than five lines and then contract players. In their prime the big names were probably making over 1 million a year, Lucci probably the most out of anyone.
by Anonymous | reply 8 | July 9, 2025 8:40 PM |
[quote] Back in the day there were so many appearances and extras. Now, being on a soap has none of that and the production are scaled back so much. You never see a restaurant full of background actors or any high production sets.
I was thinking about the scaled back productions recently when I was watching the episodes about John Black's funeral on Days of Our Lives. In some of the flashbacks to footage from the 80s and 90s, everything was different and no scaled back as it is today.
by Anonymous | reply 9 | July 9, 2025 8:40 PM |
I have wondered if Victoria Wyndham was highly paid on Another World. After the show ended, she pretty much stopped working as an actress. I wonder if it's possibly she saved up a lot of her money and she just rode off into the sunset after the show was canned.
by Anonymous | reply 10 | July 9, 2025 8:48 PM |
R10 Victoria Wyndham also made money from her art. The sculptures made by Rachel were Victoriaās creations.
by Anonymous | reply 11 | July 9, 2025 8:51 PM |
they get laid
by Anonymous | reply 12 | July 9, 2025 9:00 PM |
It's always been a bit of a secret. Carolyn Hinsey (mooooo) wrote a book a few years back where she talked a lot about scale, starting salaries and base salaries, but still didn't really expose who made what.
There were a few very high paid actors/actresses in the millions during the peak years of the 80s. No one on the air currently is being paid that now. There may be a handful in the 300K to 500K but not many. Most actors took pay cuts to keep their shows on the air.
Most middle-line actors who have been on their shows for a while are probably in the 100s, maybe low 200s.
by Anonymous | reply 13 | July 9, 2025 9:03 PM |
I have always wondered what Victoria Wyndham made as well as Beverley McKinsey while on AW. I do know that Denise Alexander was offered a $75k a year contract for joining GH in 1973. I think that same year, Jacqueline Courtney and George Reinholt (Alice & Steve, AW) were offered each $70k per year contracts. Back then that was considered alot of money for a soap star.
by Anonymous | reply 14 | July 9, 2025 9:13 PM |
[quote]I have wondered if Victoria Wyndham was highly paid on Another World. After the show ended, she pretty much stopped working as an actress.
She didn't want to stop, she just couldn't get cast in anything. She did one Law & Order:SVU episode, and she moved to California for a short time, but nothing.
by Anonymous | reply 15 | July 9, 2025 9:18 PM |
There have been hints, here and there, over the years. Back in the 1970s a TIME magazine quoted the actor who played John Randolph on Another World saying something like "stage actress Julie Harris was only making $35 thousand a year" implying he made more as a second or third tier character.
In the most recent P&G thread, in a linked interview with Beverlee McKinsey, I believe she said she fought for more when moving from Another World to Texas, and was getting three times as much on Texas. She said she was the highest paid at the time.
by Anonymous | reply 16 | July 9, 2025 9:22 PM |
How much do soap opera actors get paid?
$55,000 per year: Soap opera stars earn, on average, an annual salary of just over $52,000, according to Zippia. ZipRecruiter provides a similar figure at just under $57,000.
$1,517 per day: Soap operas are covered under the SAG-AFTRA Netcode contract, ensuring performers earn daily minimum rates. In June 2024, SAG and producers agreed to extend the current contract for one year, with a 7% increase in pay, meaning daily minimum rates land at $1,517 for soap operas 60 minutes and longer.
by Anonymous | reply 17 | July 9, 2025 9:31 PM |
I had an acquaintance who was on a Soap and I don't think he was paid a ton of money but he lived in a nice upper middle class hood, nothing real fancy but nice. However he supplemented his earnings by doing appearances at fan conventions and autograph shows almost every weekend which I think probably paid more than the soap gig
by Anonymous | reply 18 | July 9, 2025 9:49 PM |
[quote]I believe she said she fought for more when moving from Another World to Texas, and was getting three times as much on Texas. She said she was the highest paid at the time.
Beverlee would have been one of the top paid actors on Another World, which was one of the highest rated soaps in the 1970s.
It is rumored she negotiated a salary near $1 million per year to move to Texas. Never been confirmed, just rumored. But she was definitely the highest paid actor in daytime when she got that salary..
by Anonymous | reply 19 | July 9, 2025 9:50 PM |
And she was given star billing
by Anonymous | reply 20 | July 9, 2025 9:52 PM |
All the regulars are still getting at least 200K a year. The vets millions.
by Anonymous | reply 21 | July 9, 2025 9:54 PM |
R17 I'm pretty sure Kelly Ripa is worth more than Lauralee Bell. I remember 20 years ago, Kelly was making $20+ million/year with Live, sitcom, and endorsements. She's only added more to her business ventures since then with multiple properties, productions, books, podcasts, etc. Adding her husband to her show added more to her combined net worth. Kelly Ripa never got bigger acting roles, but she made a smart choice hosting and the opportunities that came along with it.
by Anonymous | reply 22 | July 9, 2025 10:04 PM |
In the 90s and 2000s, reportedly big names like Tony Geary, Eric Braeden, Susan Lucci and Deidre Hall all pulled in salaries near a $1 million a year. Or in Geary's case, he got a substantial salary that included six months off every year, which became the equivalent of $1 million.
In the past 15-20 years as soap ratings have declined, so have the salaries. Been many reports of actors balking when asked to take a pay cut. Multiple reports of actors salaries being cut by a third. Or even by half.
I would speculate the top paid actors are now making somewhere between $350,000 to $500,000. That would include Eric Braeden and Maurice Benard. Now that Steve Burton is back at GH, he likely is making something close to what Benard is making.
Reportedly, for the two years Justin Hartley was on Y&R as Adam, he was the second highest paid actor on the show, after Braeden.
by Anonymous | reply 23 | July 9, 2025 10:18 PM |
Whatās the average age of a soap opera viewer?
by Anonymous | reply 24 | July 9, 2025 10:56 PM |
Kelly Ripa - yeah. Does her aging handsome shrimp go-go dancer husband get a salary or an allowance from her purse?
by Anonymous | reply 25 | July 9, 2025 10:57 PM |
More than grand opera performers?
by Anonymous | reply 26 | July 9, 2025 10:58 PM |
It's hard to believe soaps are still around. So many women work, not to mention there are so many other viewing choices.
by Anonymous | reply 27 | July 9, 2025 11:00 PM |
Miss Viki Sleestack (The 3rd Viki) easily made over a million a year.
by Anonymous | reply 28 | July 9, 2025 11:04 PM |
The "working" part doesn't necessarily fly anymore with streaming. In my day it was housewives, retirees, shift workers, students so I get what you mean.
by Anonymous | reply 29 | July 9, 2025 11:05 PM |
You people who watch soap operas are so embarrassing
by Anonymous | reply 30 | July 9, 2025 11:07 PM |
Eat shit
by Anonymous | reply 31 | July 9, 2025 11:12 PM |
Only if we have the displeasure of knowing you r30.
by Anonymous | reply 32 | July 9, 2025 11:13 PM |
People who still claim to not watch soap operas, watch soap operas.
by Anonymous | reply 33 | July 9, 2025 11:17 PM |
Iām watching Beyond the Gates right now.
by Anonymous | reply 34 | July 9, 2025 11:18 PM |
I think my mom was the only mom in school who watched these, she didnāt want to work.
by Anonymous | reply 35 | July 9, 2025 11:28 PM |
I remember Susan Lucci being called "the highest paid" soap performer in the early 90s, $1 million per year.
by Anonymous | reply 36 | July 9, 2025 11:33 PM |
To weigh 70 pounds and make a million dollars an episodeā¦
by Anonymous | reply 37 | July 9, 2025 11:37 PM |
These days:
Newbies make scale plus 3% with annual raises.
Actors with a few years under their belt make scale plus 10% with annual raises.
Longtime Vets who are supporting without a major story make scale plus 20% with annual raises.
Front Burner Performers and key supporting players with experience and a fanbase make between $3500 and $4000 an episode.
Star performers, such as Maurice Benard, Steve Burton, Eric Braden, Michelle Stafford, etc., make in the $300Kā$350K range, but they are rare.
Y&R actors are the highest paid. Followed GH, BTG and BB. Days actors fall under a different rate because they're exclusively streaming and not on a network. BB actors get a lower rate because half-hour shows have different minimums, but BB actors make it up in other ways via foreign money.
by Anonymous | reply 38 | July 9, 2025 11:45 PM |
[quote] All the regulars are still getting at least 200K a year. The vets millions.
No actor on any soap is making a million dollars. There were a handful back in the day that were - Lucci, Eric Braeden, some of the GH stars - but not in 2025.
Yes, some actors like Steve Burton, Laura Wright, Maurice Benard (GH) are likely making in the 200-300K range. But most others are lower than that. And a lot of longtime actors on many shows are actually on recurring basis (Tracey Bregman and Christian LeBlanc, to name but two.)
(Note: I see R38 posted above me, figures slightly different but yes, I agree that's roughly the range for the actors where the show considers them key actors or stars.)
by Anonymous | reply 39 | July 9, 2025 11:47 PM |
Today's soap actors are just working actors now and not really big stars. The John McCooks, the Katherine Kelly Langs - OG cast members with 30 plus years on air probably work at this point to maintain health insurance and a steady income. I mention B&B actors because they have the benefit of being an international hit. Especially in Italy where they can make tens out thousands for appearances, endorsement deals etc. I am not sure if they get paid residuals like syndicated shows since bell phillps owns the show lock stock and barrel.
I would be curious to know what the actors on The Gates are making.
by Anonymous | reply 40 | July 9, 2025 11:50 PM |
Speaking of soaps⦠I was listening to an interview with the actress who played Angie Bonpensiero on THE SOPRANOS, and she was on ANOTHER WORLD for a few years in the 1970s.
Itās touching to me when B and C list actors hang on for so long, then are eventually rewarded with a good project.
by Anonymous | reply 41 | July 9, 2025 11:58 PM |
My friend was on a soap in the 90's in a kind of long term role as a bad girl. She wasn't paid much but learned a shit ton about the production industry and made a career out of that. She kept inserting herself into all the departments, asking questions, helping out, even though she wasn't allowed by the unions, etc. Hey it paid off.
by Anonymous | reply 42 | July 9, 2025 11:59 PM |
My friend was a beautiful blonde model in the 80s who was always getting bit parts on soaps, which she did well.
Then she was finally given a big scene as what could have become a reoccurring character. She froze under the pressure and became completely wooden.
Was not invited back.
by Anonymous | reply 43 | July 10, 2025 12:09 AM |
I'm sad that soaps are dying. Watching some light, fluff stuff for easy consumption, right after work - I love it. Life is stressful enough. Allow me my 30 minutes of no politics and just low-level drama.
by Anonymous | reply 44 | July 10, 2025 12:53 AM |
You can do a lot on 500 calories a day.
by Anonymous | reply 46 | July 10, 2025 2:25 AM |
They kind of arenāt dying though, R44. There used to be too many soaps; they right-sized.
CBS just launched Beyond The Gates, which has landed on ābest new shows of 2025ā lists. Days Of Our Lives got a new lease on life after moving to Peacock, where itās one of the top performers. Y&R pulls in 3 million live viewers per ep, more than many primetime shows that are considered hits. General Hospital got a ton of buzz for its 60th anniversary and, between Demi Mooreās comeback and launching Nicholas Alexander Chavez, burnished its reputation as an incubator for talent. It also performs very well for Hulu.
R38, Iām confused about your math. You say front burner performers with a fan base can make $3500 an episode, whereas Maurice Benard might pull in $350k per year. But Mo was in 160 episodes last year, which would be just over $2k an episode. If Mo makes $4k per ep, his total salary would be over half a million.
by Anonymous | reply 47 | July 10, 2025 2:48 AM |
I would think Benard and others of his calibre on the other soaps make half a million. But that's the upper limit.
The million dollar club was relatively large for a short while. Some made appreciably more than that if only because someone like Slee was getting it and didn't have the Qs of a Lucci or a Braeden par example.
by Anonymous | reply 48 | July 10, 2025 3:17 AM |
Oh FFS! Benard is getting way more than 500k per year.
by Anonymous | reply 49 | July 10, 2025 4:03 AM |
Deidre Hall is making at least 500 as well.
by Anonymous | reply 50 | July 10, 2025 4:23 AM |
This is from a soap forum. Apparently the top players get a lot of money per episodes.
by Anonymous | reply 51 | July 11, 2025 3:15 AM |
r51 claims Eric Braden gets $25,000 per episode at 2 days a week. That means he makes about $2.6 million a year.
by Anonymous | reply 52 | July 11, 2025 3:24 AM |