Highest Paid Stranger Things Actors: First Season vs. Last Season Salary

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Stranger Things Season 4 is almost upon us. Netflix came to the forefront of the streaming wars with this show. And they are not letting it go. Season 4 of the show will take us back to Hawkins and its tryst with the Upside Down. Before Stranger Things season 4 peeks its head, let’s talk about the actors a bit.

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Stranger Things Season 4
Stranger Things Season 4

Because the Stranger Things franchise in general is super popular, each cast member of the show is paid a hefty amount to stay on board. These numbers do not lie. The townsfolk of Hawkins are millionaires. And they did it before most of us!!

Winona Ryder: $100,000 in Season 1, $350,000 in Season 3

Joyce Byers - Stranger Things
Joyce Byers – Stranger Things

She plays Joyce Byers in the show. As a two time Oscar nominee, Winona Ryder was obviously roped in for a higher salary than the rest of the cast. She has one of the highest per episode salary. In season 1, her salary was the highest in the series with a whopping $100,000 dollars.

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In the third season, that was bumped up by $250,000. Now Ryder earns 350,000 dollars per episode. Winona Ryder’s Net Worth is estimated to be a little north of $18 Million.

David Harbour: $80,000 in Season 1, $300,000 in Season 3

David Harbour - Stranger Things
David Harbour – Stranger Things

Harbour plays Detective Hopper in Stranger Things. His character has slowly become one of the founding bedrocks of the series. Both David Harbour and Winona Ryder are generally called as A-List actors.

David Harbour has dabbled in many movies and shows like The Newsroom and Black Widow. In Season 1, his per episode salary was $80,000. In the third season, it was $300,000.

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Millie Bobby Brown: $20,000 in Season 1, $300,000 in Season 3

Millie Bobby Brown - Per Episode Salary
Millie Bobby Brown – Per Episode Salary

When Millie Bobby Brown started out in season 1, she was listed as a ‘B-tier’ actor along with the rest of her child co-stars. Millie Bobby Brown has blossomed into a Hollywood force of nature to be reckoned with.

She has many blockbuster projects under her name besides Stranger Things like Godzilla vs. Kong. In the first season of the show, she drew $20,000 while in the third season, her salary had a significant increase. She drew $300,000 in season 3.

Finn Wolfhard: $20,000 in Season 1, $250,000 in Season 3

Finn Wolfhard - Stranger Things Salary
Finn Wolfhard – Stranger Things Salary

Like Millie Bobby Brown, Wolfhard was paid a mere 20,000 dollars per episode salary in Season 1. He and the rest of the core Stranger Things child stars got a $60,000 bonus after the first season’s success. Wolfhard has since starred in some popular movies like Ghostbusters: Afterlife and It. In Stranger Things season 3, he was paid $250,000 per episode.

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Caleb McLaughlin: $20,000 in Season 1, $250,000 in Season 3

Stranger Things - Caleb McLaughlin
Stranger Things – Caleb McLaughlin

Caleb McLaughlin earned $20,000 for Stranger Things season 1. He got a 60,000 dollars as a bonus like Wolfhard and the rest of the gang. For season 3, he negotiated a salary increase to $250,000 per episode. Season 3 of Stranger Things made him 2 Million dollars at the very least.

Gaten Matarazzo: $20,000 in Season 1: $250,000 in Season 3

Gaten Matarazzo - Stranger Things
Gaten Matarazzo – Stranger Things

Matarazzo plas Dustin Henderson, a fan favorite character in Stranger Things. According to The Hollywood Reporter, his salary remained under $20,000 per episode for the first two seasons because he was in the show’s B-Tier list. He got $250,000 per episode in the third season.

Noah Schnapp: $20,000 in Season 1, $250,000 in Season 3

Will Byers - Noah Schnapp
Will Byers – Noah Schnapp

he is not just known for playing Will Byers in Stranger Things. There are other movies Noah Schnapp is also known for like Bridge of Spies and The Peanut Movie. His net worth is almost close to 3 Million dollars.

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Natalia Dyer: $150,000 per episode in Season 3

Nancy Wheeler
Nancy Wheeler

Dyer’s salary in season 1 of the show has not been revealed yet. But Nancy Wheeler of Stranger Things did earn about 150,000 dollars per episode in season 3 of the series. Her per episode fees are still half of what Millie Bobby Brown makes per episode but is still above TV industry standards.

Joe Keery: $150,000 per episode in Season 3

Joe Keery - Netflix Salary
Joe Keery – Netflix Salary

Natalia Dyer and Joe Keery along with Charlie Heaton come under the C Tier actors list. His season 3 per episode salary was the same as Dyer’s, at 150,000 dollars per episode. Joe Keery also starred in the Ryan Reynolds sci fi comedy – Free Guy.

Charlie Heaton: $150,000 per episode in Season 3

Charlie Heaton - Stranger Things
Charlie Heaton – Stranger Things

Don’t let his C Tier tag fool you. The actor who plays Jonathan Byers still makes more than most TV industry actors. His $150,000 per episode salary made him more than a million dollars last season.

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Written by Bibhu Prasad Panda

Articles Published: 1230

With a Bachelor's in Engineering and a Master's in Marketing and Operations, Bibhu found a love for writing, working for many different websites. He joined FandomWire in July 2020 and worked his way to his current position of Content Strategist. Bibhu has been involved in operating and managing FandomWire's team of writers, diversifying into varied, exotic fields of pop culture.