The money the main characters of Modern Family made per episode changed drastically from the first and last seasons. Here's how much they made
The well-loved and long-running mockumentary family sitcom Modern Family finally wrapped up last year after 11 seasons. Over these 11 seasons, the show received an incredible 85 Emmy nominations, won 22 Emmy awards, and made its producer 20th Century Fox Television a whole lot of money.
When the show started back in 2009, the cast members probably never expected the show to last for as long as it did, or be as popular as it was. The show is ABC's longest-running comedy series and its cast members saw huge increases in salary along the way, though not always without a fight.
10 Sofia Vergara: First Episode - $65,000/ Last Episode - $500,000
Sofia plays the character Gloria, the second wife of Claire's father Jay and the mother of Manny. Initially, Gloria had to deal with her step-daughter thinking she is a gold-digger, and feeling like she had to prove herself to her new family. However, over time, the family got to see that Gloria genuinely loves him. Fans also saw Gloria become a strong confidant for the other family members as well as a good friend, fitting perfectly into their imperfect family unit.
Variety reports that Sofia started the series out being paid between $30,000 and $65,000 per episode. By the end of the show, Variety reported that she was earning at least $500,000 per episode.
9 Ed O’Neill: First Episode - $105,000/ Last Episode - $500,000
Ed O'Neill plays Jay, the grumpy and sometimes unlikeable father to Claire, Mitchell, Joe and step-father to Manny. Jay is getting a second chance at having a family, having been so busy when his older children were around that he didn't spend much time with them. Now, he's older and is able to prioritize the important things. Of course, this creates jealousy and friction between his new family and the old, but that's all fodder for the drama machine.
Ed initially negotiated his salary separately from the other actors and was paid much more than his cast members in the early years. This makes sense as he was already a big name, having plenty of star power and name recognition from his years on Married...With Children. He started out with about $105,000 per episode. Later, though, he chose to negotiate in solidarity with the other adult actors as part of a 2012 lawsuit against 20th Century Fox Television. By the end of the show, he was earning the same amount as the other adult actors, at $500,000 per episode.
8 Julie Bowen: First Episode - $65,000/ Last Episode - $500,000
Julie plays Claire Dunphy, who is often viewed as the super-mom of the Dunphy clan. She is the wife of Phil, daughter of Jay, and sister of Mitchell. Claire is a great mom, but she can also be very overbearing, bossy, and even a bit of a bully. Fans love her idiosyncrasies and complex character. They also love how much of a mama bear she is, where she is always there to support her children and help them through the awkwardness of their teenage years.
Julie initially earned between $30,000 and $65,000 like the other adult cast members. However, according to Deadline, she ended up renegotiating with them for a raise to $500,000 per episode by the last season.
7 Eric Stonestreet: First Episode - $20,000/ Last Episode - $500,000
Eric plays Cameron Tucker, Mitchell's husband, Lily's and Rex's father, and Claire Dunphy's brother-in-law. Outgoing and compassionate, Cameron is a very likable character, who always brought a smile to the fans' faces whenever he got involved in some dramatic antics (such as dance-offs or football rivalries).
Cameron could also be sweet, fun, and annoying too. The Hollywood Reporter says that Eric began the show earning about $20,000 per episode. This increased to $65,000 by Season 3, and finally to $500,000 per episode for the last season.
6 Jesse Tyler Ferguson: First Episode - $30,000-$65,000/ Last Episode - $500,000
Jesse plays Mitchell Pritchitt, Claire Dunphy's younger brother, husband of Cameron, and adoptive father of Lily and Rexford. Mitchell is a classic Type-A personality. High strung and obsessive, he matches well with the easy-going and fun-loving Cameron. Jesse originally earned about $65,000 per episode in Season 1 but went on to earn $500,000 per episode for the last season.
5 Ty Burrell: First Episode - $65,000/ Last Episode - $500,000
Ty plays Phil Dunphy, a man-child who loves to have fun, be silly, and spend time with his kids. His goofiness makes him loveable but also frustrating for his wife Claire. He is amazed at her competence, and ability to fix any problem that their family comes across. He calls her 'superwoman', which certainly goes a long way towards mollifying her annoyance at his sometimes child-like behavior.
Just like the other adult cast members of Modern Family, Ty started out making about $65,000 an episode. He too ended up making a whopping $500,000 per episode by the last season.
4 Rico Rodriguez: First Episode - $15,000/ Last Episode - $125,000
Rico, who plays the lovable Manny Delgado-Pritchett, reportedly started out with a salary between $15,000–$25,000 per episode. Rico was eleven years old when the show began, and from day one was an incredibly entertaining and unique character.
As the show became more popular, Rico and the other original child actors negotiated raises to $70,000 per episode for Season 4, before finally reaching a respectable $125,000 per episode for the last season. Manny is one of the best main characters of the show and definitely deserved the raise.
3 Sarah Hyland: First Episode - $15,000/ Last Episode - $125,000
Sarah Hyland plays Hayley Dunphy, the stereotypical socialite teenager who wants to grow up too fast. She has a mind of her own and keeps her parents, Phil and Claire, on their toes. Though she played a younger teen, Sarah was actually eighteen years old during the first season of Modern Family.
Even though she was much older, according to Cosmopolitan, Sarah was paid about $15,000. Like the rest of the children, she managed to get a raise by season 4, earning around $70,000 (according to The Looper). The Looper also reports that this salary was renegotiated and raised throughout the series, finally culminating in about $125,000 per episode for season eleven.
2 Ariel Winter: First Episode - $15,000/ Last Episode - $125,000
Ariel plays Alex Dunphy, the brainy 11-year-old daughter of Claire and Phil. Not popular like her sister, or happy with simple pleasures like her brother, Alex has more trouble finding her own way. By focusing on her strengths and passion for science, she comes to find her own confidence in herself.
Ariel was paid about $70,000 for one episode in season 4, which is pretty impressive for such a young actor. Along with the other child actors, she was given raises throughout the show's span, eventually being paid $125,000 per episode in season 11.
1 Nolan Gould: First Episode - $15,000/ Last Episode - $125,000
Nolan, who plays Luke Dunphy in the show, also started out with the same salary as his faux-siblings. Usually seen hanging out with Manny or his dad, Luke doesn't care what others think about him, and generally just wants to have fun. He considers his dad Phil to be his best friend and loves to spend time inventing things with him.
Nolan was paid $70,000 per episode by season 4, which was a huge increase from the reported $15,000 they made. Along with the other child actors, his pay was renegotiated several times. The Looper also reports that his salary was raised to about $100,000 per episode for seasons 9 and 10, before finally reaching $125,000 for season 11.
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