How Much Everyone in Hollywood, From Movie Star to Makeup Artist, Got Paid in 2016
Hollywood Reporter lists which industry professionals got raises (and which didn't)
September 29, 2016
Hollywood generates billions in revenue each year, which is great because there are tens of thousands of people employed in television and film. Not all jobs are created equal, however.
The Hollywood Reporter published a breakdown of Hollywood salaries on Thursday, showing just how much each industry job pays, from movie star to makeup artist. It also identifies which employees earned more than ever (CEOs) and which might be strapped for cash (directors).
Gone are the days of film actors getting paid $20 and $30 million per project, as it turns out. Jennifer Lawrence had the biggest payday in 2016 ($20 million for “Passengers”) and The Rock was a close second ($19 mil for “Jumanji”), but A-listers are generally getting paid less upfront than in years past. But many now get higher percentages of the backend than ever before, while others have negotiated co-ownership over their films (Keanu Reeves in “John Wick 2” and Vin Diesel in “XXX3,” to name a few).
Directors are also making less upfront. Top tier directors made $1 to $2 million per project in 2016, but often earned more on the back. “Dark Knight” director Christopher Nolan is the exception. He made $20 mil for the WWII flick “Dunkirk,” the most a director has been paid since Peter Jackson and “King Kong.”
Here’s a quick look at what other top industry people earned in 2016 according to The Hollywood Reporter:
CEOs: $58.9 mil (CBS’ Les Moonves)
Newscasters: $25 mil (NBC’s Matt Lauer)
Digital talent: $15 mil from a comination of ad revenue, brand sponsorships, and cross-platform promotion
Agents: $10 mil (WME-IMG’s Ari Emanuel)
Film writers: $8 mil (Simon Kinberg for “X-Men: Apocalypse”)
Studio Chiefs: $5 mil base (Fox’s Stacey Snider and Sony’s Tom Rothman), plus much more in stocks and bonuses.
Producer: $2.5 mil upfront (Scott Rudin), plus percentage of box office
TV stars: Up to $1 mil per episode (“Big Bang Theory’s” Johnny Galecki and Jim Parsons)
Script doctors: $400,000 per week (Michael Arndt, Phil Lord and Christopher Miller)
Showrunner: $50,000 (Vince Gilligan for “Better Call Saul”) to $100,000 (“Game of Thrones’s” David Benioff and D.B. Weiss) per episode, plus backend when applicable
TV writers: Up to $134,000 per teleplay
Animator: $105,000
Boom Operator: $80,000
Makeup Arists: $79,500
Craft Services: $65,000
Assistant: $30,000
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