Each of the six principal Friends actors reportedly earned $1 million per episode in seasons nine and ten. They did not make that amount throughout the series: their reported pay began at $22,500 per episode, then rose through several negotiated rates. Rerun and syndication money was a separate part of some deals.
Friends cast salaries by season
The Television Academy’s 2024 anniversary oral history gives this reported progression for Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, David Schwimmer, Matthew Perry and Matt LeBlanc. Season two is not assigned a single shared figure in that account.
| Season or deal period | Reported pay per actor |
|---|---|
| Original contract | $22,500 per episode |
| Season two | Different salaries; no single shared amount stated by the Television Academy |
| Season three | $75,000 per episode |
| Season four | $85,000 per episode |
| Season five | $100,000 per episode |
| Season six | $125,000 per episode |
| Seasons seven and eight | $750,000 per episode in the Television Academy retrospective |
| Seasons nine and ten | $1 million per episode in the Television Academy retrospective |
The Television Academy’s oral history presents the season-by-season figures and describes how the cast negotiated as a group. These are reported historical rates, not a public accounting of each actor’s full compensation.
What the $750,000 and $1 million figures include—and don’t
Seasons seven and eight
A May 2000 Washington Post report described the new pact as paying each actor $750,000 a week for 24 weeks per season, plus a portion of syndication revenue. The paper said the actors had previously been paid $125,000 per episode and had initially sought $1 million per episode for the next two seasons. Because that contemporaneous account describes weekly compensation and syndication participation, it should not be treated as a simple per-episode salary statement without qualification.
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Seasons nine and ten
The Television Academy later summarized pay for the final two seasons as $1 million per episode per actor. In February 2002, the Los Angeles Times reported that the next season’s salary was believed to exceed $1 million per cast member per episode, but said the parties did not disclose specific terms. It also noted that compensation included advances against rerun profits. The retrospective season rate and the contemporaneous account describe compensation differently; they do not establish one exact all-in figure per episode.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Why the six actors negotiated together
Before season three, the six principal actors chose to bargain collectively, despite Warner Bros.’ preference for individual deals, according to the Television Academy. Former NBC president Warren Littlefield recalled Schwimmer saying he did not want a workplace where one cast member earned more than another. Littlefield also described the series as an ensemble from the outset.
Rank #2
TVLine’s 2023 account attributes to Jennifer Aniston the view that unequal pay could have damaged the group, and reports that Aniston and Schwimmer accepted a pay cut heading into season three to bring their salaries into line with their castmates. Matthew Perry later credited Schwimmer’s decision with helping the cast look after one another during stressful negotiations. These are attributed recollections, not terms from a published contract. TVLine’s report also discusses Perry’s memoir, Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing.
Quick Recap
Rank #3
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How to read the salary headlines
- Per episode is not the same as total compensation. A salary rate, weekly deal, and syndication or rerun participation are different measures.
- Check the season and date. The widely repeated $1 million figure applies to seasons nine and ten in the Television Academy’s retrospective, not to the show’s entire run.
- Distinguish each actor from the whole cast. The figures above are reported for each principal actor, not a combined cast payroll.
- Treat the figures as reported, not audited. Public accounts do not disclose full contracts or payment records, and they do not settle exact residual percentages or individual accounting.
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