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There is no complete, officially published payroll for The Vampire Diaries. Entertainment reports commonly put leads Nina Dobrev, Ian Somerhalder and Paul Wesley at about $40,000 per episode in the later seasons, but that figure is an estimate—not a verified contract amount. Dobrev’s first-person account adds an important detail: she, Candice King and Kat Graham were the show’s lowest-paid series regulars during its first two seasons.
What is known about the cast’s pay?
The clearest number repeated in entertainment coverage is about $40,000 per episode for Dobrev, Somerhalder and Wesley in later seasons. Reports do not specify a season or establish the amount through a published contract, so it should be treated as a reported estimate rather than a confirmed salary. Entertainment report and another entertainment report.
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The series ran from 2009 to 2017. Dobrev left after season six and returned for the finale. Us Weekly’s 2025 report covers her account of the pay dispute.
Did Nina Dobrev make less than Ian Somerhalder and Paul Wesley?
According to Dobrev, she was never paid the same as Wesley and Somerhalder during her regular run on the series. In an interview included in Samantha Highfill’s 2025 oral history, I Was Feeling Epic, Dobrev also said she, King and Graham were the “lowest-paid series regulars” during the first two seasons. The commonly repeated $40,000 estimate does not establish what any of the actors earned in those early seasons.
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Why did Dobrev say her workload mattered?
Dobrev said her contract covered playing Elena, while she also performed multiple characters, including Katherine. She described the additional work this way: “It was a bit of a tricky situation because my contract only said to play Elena, but I was playing multiple characters, which doubled my work-load.”
She said that meant more time on set and more lines to learn: “I had to be on set for double the amount of time, I had to memorize double the amount of lines.” Her account connects the workload to her compensation concerns; it does not supply a season-by-season salary or a separate rate for each character.
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Was Dobrev paid equally for the series finale?
Dobrev said she required pay parity to return for the series finale. She explained: “It was just really important to me that at the end of the show, as a woman, I wanted to make sure that I was compensated and that I was an equal to my male counterparts on the show.” Her account indicates that parity was negotiated for the finale; it does not disclose the amount she received.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What did the supporting cast earn?
Credible public sources do not establish exact episode salaries for supporting actors such as King, Graham or Zach Roerig. Dobrev’s statement identifies the women as the lowest-paid series regulars in the first two seasons, but it does not give their individual pay or a complete ranking of the cast.
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