The salary of Saturday Night Live (SNL) cast members has been one of the hot discussion topics online. According to Pete Davidson, the actors take home about $3,000 in each episode.
In an Instagram video for SNL's 50th anniversary, Davidson said,
"Do you guys know what they pay us? It’s like three grand an episode, so I think I got dinner."
Many fans on social media were shocked by the amount, wondering how the cast could afford to live in New York City, which is very pricey. However, this $3,000-per-episode pay is only a starting salary for new cast members and can go a long way for experienced performers.
Let's see the history, financial effect, and fan reaction more closely.
A glimpse at SNL salaries over the years
People have always been interested in SNL salaries. Davidson and other former cast members, such as Jason Sudeikis, say that current actors may receive a modest beginning wage of $3,000 per episode. Sudeikis spoke about his early experience and said he wasted a lot of his money paying rent in New York.
He emphasized that:
“You don’t really make enough money to make big purchases.”
Veterans may also get promotions. Those celebs who become superstars and stay in the series for many years are reportedly paid more than $15,000 to $25,000 per episode. In addition, those writers who become actors or even both may get bigger paychecks.
For example, consider a writer and a performer, say, Seth Meyers. Well, he is probably paid more than the typical members of the cast.
These two reasons explain how show business works. The poor pay of the first few years is balanced by the career-boosting opportunities the show provides, many of whose alums become major stars.
Fan reactions range from shock to questions about NYC living costs
The news concerning SNL salaries caused reactions on X (formerly Twitter). Fans had many reactions full of surprises. One user, @whotfisjovana, exclaimed,
“Wait… that’s all??”
Another @fiestamule referenced the cost of living in NYC. They wrote,
“IN NYC?!?”
Some people wonder how the cast members live on this pay.
User @keyladelslay said,
“To live in NY on $60k/year... I hope they get a lot of free stuff or more gigs.”
However, not everyone believes that SNL salaries are low.
User @KevinCastley commented,,
“That works out to over $1M per year. That would put each of them in the top 0.2% of income earners in the USA. Wild.”
Many feel a difference between what one perceives or hears celebrities earn and what entry-level actors in famous roles tend to earn.
Beyond salaries, SNL is a career launchpad
The pay for SNL cast members may not look very impressive, but the show does help them start their careers. Stars like Will Ferrell, Tina Fey, and Kristen Wiig used their time on the show to find good jobs in Hollywood.
The current cast members also get extra money through endorsements, appearances, and other projects. Bowen Yang, for example, claims that when he joined the show, he used to spend money buying designer shoes.
For their part, Julia Louis-Dreyfus and the other cast members share their experiences of buying luxuries when they had little money from their paychecks. Frankly, the show is certainly worth much more than just a paycheck.
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SNL airs on Saturdays at 11.30 pm ET on NBC and streams the next day on Peacock. Catch the 50th anniversary special on February 16, 2025.
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