Who Was the Highest-Paid Actor on Modern Family?

Sofia Vergara was the highest-paid actor on Modern Family.

Modern Family is a super hit American sitcom made by Christopher Lloyd and Steven Levitan for the ABC network. The show ran for 11 successful seasons and has 250 episodes. The story revolves around the lives of three families living in California - the Pritchetts, Dunphys, and Tuckers. They all are connected through Jay Pritchett, the head of the family. The show is in the mockumentary format which focuses on the daily lives and family dynamics of a modern family. The Modern Family cast includes Julie Bowen, Ty Burrell, Eric Stonestreet, Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Sofía Vergara, Ed O'Neill, Sarah Hyland, Ariel Winter, Nolan Gould, Rico Rodriguez, Aubrey Anderson-Emmons, etc.

Modern Family explores the themes of love, marriage, parenthood, and more. The show gained popularity and earned numerous awards including the Primetime Emmy Awards for their outstanding performances. The show's popularity also gave financial success to the star cast. Here is the breakdown of how much the cast of Modern Family earned throughout the series.

Sofia Vergara

Sofia Vergara played one of the most iconic roles, Gloria Pritchett, in Modern Family. She was the second wife of Jay Pritchett and had 2 children, Manny and Joe. Gloria was known for her glamorous and feisty attitude on the show. Sofia gained immense popularity from the show and secured a lot of endorsements and deals throughout its run. She also became the highest-paid actor in the cast due to her rising worth during the show. In the first season, according to Variety, she was getting paid around $30,000 – $65,000 and with the rising popularity in later seasons, her pay was $500,000 per episode.

In 2018, Forbes magazine named Sofia Vergara “The Highest Paid TV Actor” as her earnings were $42.5 million in a year. She topped the highest-paid TV actress list by Forbes during Modern Family's last 7 years. Though the main adult cast were all paid similarly in the later seasons, Sofie Vergara earned more and ended up the highest-paid through endorsements and deals.

Ed O’Neill

Ed O’Neill played the role of Jay Pritchett in Modern Family. He is married to Gloria and the father of 4 children. Claire and Mitchell are his children from his first marriage to Dede, and he later had Joe with Gloria. He is also Manny's stepfather. Jay is portrayed as a stubborn, old-school father, but over the seasons, audiences see his softer, more emotional side as well.

In the first season, according to Variety, Ed O’Neill was paid the highest as he was a senior actor. He was paid $95,000 for the first season and during the last season, his pay was $500,000.

Julie Bowen

Julie Bowen played the role of Claire Dunphy in Modern Family. She is the daughter of Jay Pritchett and is married to Phil Dunphy. Claire and Phil have 3 kids - Haley, Alex, and Luke. She is a caring but controlling mother. Her character was known for her competitive and sarcastic nature. Julie Bowen started with a lower salary, but as the show progressed and gained success, she renegotiated her pay. In the first season, according to Variety, she was paid around $40,000-$65,000, and during the last season, her pay was increased to $500,000.

Ty Burrell

Ty Burrell played the role of Phil Dunphy in Modern Family. His character is a fan favorite. Phil is married to Claire and they have 3 children together. Phil’s character is portrayed as funny, goofy, and lovable. The children often don’t take him seriously, but he also has a strict side to him. According to Variety, Ty Burrell was paid around $40,000-$65,000 in the first season. In later seasons his pay increased to $500,000.

Jesse Tyler Ferguson

Jesse Tyler Ferguson played Mitchell Pritchett in Modern Family. Mitchell is the son of Jay Pritchett and the brother of Claire. He married his long-time boyfriend, Cameron Tucker. They adopted two kids- a daughter and a son. Mitchell is portrayed as an intelligent and uptight person. According to Variety, in the first season, Jesse was paid around $30,000-$60,000 and during the last season of Modern Family, he was paid $500,000.

Eric Stonestreet

Eric Stonestreet played the role of Cameron Tucker in Modern Family. Cam is portrayed as a loud, dramatic, and emotional character, praised by fans for his outgoing personality. He is married to Mitchell and they have a daughter and son - Lily and Rexford. According to Variety, Eric Stonestreet was paid around $30,000 during the first season. In the later seasons, his pay increased to $500,000.

Sarah Hyland

Sarah Hyland played the role of Haley Dunphy in Modern Family. She was the eldest child of Phil and Claire Dunphy. Her character is portrayed as a confident, independent, and stylish person. The show highlights her journey from being a silly teenager to a grown-up woman over the seasons. According to Variety, Sarah Hyland was paid around $15,000-$25,000 during the first season. In the last season, her pay increased to $125,000.

Ariel Winter

Ariel Winter played the role of Alex Dunphy in Modern Family. Alex is the opposite of her siblings. She is not popular like her sister or carefree like her brother. As the middle child. Alex is a perfectionist and is the smartest in her entire family. She had trouble fitting in while growing up, but she gained confidence as the show progressed. According to Variety, Ariel Winter was paid around $15,000-$25,000 during the first season. In the last season, her pay increased to $125,000.

Nolan Gould

Nolan Gould played the role of Luke Dunphy in Modern Family. Luke is the youngest child of the family. His character is portrayed as carefree and goofy. Luke is mostly shown having fun with his father and bantering with his sisters, especially Alex. As he was the youngest, he matured a little later than his siblings. According to Variety, Nolan Gould was paid around $15,000-$25,000 during the first season. In the last season, his pay increased to $125,000.

Rico Rodriguez

Rico Rodriguez played the role of Manny Delgado-Pritchett in Modern Family. Manny is the son of Gloria and stepson of Jay Pritchett. Manny was different from kids his age. He was an old-school person and was very mature for his age. He loved art, and poetry and was a romantic person, which also made him different from other children. While they did not connect at first, he and Jay gradually formed a healthy father-son relationship over the seasons. According to Variety, Rico Rodriguez was paid around $15,000-$25,000 during the first season. In the last season, his pay increased to $125,000.