Stephen Battaglio, with reporting by Danny Spiegel and Nellie Andreeva

Which TV Stars Earns What? — A TV Guide Report

• Jul 26, 2007 04:00 AM ET
• by Stephen Battaglio, with reporting by Danny Spiegel and Nellie Andreeva

Oprah Winfrey, Simon Cowell and William Petersen

You can make a nice living in TV. Just ask Simon Cowell, who pulls in $45 million per year (for American Idol and other TV projects). Even the folks who serve chow to the cast and crew can make $3,000 over the eight days it takes to shoot an hourlong drama.

Here's a sample of who makes what, from Oprah to a production assistant just breaking into the biz.

NETWORK PRIME TIME (salary per episode)
William Petersen, CSI                                               $500,000
Zach Braff, Scrubs                                     read more