What do your favorite TV stars earn? Compare TV star salaries to the salaries of the characters they play on TV. This round: The Office vs. Grey’s Anatomy.
At The Office, Pay is Good….
Make no mistake, The Office is a great place to work – especially if you love paper (making it, pushing it, playing wastepaper basketball with it). But does the pay make it worth the glory?
Michael Scott, Regional Manager – $78,994
Regional Sales Manager Salaries:
A self-described “friend first, boss second, and probably an entertainer third,” Michael Scott would make around $78,994 in the real world. Actor Steve Carrell (who plays Scott) reportedly makes $175,000 per episode.
Dwight Schrute, Assistant to the Regional Manager – $52,639
Assistant Sales Manager Salaries:
Comedian Rainn Wilson plays the eternally self-important and consistently delusional Dwight Schrute. As the top salesman in the office, the real-world Dwight would rake in $52,639 plus commission and get the added kudos of the top salesman award.
Kevin Malone, Accountant – $51,567
Accounting Salaries:
Accounting careers are cool, but you couldn’t prove it the stereotypically subdued Kevin Malone, portrayed by actor Brian Baumgartner. In real life, accounting careers like Malone’s pay an average salary of $51,567.
Pam Beesly, Receptionist- $27,162
Receptionist Salaries:
Played by actress Jenna Fischer (also in the films Blades of Glory and Walk Hard), Pam’s job description often mirrors the babysitter of a large child more than an administrator, especially when her employer burns his foot — on his George Foreman grill.
Pay at Grace Hospital is Hot – But Is It Worth the Drama?
Hospital salaries in Seattle can be astronomical, but doctors have to work hard and have a high tolerance for drama.
Meredith Grey, Resident Surgeon – $44,220
Resident Surgeon Salaries:
The perpetually frazzled resident surgeon Meredith Grey makes only $44,220 a year. Meanwhile, Ellen Pompeo, who plays Grey, makes a reported $200,000 an episode in real life. A season consists of 24 episodes – a cool $4.8 million.
Dr. Derek Shepherd, Chief of Neurosurgery – $320,731
Neurosurgeon Salaries:
As you may have guessed, the salary of a neurosurgeon is pretty high, which makes Shepherd the highest paid Grey’s Anatomy character at $320,731. Actor Patrick Dempsey also takes home the highest of the show’s TV star salaries, earning $225,000 per episode.
Dr. Mark Sloan, Chief of Plastic Surgery – $243,934
Plastic Surgeon Salaries:
Played by Eric Dane, McSteamy’s nationally well-regarded magic hands are worth about $243,934 a year.
Olivia Harper, Nurse – $45,531
Nurse Salaries:
Also known as “Syph Nurse,” Harper takes a lot of flack from her colleagues for a measly $45,531 a year. But TV star salaries are a different story, and Sarah Utterback, who plays Harper, certainly isn’t hurting.
George O’Malley, Surgeon Intern -$42,762
Surgical Intern Salaries:
The sensitive Dr. O’Malley would earn about $42,762 as a real-world surgeon intern. Actor T.R. Knight (who plays O’Malley), will reportedly make $125,000 per episode plus a share of the show’s total profits.
At the end of the day, who really takes home the biggest paycheck? Although the surgeons at Seattle’s Grace Hospital beat the paper pushers in Scranton hands down, the true salary winners are each shows TV stars. With each show’s actors earning in a day what their fictional counterparts earn in a year, TV star salaries far outweigh hot shot surgeon salaries in Seattle, and office salaries in Scranton.
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