‘Stranger Things’ Pay Revealed: What the Cast Earned From Season 1 to 5

Stranger Things has officially come to an end after five seasons on Netflix. When the show first premiered in 2016, few people expected it to run for nearly ten years. By early 2026, the final episodes were done, closing the story for good, even though some fans still believe there could be one last surprise episode.

Along the way, the series became a major hit and helped turn several young actors into global stars. It also turned into a very profitable job for many people involved. Over time, reports have revealed how much the cast earned, and the numbers show a clear gap between the show’s biggest names and the rest of the lineup.

According to The Direct, Winona Ryder and David Harbour were at the top when it came to pay. They were described as “tier one” actors, meaning they earned the highest salaries. By the time season three began, both were reportedly making around $350,000 per episode.

For the fifth and final season, each of them earned about $9.5 million. Since they played Joyce and Hopper from the very start, their total pay across all five seasons is estimated at around $17 million each. Ryder was reportedly the highest-paid actor on the show, which matched her long career and star status before Stranger Things.

The younger cast members started out earning much less. The Hollywood Reporter previously said the child actors were paid between $20,000 and $30,000 per episode in the early seasons.

As the show grew, their pay increased fast. Millie Bobby Brown, who played Eleven, stood out early on. She reportedly negotiated her own deal with Netflix instead of being grouped into a standard pay level. Because she also worked on other Netflix projects, her total earnings from Stranger Things have not been made public.

Finn Wolfhard, Gaten Matarazzo, Noah Schnapp, and Caleb McLaughlin were part of the next pay level. Deadline reported that starting with season three, they earned about $250,000 per episode. Sadie Sink later joined this group. The Direct claims that these actors earned around $7 million each for the final season alone. Those who appeared from the beginning are believed to have made more than $11 million overall.

Another group of cast members, including Natalia Dyer, Joe Keery, and Charlie Heaton, earned less than the main young stars but still made strong money. From season three onward, they were reportedly paid about $150,000 per episode.

Their pay increased again for the final season, reaching about $750,000 per episode. This puts their total earnings at roughly $8.5 million. Maya Hawke, who joined the show later, earned slightly less since she was not part of the early seasons.

Actors outside the main cast earned much smaller amounts. Tristan Spohn, who appeared in five episodes of season four as the character Two, shared details about his pay. He said he earned around $15,000 per episode because he was listed as a “recurring guest star”, placing him well below the main cast in the pay scale.

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