'House' Cast Salaries: How Much the Actors Were Paid Per Episode?

In a week, House, M.D. will celebrate 19 years since its premiere. In that time, the show has grown from a niche medical drama to one of the highest-rated shows in the world.

As the series' popularity has grown, so have the salaries of its cast members. Hugh Laurie has even entered the Guinness World Records as the most watched lead actor on TV, and his incredible salary in recent seasons is unparalleled. But how much was the cast paid during their eight seasons on the show?

Peter Jacobson

Dr. Chris Taub became one of the show's most prominent characters, starting in season four and continuing through the finale. While Jacobson’s salary has not been officially disclosed, various sources claim that his earnings for appearances in various TV projects are estimated at $50,000 to $75,000, which, if true, would also apply to his likely salary on House.

Olivia Wilde

The actress-turned-filmmaker was not well known in the late noughties. At the time of her character's introduction, she was reportedly making around $40,000 per episode. However, documents from her divorce from Jason Sudeikis indicate that she was averaging $100,000 per month for acting. It is likely that closer to the final seasons, her earnings were around that amount.

Lisa Edelstein

It was reported that Edelstein was making around $100,000 per episode at the time of Season 5, and then her salary rose to $175,000, a very impressive amount for a television production. However, the ratings for Season 7 dropped and Fox cut the budget for the final season by 20%, which had the effect of reducing the salaries of the main cast as well. Unfortunately, this was one of the reasons why Edelstein did not return to the show.

Omar Epps

Dr. Eric Foreman's portrayer, actor, rapper and producer Omar Epps was also earning $100,000 per episode at the time of Season 5, and due to the character's popularity, his salary was increased by $75,000. Unfortunately, he also took a pay cut in the final season (though the amount is not disclosed anywhere). Unlike Edelstein, however, Epps decided to remain on House until the finale.

Robert Sean Leonard

Leonard's pay is no different than the previous two actors, although Wilson was arguably even more important to both PPTH and the show's overall narrative. He earned $175,000 for Season 7, but like the other major cast members, his salary was cut for Season 8.

Jesse Spencer

Considering that Chase was a main character for all eight seasons, just like the previous three actors, there's no doubt that his per-episode salary was the same as theirs. Although the actual figure was never disclosed (which, mind you, is not uncommon in the case of TV series). So we can safely assume that Spencer also got $100,000 around Season 5, and then it went up to $175,000 in the penultimate season. Like the rest of the cast, he took a pay cut, although the amount per episode is also unknown.

Hugh Laurie

One person who certainly didn't feel the effects of the budget cuts was Hugh Laurie. He was reportedly paid $50,000 per episode during the first season. By Season 5, the popularity of both the show and Laurie had skyrocketed, and his salary rose to a phenomenal $400,000. But even that didn't compare to his salary in the final season: his earnings totaled an incredible $700,000 per episode, making him one of the highest paid actors in television history.