Stranger Things Cast Salaries From Season 1 to Season 5 Earnings

Stranger Things Stars and Their Surprising Salary Jump to Season 5

If you think the Upside Down is shocking, wait until you hear how much the Stranger Things cast earns now. Their paychecks didn’t just grow—they EXPLODED.

Let’s rewind to the beginning. In Season 1, the kids were adorable unknowns, earning around $20,000 to $30,000 per episode. Yep, even Millie Bobby Brown, Finn Wolfhard, Gaten Matarazzo, Caleb McLaughlin, and Noah Schnapp were basically on “starter pack” salaries.

the party was looking bloody beautiful at the London premiere ???? pic.twitter.com/cRBh7JS74x
— sƃuᴉɥʇ ɹǝƃuɐɹʇs (@Stranger_Things) November 16, 2025

But by the time Seasons 3 and 4 arrived? Boom—they were upgraded to $250,000 to $300,000 per episode like legit Netflix royalty. And now, for Season 5? Hold your Eggos: each of these actors is earning an unbelievable $875,000 per episode, crossing $7 million for the season.

Sadie Sink, who joined in Season 2, followed the same rocket launch. She started close to $20,000 per episode and now stands right with the main group—earning $875,000 per episode in Season 5.

Now let’s talk about the adults.

From day one, Winona Ryder and David Harbour were the heavy hitters. Winona came in at $100,000 per episode, while Harbour started at $80,000. But things changed fast: by Seasons 3 and 4, both were earning $350,000 per episode.
Fast-forward to the final season? They’re now pulling in $1,187,500 per episode each. Yes, over $1 million per episode—totaling nearly $9.5 million per actor for Season 5.

The supporting teen and adult cast also got major raises.
Charlie Heaton, for example, was earning about $150,000 per episode in earlier seasons. But by Season 5, even he’s making $750,000 per episode, bringing in roughly $6 million for the entire season.

Actors like Natalia Dyer, Joe Keery, and Maya Hawke also benefited from huge salary boosts as the show turned into an international phenomenon.

Here’s the simple glow-up summary—BuzzFeed style:

Millie, Finn, Gaten, Caleb, Noah: $20k → $300k → $875k
Sadie: $20k-ish → $250k → $875k
Winona Ryder: $100k → $350k → $1.18M
David Harbour: $80k → $350k → $1.18M
Charlie Heaton: $150k → $150k → $750k

and the award for the best photo recreation goes to: OUR PARTY ???? pic.twitter.com/QwpJyUG3Qp
— sƃuᴉɥʇ ɹǝƃuɐɹʇs (@Stranger_Things) November 11, 2025

The Stranger Things cast went from unknown kids and mid-budget adults to full-on million-dollar superstars, and honestly, with the global impact of the show, their paychecks are totally justified.