The salaries of Saturday Night Live (SNL) cast members vary significantly based on their tenure on the show:
- First-year cast members (featured players) make about $7,000 per episode , which totals approximately $147,000 per 21-episode season
- In their second year , cast members receive a raise to around $8,000 per episode , or $168,000 per season
- By the fifth season , salaries increase to about $15,000 per episode , totaling $315,000 per season
- The highest regular salary for most major cast members caps at $25,000 per episode , which amounts to $525,000 per season
- The longest-running and highest-paid cast member, Kenan Thompson , reportedly earns significantly more, around $2 to $3 million annually , or roughly $95,000 per episode , reflecting his tenure and status on the show
Guest hosts, by comparison, earn about $5,000 per episode
. This tiered pay structure reflects both the experience and popularity of the cast members, with newer members earning less and veteran stars earning substantially more. Despite the pay, many cast members acknowledge that the real value of SNL lies in the career opportunities it opens rather than the paycheck alone
