How much does Mariska Hargitay make per episode of Law & Order: SVU?

Mariska Hargitay has been portraying Olivia Benson in Law and Order: SVU for a long time, so lengthy, in fact, she is the longest-running female character in a television drama in history. Portraying the detective for 24 seasons has definitely come with some benefits, and one of those benefits has been the salary which has increased over time. But how much is she getting paid?

Hargitay first appeared on our televisions in 1986 as the lead role in the crime drama Downtown, which ran from 1986 to 1987. She spent the 80s and 90s in various roles appearing in hit shows of those decades, such as Baywatch, Seinfeld, and ER, but at the end of the latter decade, she landed the part which would change her life, that of Detective Olivia Benson in Law and Order: SVU. Hargitay was cast after a chemistry reading between her and Christopher Meloni (who went on the play Detective Elliot Stabler) left executives, including producer Dick Wolf, with no doubts about making them partners.

Mariska Hargitay makes how much per episode of Law & Order: SVU?

When she first started in the role, her salary was a little less than it currently is, though it was still absolutely nothing to sniff at. From season one to ten, Hargitay was making roughly $375,000 to $385,000 per episode, according to Celebrity Net Worth.

When her initial contract was up in 2009, she renegotiated and was awarded a raise to $400,000 per episode. In 2013, it was reported that she was making $450,000 per episode, solidifying her as one of the highest-paid actresses on television at the time. Most recently, in 2018, a Forbes article listed her as making $13 million per season, meaning she was up to $500,000 per episode.

It isn’t just money from each episode that Hargitay takes in; she also makes royalties from re-runs, with Celebrity Net Worth also reporting that she can make an extra $2-4 million per year this way. This would put her yearly taking from the show at a whopping $15 million.

Hargitay has definitely worked for her money, taking on extensive training to understand the role of Detective Benson, such as training as a crisis advocate. She has only taken a break from the role on two occasions. The first, for a few months when she was pregnant with her child in 2006, during the show’s sixth season, and one episode due to being injured from a stunt resulting in a collapsed lung. Her talent and dedication have seen her receive a Golden Globe Award and an Emmy for her performance in Law and Order: SVU.

You can continue to catch Hargitay as Captain Benson (yes, Olivia got a promotion, too) in Law and Order: SVU, which has been greenlit for a 25th season, and your girl will keep making bank!

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