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The Simpsons debuted in 1989, but there is no reliable public record here establishing what each principal voice actor earned in Season 1 or what each is worth today. The best-supported comparison is between dated reports about cast pay: a 1998 report said the performers described their original fee as $25,000 per episode, while later coverage documented larger negotiated or proposed rates. Those salaries are not personal net-worth figures, and widely circulated wealth rankings remain unverified estimates.
Who counts as the principal voice cast?
The Television Academy’s series overview dates The Simpsons debut to 1989. The six principal performers relevant to this comparison are Dan Castellaneta (Homer and other characters), Julie Kavner (Marge and others), Nancy Cartwright (Bart and others), Yeardley Smith (Lisa), Harry Shearer (Mr. Burns, Principal Skinner, and others), and Hank Azaria (Moe, Apu, Chief Wiggum, and others).
| # | Preview | Product | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
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Simpsons Rare Collectors Edition DVD Box Sets Seasons 1-10 + the Simpsons Movie | $699.90 | Buy on Amazon |
| 2 |
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The Simpsons: Season 1 | $48.99 | Buy on Amazon |
| 3 |
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The Simpsons Complete Series Ultimate Collection Seasons 1-17 & Season 20 | $699.90 | Buy on Amazon |
| 4 |
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The Simpsons: Season 10 | $41.99 | Buy on Amazon |
Season 1 aired in 1989–90. The available evidence does not establish a separately verified Season 1 rate for each performer, so it would be misleading to assign the same confirmed amount to all six.
What the dated pay reports say
| Period and figure | What the report supports | What it does not establish |
|---|---|---|
| Original fee: $25,000 per episode | A 1998 Independent report said cast members described this as their original fee. | It is an attributed recollection, not a verified Season 1 contract or a separately confirmed rate for each actor. |
| 1998 renegotiation: $50,000 per episode and a $1 million bonus | The same Independent report described the negotiated salary and bonus. | It does not establish lifetime earnings, how compensation was divided, or each performer’s personal finances. |
| 2011 proposed reduction: from a reported $440,000 to $250,000 per episode | TheWrap reported that the actors were being asked to accept the reduction if the series continued, citing people familiar with negotiations. | This was a reported negotiation position, not proof of a final salary or the actors’ current pay. |
The figures are reports from different years and of different kinds: an actor-attributed early fee, a reported negotiated salary and bonus, and a later proposed pay cut. They show the scale of compensation discussed around a long-running series, not a complete pay history.
#1 Best Overall
- The SIMPSONS MOVIE Not Included
Why current net-worth rankings are not a cast-by-cast answer
Entertainment sites publish estimates that often assign large fortunes to the principal cast, but the available reporting does not establish a consistent methodology, primary financial records, or even a shared definition of “net worth.” No audited or primary-source current wealth figure for each of the six performers is established here. An archived interview with Castellaneta discusses financial success after the series but does not supply a verifiable wealth total: The A.V. Club interview.
A September 2026 entertainment feature repeats a $400,000-per-episode peak figure and a commonly circulated $30,000 early-pay claim. Those are secondary claims; the feature does not reconcile them with the $25,000 original-fee figure attributed to the cast in the 1998 report or the 2011 negotiation report. They should not be treated as settled payroll records.
Rank #2
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For any individual “worth” number, a reader would need a named publisher, publication date, and an explicit label that it is that publisher’s estimate. Without comparable, attributable estimates for all six, ranking the actors would imply a level of financial certainty that public evidence does not support.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What episode pay can—and cannot—reveal
Per-episode compensation is income, not net worth. The reports do not show how many episodes each performer was paid for at each rate, nor do they account for taxes, representation costs, other work, investments, spending, assets, debts, or any residual income. The series’ longevity provides context for substantial earning opportunities, but it cannot prove an individual actor’s present financial position.
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1Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems2Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches3Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsIn February 2026, the Associated Press marked the show’s 800-episode milestone and quoted executive producer and former showrunner Al Jean: “We’ve done 800 episodes, and I’m really glad we didn’t do a big overarching story.” He added, “You always return to square one at the end of the show. And there’s no question that was a big influence on the longevity.” The milestone helps explain the length of the cast’s association with the series; it does not turn reported episode salaries into personal wealth disclosures. Associated Press report.
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Rank #4
- Condition: New
- Format: DVD
- AC-3; Animated; Box set; Color; Dolby; Dubbed; DVD; Full Screen; Subtitled; NTSC
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