Five Saturday Night Live cast members were reported to earn about $25,000 per episode in 2021: Kenan Thompson, Colin Jost, Kate McKinnon, Cecily Strong, and Pete Davidson. That was an estimate attributed to Tuko by The Independent, not a verified payroll figure, and the report did not establish a ranking among the five.
Who were the highest-paid SNL cast members in 2021?
In an October 15, 2021 report, The Independent attributed the following estimates to Tuko. Each of the five performers was said to earn around $25,000 per episode, so the available report supports a shared reported top tier—not a precise first-through-fifth ranking.
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| Cast member | Reported 2021 pay | Qualification |
|---|---|---|
| Kenan Thompson | About $25,000 per episode | Estimate attributed to Tuko by The Independent; not confirmed by NBC or the performer. |
| Colin Jost | About $25,000 per episode | Estimate attributed to Tuko by The Independent; not confirmed by NBC or the performer. |
| Kate McKinnon | About $25,000 per episode | Estimate attributed to Tuko by The Independent; not confirmed by NBC or the performer. |
| Cecily Strong | About $25,000 per episode | Estimate attributed to Tuko by The Independent; not confirmed by NBC or the performer. |
| Pete Davidson | About $25,000 per episode | Estimate attributed to Tuko by The Independent; not confirmed by NBC or the performer. |
The Independent’s October 15, 2021 report described cast pay as closely guarded and the figures as approximate. It said compensation was reportedly paid per episode and scaled with experience; that is the report’s account, not an official NBC explanation of its contracts.
What other 2021 pay estimates were reported?
The same article cited lower estimates for three other performers. These are selected figures, not a complete salary list for the 2021 cast.
Do these 3 things before closing this tab:
1Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches2Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors3Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute| Cast member | Reported 2021 pay | How the report qualified it |
|---|---|---|
| Michael Che | About $15,000 per episode | Described as rumored. |
| Heidi Gardner | About $8,000 per episode | Described as reported. |
| Alex Moffat | $8,000 to $15,000 per episode | Described as rumored. |
These amounts, too, were attributed to Tuko by The Independent; they should be read as media-reported estimates rather than confirmed salaries.
Why these figures are not a verified salary ranking
The source did not cite contracts, an NBC payroll disclosure, or direct confirmation from the performers. Words such as “around” and “rumored” matter: they signal that the amounts were not established as exact salaries. Nor does the report provide enough information to calculate annual earnings. An episode rate alone does not establish how many episodes a performer was paid for or what other contract terms applied.
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The reported figures also describe SNL pay, not each performer’s total income or net worth. The 2021 reporting does not establish what any of these cast members earned from other work.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What performers later said about SNL pay
Later comments offer context about salary disclosure but do not verify the 2021 estimates. In December 2024, Kenan Thompson told Variety, “It’s pretty notorious that it’s more so about having the job than getting paid for the job.” He declined to give a specific salary figure, according to Us Weekly’s May 28, 2025 account.
That account also reported Pete Davidson’s December 2024 quip that his first SNL paycheck was “like, three grand an episode.” It was a recollection about his first paycheck, not evidence of his 2021 rate or of the other performers’ pay.
Later salary explainers publish additional estimates, but they do not provide verified payroll records. For example, Parade’s January 2, 2026 explainer discusses reported pay tiers while noting uncertainty around exact compensation. Those later estimates should not be mixed into the named 2021 figures above.
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Rank #4
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