Though How I Met Your Mother ended back in 2014, it remains a beloved sitcom among fans around the globe. This innovative series introduced a new storytelling style and managed to keep fans entertained for nine long seasons. From showing fans pages out of Barney’s playbook and creating a music video for the beloved Canadian singer Robin Sparkles to letting us into Marshall and Lily’s enviable relationship, HIMYM kept fans wanting more.
As a result of starring in such a successful series, the main cast managed to earn some of the highest salaries in sitcom history. So how much did the cast of How I Met Your Mother make? Using Celebrity Net Worth as a source, here are their final earnings, and how that changed.
10 David Henrie: Salary Unclear
Though David Henrie only appeared in the show at the beginning and the very end of episodes, reacting to the story his dad is telling him about how he met his mother, he played a crucial role in the series. If it weren’t for Henrie’s character and Lyndsy Fonesca, who played Henrie’s sister, the series wouldn’t exist at all.
While it’s unclear how much Henrie was paid for his work on HIMYM, he certainly was not one of the highest-paid actors from the series, especially considering he shot all of his scenes before the show reached the high level of acclaim it is remembered for.
9 Sarah Chalke: Salary Unclear
Sarah Chalke played one of Ted’s most memorable girlfriends, Stella Zinman. From the moment Dr. Zinman first consulted Ted about the removal of his butterfly tattoo, viewers knew she would be a character worth watching. Though she was only on the show for seasons 3 and 4, Chalke was still an important member of the HIMYM cast.
It’s unclear how much Chalke was compensated for her role, however, considering her extensive acting resume and the popularity of the series when she was on it, she was likely compensated well.
8 Bob Saget: Salary Unclear
While Bob Saget never actually appeared on screen in HIMYM, his voice-over work was a crucial part of the series. Saget provided the voice of future Ted and served as the narrator for the story and he appeared in almost every single episode for the show’s nine-season run.
There are no reports on how much Bob Saget made for his How I Met Your Mother role, though he must have made a large sum considering how crucial he was to the series, how famous he was at the time it was filmed, and the immense success of the show.
7 Cristin Millioti: $25,000 Per Episode
Cristin Milloti first appeared in HIMYM in the season 8 finale. From the second fans saw her walking through the train station in her cowboy boots, carrying her yellow umbrella, they just knew she was the long-awaited “mother.” Following her brief appearance at the end of season 8, Milllioti became the main character in the show’s final season.
There are no official reports on how much Millioti was paid for the role, however, by working out the math as seen here, it seems like she was paid $25,000 dollars per episode. It’s also unlikely that this changed over the course of the show.
6 Wayne Brady: $30,000 Per Episode
While fans of HIMYM often think of Wayne Brady when reflecting on the series, he was only in about a dozen episodes in total. He played Barney Stinson’s half-brother and shared a lot of Barney’s interests, such as laser tag and pursuing potential hookups.
Brady is reported to have made $400,000 in total for his guest work on the series, which would mean he earned about $30,000 per episode, considering he appeared in 14 episodes in total. Because he appeared so rarely, and because of his fame to begin with, it’s unlikely that this changed much over the course of the series.
5 Jason Segel: $225,000 Per Episode
While Jason Segel had only a few acting credits under his belt before joining HIMYM in 2005, he went on to play many high-profile roles since then. Segel even dabbled in writing and has executive produced a few of his films.
While Segel’s portrayal of the deeply passionate and hardworking Marshall Eriksen was a crucial part in making HIMYM such a success, it is unclear how much he was paid in the first season for his work. However, he is reported to have made $225,000 per episode for his work in the final season.
4 Alyson Hannigan: $225,000 per episode
Alyson Hannigan perfectly captured Lily Aldrin’s multi-faceted character and her deep love for those closest to her, while still revealing her faults, such as her love for gossip and her occasional meddling in her friends’ lives.
While it’s unclear how much Hannigan made in season one, like Segel, she is reported to have earned $225,000 for her work in the final season. While Hannigan wasn’t the highest-paid character on the show, she still was one of the highest-paid actresses at the time.
3 Cobie Smulders: $225,000 per episode
Though Cobie Smulders has most recently come to be known for her role as Maria Hill in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, true fans of the actress will forever associate her with her character, Robin Scherbatsy, the Canadian journalist, who stole Ted’s heart.
There is no public record of how much Smulders was paid for the first season, but she reportedly made $225,000 per episode for the final season. Smulders currently has a net worth of $18 million.
2 Josh Radnor: $225,000 Per Episode
Naturally, HIMYM would have never achieved the success it did if it weren’t for Josh Radnor. He perfectly portrayed Ted Mosby as the true hopeless romantic and kept fans coming back each week to see Ted’s latest romantic endeavor and to learn who he was telling his seemingly never-ending story about.
Just like all of his co-stars, it is unclear how much he earned for season one, but he is reported to have made $225,000 in season nine. Josh Radnor’s current net worth is $30 million.
1 Neil Patrick Harris: $400,000 Per Episode
Last, but certainly not least, Neil Patrick Harris played the one-of-a-kind, Barney Stinson, who will certainly go down in history as one of the most iconic characters on television. Thanks to the work of Harris, Stinson has introduced countless phrases and “plays” to the public that will never be forgotten.
Since Harris brought such electricity to the series, he was the highest-paid cast member – made even more impressive by the fact that while he was a child star, this was the role that really brought him back to screens as an adult. Though there are no reports on how much he made in season one, he took home $400,000 per episode for the series’ final season, according to Insider. Neil Patrick Harris now has a net worth of over $40 million.
