Law and Order Salary Per Episode for Lead Cast Members
Mariska Hargitay, the lead of Law & Order: SVU, earns an estimated $500,000 to $600,000 per episode as of the latest public reporting on long-running NBC dramas, reflecting her status as the highest-paid cast member on the show Forbes. Christopher Meloni, who returned for SVU revival episodes, negotiated a per-episode fee in the mid-to-high five figures range, though exact figures are not publicly disclosed by the studio. The Hollywood Reporter notes that SVU cast salaries have risen in line with streaming-era benchmark deals for legacy network procedurals.
SVU and Original Series Pay Scales and Union Minimums
Under the SAG-AFTRA TV/Theatrical contract, principal cast members on shows like Law & Order typically earn above the union minimum, which for a single episode of a one-hour drama was set at roughly $108,000 in the latest rate card for 2023 SAG-AFTRA. Supporting and recurring actors on Law & Order: SVU and the original Law & Order series earn per-episode fees that scale with billing order, with co-stars such as Kelli Giddish and Peter Scanavino reportedly earning in the low six figures per episode based on industry estimates Forbes.
Production Budget and Per-Episode Cost Breakdown for Law and Order
Estimated Per-Episode Production Costs
Industry estimates place the all-in per-episode cost for a one-hour NBC procedural like Law & Order between $3 million and $5 million, covering cast, crew, locations, and post-production The Hollywood Reporter.
Cast vs. Crew Cost Allocation
Cast compensation typically accounts for 30 to 40 percent of the per-episode budget, with the remaining share allocated to directors, writers, below-the-line crew, and studio overhead SAG-AFTRA.
How SVU Budgets Compare to Other Long-Running Dramas
Law & Order: SVU and the original Law & Order series operate at a moderate per-episode cost compared to high-end cable and streaming dramas, which often exceed $6 to $10 million per episode, allowing the franchise to remain profitable for NBCUniversal Forbes.