The Modern Family salaries through the years are a great indicator of how successful the show became in the course of its 11 seasons. The well-loved and long-running mockumentary family sitcom Modern Family followed one large extended family of different households who shared the hilarious joys and struggles of raising a family. Over these 11 seasons, the show received an incredible 85 Emmy nominations, won 22 Emmy Awards, and became a huge hit for ABC. The success of the series allowed for each Modern Family cast salary to rise over time.
The Modern Family cast is one of the main reasons the show became such a hit as they grew into one of the most beloved sitcom ensembles. The series helped the cast members either become bigger stars or break out into stars themselves and the show is ABC’s longest-running comedy series to the point where its cast members saw huge increases in the Modern Family salaries along the way, though not always without a fight.
Sofia Vergara: First Episode – $65,000/ Last Episode – $500,000
Vergara plays Gloria, the much younger wife to Jay in Modern Family and the mother of Manny and, later, Joe. Initially, Gloria has to deal with her step-daughter thinking she is a gold-digger, and feeling like she had to prove herself to her new family. However, over time, the family gets to see that Gloria genuinely loves him. Fans also ee Gloria become strong, confident, and capable, gaining her American citizenship in season 6 and later becoming a realtor alongside Phil. Her hilariously dangerous stories about her past life in Colombia help to explain her fiery temper, but she is a loving wife and mother.
Variety reports that Vergara started the series out being paid between $30,000 and $65,000 per episode. By the end of the show, Variety reported that she was earning at least $500,000 per episode.
Ed O’Neill: First Episode – $105,000/ Last Episode – $500,000
Ed O’Neill plays Jay, the grumpy and sometimes unlikeable father to Claire, Mitchell, Joe, and stepfather to Manny. Jay is getting a second chance at having a family, having been so busy when his older children were around that he didn’t spend much time with them. The early episodes show his gruff demeanor interfering with many of his relationships with the other characters. However, he softens over time, forming a genuine father-son relationship with Manny, admitting to Claire and Mitchell his shortcomings as a parent, and even learning to like Phil a little more.
O’Neill initially negotiated his salary separately from the other actors and was paid much more than his cast members. This makes sense as he was already a big name, having plenty of star power and name recognition from his years on Married…With Children. He started out with about $105,000 per episode. Later, though, he chose to negotiate in solidarity with the other adult actors as part of a 2012 lawsuit against 20th Century Fox Television. By the end of the show, he was earning the same amount as the other adult actors, at $500,000 per episode.
Julie Bowen: First Episode – $65,000/ Last Episode – $500,000
Bowen plays Claire Dunphy, who is often viewed as the super-mom of the Dunphy clan. She is the wife of Phil, daughter of Jay, and sister of Mitchell. Claire is a great mom, but she can also be very overbearing, bossy, and even a bit of a bully. Fans love her idiosyncrasies and complex character but also love how much of a mama bear she is, where she is always there to support her children and help them through the awkwardness of their teenage years. When Claire takes a new job on Modern Family where she takes over Jay’s closet company when he retires, she struggles a lot but becomes a genuine leader.
Bowen initially earned between $30,000 and $65,000 like the other adult cast members. However, according to Deadline, she ended up renegotiating with them for a raise to $500,000 per episode by the last season.
Eric Stonestreet: First Episode – $20,000/ Last Episode – $500,000
Stonestreet plays Cameron Tucker, Mitchell’s husband, Lily’s and Rex’s father, and Claire Dunphy’s brother-in-law. Outgoing and compassionate, Cameron is a very likable character, who shines through his dramatic antics (such as dance-offs or football rivalries). He can be overly dramatic and easily offended, yet he is also someone who loves helping people, from his loved ones to total strangers. Cam’s dream of being a football coach drives his arc in the later seasons which leads him and his family moving away in the Modern Family finale.
The Hollywood Reporter says that Stonestreet began the show earning about $20,000 per episode. This increased to $65,000 by Season 3, and finally to $500,000 per episode for the last season.
Jesse Tyler Ferguson: First Episode – $30,000-$65,000/ Last Episode – $500,000
Ferguson plays Mitchell Pritchitt, Claire Dunphy’s younger brother, husband of Cameron, and adoptive father of Lily and Rexford. Mitchell is a classic Type-A personality. High-strung and obsessive, he matches well with the easy-going and fun-loving Cameron. Mitch faced a number of struggles throughout the series from gaining acceptance from his father to not being able to have a second child with Cam. However, Mitch always leaned on his family in these hard times and pulled through.
Ferguson originally earned about $65,000 per episode in Season 1 but went on to earn $500,000 per episode for the last season.
Ty Burrell: First Episode – $65,000/ Last Episode – $500,000
Burrell plays Phil Dunphy, a man-child who loves to have fun, be silly, and spend time with his kids. His goofiness makes him loveable but also frustrating for his wife Claire. He is amazed at her competence, and ability to fix any problem that their family comes across. He calls her ‘superwoman’, which certainly goes a long way towards mollifying her annoyance at his sometimes child-like behavior. Yet when he needs to be the stern father, like when Haley is kicked out of college, or when he needs to be there to support his kids, like when Alex struggles with being away from home, he shows what an amazing dad he is.
Just like the other adult cast members of Modern Family, Burrell started out making about $65,000 an episode. He too ended up making a whopping $500,000 per episode by the last season.
Rico Rodriguez: First Episode – $15,000/ Last Episode – $125,000
Rodriguez plays the lovable Manny Delgado-Pritchett, the son of Gloria. He is a sensitive young man who falls in love easily and is more cultured than his young peers, sometimes making him an outcast at school. However, throughout the series, Manny was seen always embracing the things that he loved and pursuing his passions. As the show became more popular, Rodriguez and the other original child actors negotiated raises to $70,000 per episode for Season 4, before finally reaching $125,000 per episode for the last season.
Sarah Hyland: First Episode – $15,000/ Last Episode – $125,000
Sarah Hyland plays Haley Dunphy, the stereotypical socialite teenager who wants to grow up too fast. She has a mind of her own and keeps her parents, Phil and Claire, on their toes. However, Haley shows incredible growth over the course of the series, taking responsibility for her mistakes and starting her own career path. Haley’s pregnancy storyline in Modern Family was a big focus of the later seasons right until it ended.
Even though she was much older, according to Cosmopolitan, Hyland was paid about $15,000 inititally. Like the rest of the children, she managed to get a raise by season 4, earning around $70,000 (according to The Looper). The Looper also reports that this salary was renegotiated and raised throughout the series, finally culminating in about $125,000 per episode for season 11.
Ariel Winter: First Episode – $15,000/ Last Episode – $125,000
Winter plays Alex Dunphy, the brainy 11-year-old daughter of Claire and Phil. Not popular like her sister, or happy with simple pleasures like her brother, Alex has more trouble finding her own way. By focusing on her strengths and passion for science, she comes to find her own confidence in herself. She is the smartest of the family by far which sometimes adds to her feeling as an outcast but the love she has for her family grows stronger over time.
Winter was paid about $70,000 for one episode in season 4, which is pretty impressive for such a young actor. Along with the other child actors, she was given raises throughout the show’s span, eventually being paid $125,000 per episode in season 11.
Nolan Gould: First Episode – $15,000/ Last Episode – $125,000
Gould, who plays Luke Dunphy in the show, also started out with the same salary as his Modern Family faux-siblings. Usually seen hanging out with Manny or his dad, Luke doesn’t care what others think about him, and generally just wants to have fun. He considers his dad Phil to be his best friend and loves to spend time inventing things with him.
Gould was paid $70,000 per episode by season 4, which was a huge increase from the reported $15,000 they made. Along with the other child actors, his pay was renegotiated several times. The Looper also reports that his salary was raised to about $100,000 per episode for seasons 9 and 10, before finally reaching $125,000 for season 11.
