That's his salary as a police forensics guy, not as a killer.That's just one of the many revelations in this article about TV character salaries. CareerBuilder.com figured out what each person would make in real-life. For example, Samantha from Samantha Who? makes around $145,000 a year as the VP of a real estate company.
Not sure about the numbers for Mad Men's Don Draper though. It says he would make $41,000, but I'm guessing that means if he was doing it today, not in the early 1960s (because that would be a massive amount of money then). But he's the Creative Director at an ad agency and got a raise, so I'm pretty sure he'd make more than that. Olive on Pushing Daisies would make around $15,000 or so as a waitress (though she'd probably make more if she worked at an upscale restaurant). Other people on the list include Christine from The New Adventures of Old Christine and Olivia Benson from Law and Order: SVU.
Characters not on the list that I'm curious about: Liz Lemon, Michael Scott, and anyone from Heroes, because they never seem to be actually working.
Seven greatest hand cannons in TV history
TV Squad previews NBC's new shows (part 1)
TV 101: How ESPN controls the world and what the other networks can learn from it
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
10-13-2008 @ 4:10PM
Justin said...
$41k for Don Draper? I'd have to say thats 60s dollars. He's in a Director level position and a partner too.
Reply
10-13-2008 @ 4:11PM
ami said...
$41K for a New York ad agency creative director in this day and age seems inaccurate--maybe for an entry level position in the creative department. Don Draper wasn't just a creative director in today's sense of the term--a guy in charge of artist/writer teams with whom he might work on several different accounts. Don Draper was *the* creative director of the entire agency and he was a partner, today he would be a Vice President and earning more like the actual equivalent of his 1960s salary of $45k, which I believe works out to over $300,000.
Reply
10-13-2008 @ 4:20PM
stewartwallace said...
That is the 60s figure for Draper. It was mentioned in one of the episodes.
Reply
10-13-2008 @ 5:29PM
Dave said...
What about Chuck?
Reply
10-13-2008 @ 6:55PM
Monkeydog said...
I want to know what Nancy Botwin makes. :
Reply
10-13-2008 @ 11:43PM
Tom said...
@Dave: Chuck's Season 1 Ads said "Saving the World at $11 an hour" so I'm going to guess...$11 an hour
:)
Oh, and the Draper number is totally 60s dollars
Reply
10-13-2008 @ 11:53PM
Phish said...
don draper would be making at least 300k / year and stock options (but that might be worth jack considering the meltdown). so earning 40k ish in the 60's makes sense!
come on bob, you can do better!
Reply
10-14-2008 @ 3:27PM
BobbyBuz said...
When I started working back in June 1960, right out of high school, my goal in life was to make $100. per week.
A salary of $40K in those days was huge.
10-15-2008 @ 10:09AM
joshe said...
That is definitely 60's dollars for Draper. Even the junior guys in creative at any decent agency in Manhattan will make a lot more than that.
Reply