Before Stranger Things Season 1's premiere on Netflix in 2016, hardly anyone, including the series' director - the Duffer brothers, could anticipate that it would become a worldwide sensation and one of the most-watched shows on the streaming platform. From a TV show with moderate viewers to a global phenomenon, Stranger Things has been taking the world by storm. With the grand return of season 4 in May 2022, the series broke Netflix's record for the biggest premiere weekend ever, clocking nearly 300 million viewing hours.

Given such popularity and influence, it is no surprise that the Stranger Things cast, including Millie Bobby Brown, Finn Wolfhard, Noah Schnapp, Caleb McLaughlin, and Gaten Matarazzo, has been making big bucks from the series. These megastars have seen a considerable increase in their earnings over the seasons. As the series is coming to an end with the announced Season 5 underway, let's take a look at Stranger Things cast salaries.

Probably the most well-known cast member of Stranger Things, it is no wonder that Wynona Ryder is also the highest-paid actor in the sci-fi show. According to StyleCaster, the 50-year-old actress earns a whopping amount of $350,000 per episode in Stranger Things Season 4, more than three times what she was paid in the first season. She's also one of the wealthiest actors from Stranger Things, boasting a net worth of $18 million.

In the 1990s, Ryder was one of the most famous faces in Hollywood, having starring roles in critically acclaimed films such as Edward Scissorhands, Heathers, Bram Stoker’s Dracula, The Age of Innocence, Reality Bites, and Little Women. However, the depression that plagued Ryder during her rise to stardom led to the actress' period of hiatus from the big screen in 2000. After returning to Hollywood in Star Trek (2009), Ryder's breaking role came when she played Joyce Byers in Stranger Things, for which she gained Golden Globe and Screen Actors Guild award nominations.

Alongside Winona Ryder, David Harbour is another famous face from Stranger Things. He's also an A-tier cast, enjoying a lucrative salary from starring in the Netflix sensation. Like Ryder, David Harbour reportedly earns $350,000 per episode for his role as Detective Jim Hopper. This is a big jump in paycheck given that Harbor's salary in Stranger Things Season 1 was just $80,000. Harbour's role in Stranger Things also earns him Emmy and Golden Globe nominations.

Before becoming a household name with Stranger Things, Harbour was already a prominent star with roles in movies like Brokeback Mountain, Revolutionary Road, Quantum of Solace, and superhero flicks like Black Widow and The Green Hornet. In 2019, Harbour had a leading role in the superhero film Hellboy. In addition to his big-screen appearances, the 47-year-old actor is also a regular fixture on TV, with recurring roles in The Newsroom, Rake, Manhattan, and State of Affairs.

Brown plays the telekinetic kid Eleven in Stranger Things, and as her character becomes a fan favorite, Brown's salary also surges. The 18-year-old star only made $20,000 per episode in the first season, but her current salary ranges from $250,000 to $300,000 per episode, which is slightly less than the series' biggest names: Winona Ryder and David Harbour.

Prior to Brown's career-defining role in Stranger Things which earns her an Emmy nomination, she had roles in two Godzilla movies, Godzilla: King of Monsters and Godzilla vs. Kong, and minor roles in NCIS, Modern Family, and Grey’s Anatomy. Her early years as an actress were so tough that Brown's family once became financially strained and had to leave Hollywood to return to the U.K.

American actor Matarazzo plays the genius-level intelligence Dustin in Stranger Things. As one of the youngest stars, Dustin was paid $20,000 per episode in season 1. Following the sci-fi series' rise to a global hit, Matarazzo's salary rose almost ten-fold to $250,000, only behind Ryder, Harbor, and Brown - who negotiated her own pay bracket.

Prior to his breakout role in Stranger Things, Gaten Matarazzo was already a rising Broadway star, having acted in Les Miserables and Priscilla, Queen of the Desert.

McLaughlin plays the character of Lucas Sinclair in Stranger Things. His character is one of the most divisive ones in the series who always remains intensely loyal to his friends. According to Bustle, the 21-year-old actor is entitled to a $250,000-per-episode salary in season 4, ten times as high as his original paycheck in season 1.

While McLaughlin rose to fame playing Lucas Sinclair, his acting career took off on the Broadway stage as he was cast as Young Simba in the musical The Lion King. Following his stage debut, McLaughlin went on to have minor roles in television before making a career crossover into film, starring opposite Idris Elba in the Netflix production Concrete Cowboy.

18-year-old actor Noah Schnapp was catapulted into the limelight after he played the lead character of Will Byers in Stranger Things. As one of the fan favorites, Schnapp earns $250,000 an episode for season 4.

As a child, Schnapp had a penchant for acting and began performing at age six. His professional acting career began at a very young age, as he was only 10 when making his big screen debut in Steven Spielberg’s Oscar-winning Bridge of Spies. In 2015, Schnapp lent his voice to the character of Charlie Brown in the film The Peanuts Movie, before becoming a voice actor again in 2016's The Angry Birds Movie. He also had roles in movies such as Intensive Care (2018) and Abe (2018).

Alongside Matarazzo, McLaughlin, and Schnapp, Finn Wolfhard is one of Stranger Things' highest-paid child actors. Wolfhard, who plays Mike in the series, earns $250,000 for each episode he stars in season 4. Much like Brown and the rest of Stranger Things' child stars, he only made $20,000 per episode in season 1.

Unlike his fellow child stars whose portfolios are already glittered with various film credits, Finn Wolfhard's acting career was almost non-existing before Stranger Things. The 20-year-old actor only had minor supporting roles in films such as Aftermath and The Resurrection, and other insignificant roles in TV series The 100 and The Supernatural. It wouldn't be wrong to say it is Stranger Things that help Wolfhard reach stardom at a young age.

Dyer plays Nancy Wheeler in Stranger Things. Her salary in season 1 hasn't been revealed, but according to Stylecaster, her paycheck was likely less than Stranger Things child stars. From season 3, she has been making $150,000 per episode, half of what teenage star Millie Bobby Brown is making.

Natalia Dyer took up acting at a very young age, making her screen debut in the musical comedy-drama film Hannah Montana: The Movie in 2009 when she was only 12 years old. Following her first role then, the American actress went on to star in The Greening of Whitney Brown before moving to New York City to attend New York University. Her acting career continued with small-budget productions before finding its breaking point with Stranger Things. She also met her boyfriend Charlie Heaton on the filming set of the series.

Joseph 'Joe' Keery plays the antagonist-turned-protagonist Steve Harrington in Stranger Things. Like Dyer and Heaton, his salary for seasons 1 and 2 remains unknown. However, for the current reason, Keery is making $150,000 per episode.

Among the Stranger Things cast members, Keery is only behind Winona Ryder and David Harbor in terms of experience. The 30-year-old actor made his screen debut in 2015 with Stephen Cone’s drama Henry Gamble's Birthday Party before winning small roles in Sirens, Chicago Fire, and Empire. Besides acting, Keery is also a guitarist and part of the garage and psych-rock band Post Animal.

Heaton plays Will's brother Jonathan in Stranger Things. Like his girlfriend Dyer and Joe Keery, Heaton makes $150,000 per episode in season 4, although his pay bracket in the first season is unknown. Heaton's girlfriend is Natalie Dyer, who co-stars alongside him in the Netflix sci-fi show.

Prior to finding fame with Stranger Things, Heaton made several appearances in a number of British television series such as DCI Banks, Vera, and Casualty. In 2016, he starred alongside Naomi Watts in the American psychological thriller Shut In. Among Heaton's TV projects, the most notable is the Marvel film, The New Mutants, where he played Cannonball and co-starred Maisie Williams and Anya Taylor-Joy.