Few television franchises in history have generated the cultural impact and sheer volume of content as Dick Wolf’s iconic "Law & Order" universe. Spanning over three decades and multiple active series—including the record-breaking Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (SVU), Law & Order: Organized Crime, and the original Law & Order reboot—the franchise is a global powerhouse for NBC and Universal Television. As of late 2025, the financial scale of this operation is staggering, with the top actors commanding some of the highest salaries in television history.

Understanding the "Law & Order" salary structure is a fascinating dive into Hollywood economics, where longevity and syndication value can turn a single role into an eight-figure annual income. While the show’s creator, Dick Wolf, has amassed a net worth ranging from $600 million to $1 billion largely due to the franchise’s global success, the per-episode paychecks for the main cast members are where the true, jaw-dropping figures are found.

The Law & Order Salary Elite: Per-Episode Pay for the Biggest Stars

The salaries for the core veteran cast members of the "Law & Order" universe are in a league of their own, reflecting their decades of commitment, their status as household names, and the massive syndication revenue they generate for the network. Their pay rates are often cited as the gold standard for long-running network dramas.

• Mariska Hargitay (Olivia Benson, SVU): Hargitay is not just the face of the franchise; she is consistently ranked as one of the highest-paid actresses on television. Her current per-episode salary is reported to be in the range of $500,000 to $750,000. Given that a season of SVU typically runs for 22 episodes, her annual pre-syndication earnings can exceed $11 million, making her the highest-paid actor in the entire franchise.
• Christopher Meloni (Elliot Stabler, Organized Crime): Following his highly anticipated return to the franchise in 2021 for Law & Order: Organized Crime, Christopher Meloni commanded a massive paycheck. His current salary is reportedly $540,000 per episode. This figure is a significant increase from the $395,000 per episode he earned during his peak years on the original run of SVU.
• Ice-T (Odafin "Fin" Tutuola, SVU): The second longest-running cast member after Hargitay, Ice-T is a pillar of the SVU series. His salary is a reported $250,000 per episode. This impressive figure highlights the financial reward for loyalty and longevity in a major television franchise.

The enormous pay gap between the top-tier veterans and even other long-running cast members is often attributed to the power of the original contract negotiations, the actor's level of fame prior to the show, and, most importantly, the ongoing residuals from syndication. Hargitay and Meloni, in particular, benefit from being the central figures of their respective shows, which are licensed for millions of dollars globally.

The Supporting Cast and Veteran Player Economics

While the top stars dominate the salary headlines, the supporting cast members, particularly those who have been with the show for many seasons, also earn substantial, six-figure salaries. This group includes beloved veterans and the new faces of the rebooted original series.

Veteran Supporting Cast Salaries (Historical & Recent)

The pay of veteran secondary characters serves as a benchmark for the franchise's non-lead actors:

• Sam Waterston (Jack McCoy, Original L&O): Waterston, who recently departed the original series, was estimated to earn between $75,000 and $100,000 per episode for his role as District Attorney Jack McCoy. This is a strong, stable salary for a non-lead actor on a network drama.
• Kelli Giddish (Amanda Rollins, SVU): During her long tenure on SVU, Giddish was reported to earn approximately $100,000 per episode.
• Dann Florek (Donald Cragen, SVU): The former Captain of the SVU squad was also reported to have earned $100,000 per episode during his time on the show.

These figures suggest a clear salary tier for established supporting actors who are main cast members, typically falling into the $75,000 to $125,000 range, depending on their tenure and contract terms.

Current Supporting Cast: Estimated Earnings

While specific, publicly confirmed salaries for the newer main cast members are rarely disclosed, their pay is likely structured similarly to the historical supporting cast, with room for negotiation and annual increases. These entities are vital to the current success of the franchise:

• Law & Order (Original Reboot): Actors like Hugh Dancy (Executive Assistant District Attorney Nathan Price), Mehcad Brooks (Detective Jalen Shaw), and Camryn Manheim (Lieutenant Kate Dixon) are all experienced, high-profile performers. Their per-episode salaries are likely negotiated to be in the $50,000 to $100,000+ range, depending on their individual star power and contract terms.
• Law & Order: Organized Crime: Key players such as Danielle Moné Truitt (Sergeant Ayanna Bell) and Ainsley Seiger (Detective Jet Slootmaekers) are critical to the show's dynamic. Their compensation would fall within the standard network drama supporting cast tier, likely starting at a minimum of $50,000 per episode and increasing with each subsequent season.

The Hidden Costs: Writers, Directors, and Crew Salaries

The "Law & Order" franchise is a massive financial undertaking, with a single episode of the original series reportedly costing $2.2 million to produce. The bulk of this budget goes to the hundreds of behind-the-scenes professionals who make the show possible, from the writers crafting the compelling narratives to the crew managing the intricate production.

Above-the-Line Pay: Writers and Directors

The "above-the-line" staff—those who have a creative or executive role—are compensated on a per-project or weekly basis, often governed by union agreements (WGA, DGA):

• Writers: A staff writer on a major network drama like Law & Order can earn a minimum of around $5,000 per week. For a writer who receives a "Story By" and "Teleplay By" credit, the minimum pay for a single episode can be approximately $30,823, with more senior writers and Executive Producers earning significantly more.
• Directors: An episode director, who is typically hired for a short-term contract, can expect a minimum daily rate of $2,000. A director’s fee for a single episode can range from $25,000 to $45,000 or more, depending on their experience and the project's budget.
• Executive Producer/Showrunner: The showrunner, often an Executive Producer, earns a massive annual salary, which is a combination of a substantial weekly fee and a per-episode bonus.

Below-the-Line Pay: The Essential Crew

The "below-the-line" crew, who handle the physical production, are typically paid hourly or weekly under union contracts (like IATSE). Their pay is a critical factor in the show’s budget and reflects the high cost of a New York-based production.

• Cinematographer (Director of Photography): A DP working under a union agreement can earn a minimum of around $1,795 per 12-hour day, which translates to over $9,000 for a standard five-day week.
• Costume Designer: These professionals, who ensure the cast looks the part, earn an average annual salary of $52,278 to $58,288, though top-tier designers on a long-running show will command much higher rates.
• Lowest-Paid Crew: Recent union negotiations have pushed the minimum hourly wage for the lowest-paid IATSE crew members on major productions up to $26 per hour, highlighting the industry's base-level commitment to fair wages for essential staff.

In the world of "Law & Order," the salaries are a reflection of a deeply entrenched, highly profitable television institution. From Mariska Hargitay's multi-million dollar annual income to the thousands of dollars paid to the writers and crew who craft the weekly drama, the franchise represents a massive financial engine in the television industry.