Millie Bobby Brown is the highest-paid child actor in this 2026 ranking, at a reported $10 million for the final season of Stranger Things, ahead of Daniel Radcliffe and Macaulay Culkin. This list ranks seven child stars by the largest documented or widely reported pay for one job, as of October 2026. Studios rarely publish contracts, so we separate disclosed fees from reported ones in each entry.
| Rank | Child actor | Top reported pay |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Millie Bobby Brown | about $10 million (reported) |
| 2 | Daniel Radcliffe | $33 million in a peak year (reported) |
| 3 | Macaulay Culkin | $4.5 million per film (disclosed) |
| 4 | Angus T. Jones | $350,000 per episode (reported) |
| 5 | Miranda Cosgrove | $180,000 per episode (reported) |
| 6 | Frankie Muniz | $120,000 per episode (reported) |
| 7 | Modern Family kids | up to $115,000 per episode (reported) |
1. Millie Bobby Brown: reportedly about $10 million for Stranger Things season 5
Millie Bobby Brown was cast in Stranger Things as a child and has become the franchise’s lead. Reports put her total for the final season at around $10 million, though per-episode figures vary widely between sources and Netflix has not confirmed them. She also reportedly earned $10 million for the Enola Holmes sequel, and she runs her own beauty line, Florence by Mills, launched in 2019.
How we valued it: Reported season and film fees, not confirmed by the studios. We rank by the largest reported single-job payday.
2. Daniel Radcliffe: a seven-figure fee for the first Harry Potter film, much more later
Daniel Radcliffe received a seven-figure salary for Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone in 2001, and his parents invested it for him. Fees rose with every film in the series, and our 2015 edition cited a reported $33 million for a single year at the peak of the franchise. Studios do not publish these deals, so treat that number as a report.
How we valued it: A disclosed seven-figure first fee, plus the reported peak-year total from our 2015 edition.
3. Macaulay Culkin: $4.5 million for Home Alone 2
Macaulay Culkin was paid $110,000 for Home Alone (1990). For Home Alone 2: Lost in New York (1992) he was paid $4.5 million, about $10.3 million in 2025 dollars. Our 2015 edition cited a reported $8 million per film at his peak.
How we valued it: Disclosed fees of $110,000 and $4.5 million, plus the earlier reported peak fee.
4. Angus T. Jones: reportedly $350,000 per episode
Angus T. Jones played Jake Harper on Two and a Half Men for years and was reported to be the highest-paid child actor on television, at around $350,000 per episode. The series itself earned about $3.24 million per episode in 2012.
How we valued it: A reported per-episode fee from the show’s run, not confirmed by the network.
5. Miranda Cosgrove: reportedly $180,000 per episode
Miranda Cosgrove became a star as the lead of Nickelodeon’s iCarly. She was listed as the highest-paid child actress in the 2012 edition of the Guinness World Records, and appeared on a 30 Under 30 list in 2022.
How we valued it: The Guinness listing is documented; the per-episode figure is a report from our earlier edition.
6. Frankie Muniz: reportedly $120,000 per episode
Frankie Muniz starred as Malcolm in Malcolm in the Middle. His salary reportedly grew from $30,000 per episode in the first season to $120,000 by the end of the run, and the Agent Cody Banks films earned him a reported $7 million between them.
How we valued it: Reported per-episode fees and film earnings from our earlier edition.
7. The Modern Family kids: reportedly up to $115,000 per episode
Rico Rodriguez, Nolan Gould, Ariel Winter and Sarah Hyland were reported to earn $70,000 per episode after a 2012 deal, rising over the show’s run to as much as $115,000. The adult cast, by comparison, saw their pay rise from $55,000 to $65,000 per episode to $150,000 to $175,000 after the same year’s negotiations.
How we valued it: The kids’ figures are reports from our earlier edition; the adult figures come from the same negotiation.
Abigail Breslin, Chandler Riggs and Jaden Smith appeared in our earlier edition. We dropped them as we found no reliable current figure, and we also dropped Gary Coleman from the list.
FAQ
Who is the highest-paid child actor?
Millie Bobby Brown, with a reported $10 million for the final season of Stranger Things. Other reports differ.
How much did Macaulay Culkin earn for Home Alone 2?
$4.5 million, about $10.3 million in 2025 dollars, after $110,000 for the first film.
What was Daniel Radcliffe paid for Harry Potter?
A seven-figure salary for the first film in 2001. Our 2015 edition cited a reported $33 million in a peak year.
Who was the highest-paid child actress of 2012?
Miranda Cosgrove, per the 2012 edition of the Guinness World Records.
How accurate are child actor salaries?
Contracts are private, so most per-episode figures are reports. We label disclosed and reported fees separately.
How we estimate net worth
Our estimates are based on public reporting, company valuations, and deal and earnings figures all compiled in an internal valuation model. They are approximate, and figures change over time as new information emerges.
For this list we used disclosed film fees, Guinness records, show revenue and widely reported salary figures, and we label each one as disclosed or reported.
Last updated: October 2026.
