Gaten Matarazzo
- Net worth $12 million
- Birthday September 8, 2002
- Status -
- Country United States
- Source(-s) of wealth Actor
How much is Gaten Matarazzo Worth? Gaten Matarazzo Net Worth in 2026
Gaten Matarazzo’s net worth is estimated at $12 million as of October 2026. Matarazzo is an American actor who joined Stranger Things at 13 and played Dustin Henderson for the full nine-year run. Most of the wealth comes from that role, which reportedly paid the young cast up to $250,000 an episode at its peak, with Broadway and voice work layered on top.
| Net worth | $12 million (estimate) |
|---|---|
| Estimated annual income | Around $1.5 million a year (our estimate) (our estimate) |
| Born | September 8, 2002, New London, Connecticut (age 24) |
| Country | United States |
| Known for | Dustin Henderson in Stranger Things, Broadway roles in Dear Evan Hansen and Sweeney Todd, Pizza Movie, London’s Rent revival |
| Main income sources | Netflix series pay, stage work, voice acting, film, producing, hosting fees |
How much is Gaten Matarazzo worth in 2026?
We estimate Gaten Matarazzo’s net worth at about $12 million. Public estimates for the cast of Stranger Things vary, but the best-documented anchor is the reported pay tier for the younger actors: one wire report put Matarazzo and his co-stars at up to $250,000 an episode, a figure that appeared around the time of the third-season renegotiation. Press reports are not contracts, so we treat it as a ceiling rather than a fact.
Do the arithmetic and the story is straightforward. Stranger Things ran from 2016 to 2025 with seasons of eight or nine episodes. Early seasons paid a small fraction of the later rate, so the cumulative gross from the show is likely in the low-to-mid eight figures. After agents, managers, lawyers and taxes, and with a long shooting break between seasons, a take-home pile of $10 million to $14 million is plausible.
Add Broadway pay, which is modest, voice acting, a hosting fee from Prank Encounters and an executive producer credit on Pizza Movie, and we land on $12 million. That is an estimate with a wide band, and we rate confidence low because no one outside the family and Netflix knows the actual contract terms.
How Gaten Matarazzo built it
- Stuck with one role. He joined Stranger Things at 13 and played Dustin for all nine years.
- Negotiated higher pay. Reports put the young cast at up to $250,000 an episode at the peak.
- Added stage and voice work. Broadway and voice acting sit on top of the series income.
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Get the Alux appGaten Matarazzo in 2026: what they have been working on
- October 8, 2026: Began playing Mark Cohen in the West End revival of Rent in London, with the run scheduled to continue until March 27, 2027, his West End debut.
- April 3, 2026: Starred in and executive produced the stoner comedy Pizza Movie, which premiered on Hulu.
- June 2026: Finished shooting Octet, a film directed by Lin-Manuel Miranda in which he plays Toby, according to a theatre-news report. No release date is set.
- 2025: Voiced Lucky in the animated film Animal Farm.
- 2024 to 2025: Voiced Sig Greebling in the animated series Lego Star Wars: Rebuild the Galaxy.
How Gaten Matarazzo makes money
- Stranger Things: The core. A reported per-episode fee of up to $250,000 at peak, which would be roughly $2 million for a nine-episode season before costs.
- Stage: Broadway pay is comparatively small, but runs in Dear Evan Hansen (2022) and Sweeney Todd (2023) built a second career that does not depend on Netflix.
- Voice acting: Credits include The Angry Birds Movie 2, My Father’s Dragon, Lego Star Wars and Animal Farm.
- Hosting and producing: He hosted and executive produced Prank Encounters from 2019 to 2021 and holds an executive producer credit on Pizza Movie.
- Film: Honor Society (2022), Pizza Movie (2026) and Octet. Fees at this tier are modest compared with the series.
What Gaten Matarazzo teaches (and what to take from it)
Matarazzo is an unusual case: a child who stayed in the industry as an adult by diversifying early. A few lessons travel well.
- Build a second stage before the first one closes. While Stranger Things was still running, he booked Broadway, voice work and hosting. Start a small project outside your main job this week, even one evening a month.
- Practise in public. Eight-show weeks on stage are less glamorous than a series, but they tightened his craft. Find a low-stakes setting this week where you can practise your skill in front of real people.
- Take a producer’s seat. Executive producing Pizza Movie moved him from hired talent to decision-maker. Ask for one decision at work that you can own end to end.
- Say your own thing in your own voice. He has stayed recognisably himself across voice, stage and screen. Write down three things you do that people find distinctive and decide which to lean into.
Career timeline
- 2002: Born September 8 in New London, Connecticut and raised in New Jersey.
- 2011 to 2012: Plays Benjamin in Priscilla, Queen of the Desert on Broadway.
- 2013 to 2015: Plays Gavroche in the Les Miserables tour and then on Broadway.
- 2016: Begins playing Dustin Henderson in Stranger Things.
- 2019 to 2021: Hosts and executive produces Prank Encounters on Netflix.
- 2022: Joins Dear Evan Hansen on Broadway as Jared Kleinman.
- 2023: Plays Tobias Ragg in the Sweeney Todd revival with Josh Groban.
- 2025: Stranger Things ends; he voices Lucky in Animal Farm.
- 2026: Releases Pizza Movie and opens in Rent in London.
Early life and background
Gaetano John Matarazzo III was born on September 8, 2002, in New London, Connecticut, and grew up in Little Egg Harbor Township, New Jersey.
He was on Broadway at nine, doing a replacement run in Priscilla, Queen of the Desert, and went on to play Gavroche in Les Miserables. His screen debut came in 2015 with a guest part on The Blacklist, a year before Stranger Things began.
Gaten Matarazzo net worth FAQ
What is Gaten Matarazzo’s net worth?
Gaten Matarazzo’s net worth is estimated at $12 million as of October 2026. The figure is built mainly from reported Stranger Things pay.
How much did Gaten Matarazzo make from Stranger Things?
Pay has not been confirmed. A press report said the younger cast members earned up to $250,000 an episode, so a late season could have paid around $2 million before costs, and earlier seasons paid far less.
How does Gaten Matarazzo make money?
From television acting, Broadway and West End work, voice roles, hosting and producing.
How old is Gaten Matarazzo?
Gaten Matarazzo was born on September 8, 2002, so he is 24 years old.
What is Gaten Matarazzo best known for?
He is best known as Dustin Henderson in Stranger Things, which ran from 2016 to 2025.
How is Gaten Matarazzo’s net worth estimated?
We start with the reported per-episode pay tier, apply it to the number of episodes per season, add stage, voice and producing income, and subtract an allowance for tax and costs. It is approximate.
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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.
Last updated: October 2026.