TV Dads: Real-Life Salaries Nearly $200,000

[Janice]

TV Dads: Real-Life Salaries Nearly $200,000

-By Dan Malachowski, Salary.com

If his job on TV is any guide, "dad" is earning more than twice what he used to. This Father's Day, Salary.com has revealed what the greatest TV dad characters of all-time would bring home in real-life. The results may surprise you. The average TV dad salary, in today's dollars, has more than doubled since the early days of television, fueled by the popular TV dad jobs of today, such as lawyer, neurosurgeon, psychiatrist, and real estate developer.

Since the 1980s, when TV saw dads like Philip Drummond of "Diff'rent Strokes" and Cliff Huxtable of "The Cosby Show" start to earn higher incomes, TV dad salaries have been on the rise. Salary.com's team of compensation experts studied a sampling of 60 TV fathers from the most popular television shows over the past six decades. Today's TV dads have an average salary of $195,000 per year, which is more than twice the salary of their 1950's counterparts, who were earning the equivalent of $75,000 (in 2005 dollars).

Plastic surgeon Sean McNamara of "Nip/Tuck" and lawyer Sandy Cohen of "The OC", along with their healthy salaries, have long since replaced the more modestly paid Ward Cleaver and Fred Flintstone dad types of yesterday. According to Bill Coleman, Senior VP of Compensation at Salary.com, "on average, today's TV dads have jobs that pay significantly more and are also seen as more glamorous than jobs held by their counterparts from popular shows of the past." Coleman added, "but what's more interesting is that throughout the history of television, many of the most memorable and iconic dads are paid about the same. Take Ward Cleaver of "Leave It To Beaver," Archie Bunker of "All In The Family" and Ray Barone of "Everybody Loves Raymond," for example. Those characters would all be paid a mid-forties salary today in real life. Television continues to reflect society and the average American continues to relate to the average dad with the average job and the average salary."

We ranked a sampling of 60 TV dad salaries from popular shows since the 1950s. Ten dads were used in each decade in order to compute the TV dad salary average. Based on jobs and salaries, Hollywood's depiction of popular fathers has been moving up the corporate ladder at a rate of about 21 percent per decade.

Click on your favorite dad to see his benchmark job and would-be June 2005 salary. Scroll below in order to see some favorite dads.



TV Dad SalariesPay Rank


TV Dad
1

Blake Carrington CEO

"Dynasty" 1981-89

2

J.R. "Jock" Ewing, Sr. CEO

"Dallas" 1978-91
3

Philip Drummond President

"Diff'rent Strokes" 1978-86
4

Chase Gioberti Vineyard Owner

"Falcon Crest" 1981-90
5

George Jefferson CEO

"The Jeffersons" 1975-85
6

Michael Bluth CEO

"Arrested Development" 2003-
7

Jed Bartlet US President $400,000

"West Wing" 1999-
8

Andy Brown Neurosurgeon

"Everwood" 2002-
9

Sean McNamara Plastic Surgeon

"Nip/Tuck" 2003-
10

Vernon Albright Investment Executive

"My Little Margie" 1952-55
11

Walter Findley Appliance Store Owner

"Maude" 1972-78
12

Cliff Huxtable Obstetrician

"The Cosby Show" 1984-92
13

Tim Taylor TV Host

"Home Improvement" 1991-99
14

George Baxter Corporate Lawyer

"Hazel" 1961-66
15

Frasier Crane Radio Psychiatrist

"Frasier" 1993-2004
16

Jason Seaver Psychiatrist

"Growing Pains" 1985-92
17

Phillip Banks Judge

"Fresh Prince of Bel-Air" 1990-96
18

Howard Borden Airline Pilot

"The Bob Newhart Show" 1972-78
19

Danny Tanner TV Host $130,000

"Full House" 1987-95
20

Sandy Cohen Lawyer

"The OC" 2003-
21

Bill Davis Consulting Engineer

"Family Affair" 1966-71
22

Sam Aldrich District Attorney

"The Aldrich Family" 1949-53
23

Rob Petrie TV Writer

"The Dick Van Dyke Show" 1961-66
24

Tom Corbett Magazine Publisher

"The Courtship of Eddie's Father" 1969-72
25

Alan Harper Chiropractor

"Two and a Half Men" 2003-
26

Andy Taylor Sheriff

"The Andy Griffith Show" 1960-68
27

Tom Scavo Sales Manager

"Desperate Housewives" 2004-
28

Ross Gellar Paleontology Professor

"Friends" 1994-2004
29

Darrin Stephens Advertising Executive

"Bewitched" 1964-72
30

Homer Simpson Nuclear Safety Inspector

"The Simpsons" 1989-
31

Henry Mitchell Engineer

"Dennis The Menace" 1986-88
32

Frank Costanza Salesman

"Seinfeld" 1990-98
33

Steve Douglas Aviation Engineer

"My Three Sons" 1960-72
34

Nate Fisher Funeral Director

"Six Feet Under" 2001-
35

Ricky Ricardo Bandleader

"I Love Lucy" 1951-57
36

Frank De Fazio Pizza Bowl Manager

"Laverne and Shirley" 1976-83
37

Howard Cunningham Store Manager

"Happy Days" 1974-84
38

Tom Bradford Columnist

"Eight is Enough" 1977-81
39

Lars "Papa" Hansen Carpenter

"Mama" 1949-56
40

Carl Winslow Police Officer

"Family Matters" 1989-98
41

Herman Munster Undertaker

"The Munsters" 1964-66
42

Chester A. Riley Airplane Riveter

"The Life of Riley" 1953-58
43

Ray Barone Sportswriter

"Everybody Loves Raymond" 1996-2005
44

Ward Cleaver Accountant

"Leave It To Beaver" 1957-63
45

Archie Bunker Dock Foreman

"All in The Family" 1971-79
46

George Burns Entertainer

"Burns and Allen" 1950-58
47

Danny Williams Nightclub Entertainer

"Make Room For Daddy" 1953-65
48

Mike Brady Architect

"The Brady Bunch" 1969-74
49

Elliot Stabler Detective

"Law and Order: SVU" 1999-
50

Andy Sipowicz Detective

"NYPD Blue" 1993-2005
51

Steven Keaton TV Station Manager

"Family Ties" 1982-89
52

Jim Anderson Insurance Agent

"Father Knows Best" 1954-60
53

Dan Conner Construction Worker

"Roseanne" 1988-97
55

Fred Flintstone Quarry Crane Operator

"The Flintstones" 1960-66
56

Fred G. Sanford Junk Dealer

"Sanford and Sons" 1972-77
57

Al Bundy Shoe Salesman

"Married With Children" 1987-97
58

John Walton, Sr. Lumberman

"The Waltons" 1972-81
59

Tony Micelli Housekeeper

"Who's The Boss" 1984-92
60

James Evans, Sr. Unemployed

"Good Times" 1974-79
Some Favorite TV Dads

#3 Philip Drummond of "Diff'rent Strokes" 1978-86
Philip Drummond (Conrad Bain) pulled down some huge dough in 1978 as president of the Manhattan based Trans Allied Inc. Philip was a widower who had a daughter of his own, as well as two adopted sons, Arnold and Willis. Whatcha talkin' bout, Philip, you're the highest paid TV dad on our list!

#8 Andy Brown of "Everwood" 2002-

Andy Brown (Treat Williams) is one of many widowers amongst our TV dads. The neurosurgeon moves his two children from New York City to Everwood. Colorado. The result is solid TV gold.

#9 Sean McNamara of "Nip/Tuck" 2003-
Life is good when you are pulling down the big bucks as a plastic surgeon. That is until Sean McNamara (Dylan Walsh) has to go home and deal with his out-of-control wife and son.

#12 Dr. Cliff Huxtable of "The Cosby Show" 1984-92
Bill Cosby broke down countless barriers as Dr. Cliff Huxtable and will always be regarded as one of the greatest TV dads of all-time. Cliff was happily married, rich, and had five children. And yes, he was an obstetrician.

#13 Tim Taylor of "Home Improvement" 1991-99
More power. More money. When "Tool Time" host Tim Taylor (Tim Allen) wasn't causing disasters on the set of his show, he was contributing to the delinquency of his three sons.

#15 Frasier Crane of "Frasier" 1993-2004
Although we don't see too much of him, radio psychiatrist Frasier does have a son with Lillith, Frederick Crane. The majority of the show's laughs come from Frasier's interaction with his own father, however, who lives in his Seattle home after being injured in the line of duty.

#17 Uncle Phil of "Fresh Prince of Bel-Air" 1990-96
Philip Banks, played by James Avery, will always be one of America's most beloved TV dads, not only because he had to raise Carlton, Hilary, Ashley, and baby, but also because he took nephew Will into his posh Bel-Air home. Uncle Phil worked as a judge during the day, and put up with Will's antics and Carlton's dance moves at night. In the end, inner city kid Will and Bel-Air Uncle Phil learned a lot from each other.

#20 Sandy Cohen of "The OC" 2003-
In addition to fathering Seth, lawyer Sandy Cohen (Peter Gallagher) takes in the troubled teen Ryan from the harsh streets of Riverside, California. Their relationship is a story of tough love, as Sandy helps Ryan through his legal troubles and welcomes him into his own home. Sandy Cohen epitomizes today's wealthy Los Angeles TV dad. Nice eyebrows.

#26 Andy Taylor of "The Andy Griffith Show" 1960-68
Andy lives down in Mayberry, North Carolina with his son Opie and Aunt Bee. Now only if the sheriff actually had to arrest someone...

#30 Homer Simpson of "The Simpsons" 1989-
No TV dad has had the unbelievable staying power of the one and only Homer Simpson. "The Simpsons", once about Bart, now revolves around the trials and tribulations of America's favorite TV dad. And while Homer has been known to choke Bart, spend a little too much time at Mo's, and sometimes forget that he even has a baby daughter, he does work a dead-end job he hates in order to support his family. The fatherly character of Homer is epitomized in the episode when he gives up his family to be a rock star, goes to rock star camp, and figures out that he really wants to be at home- choking Bart and eating donuts. And that is why nuclear safety inspector Homer Simpson is one of our favorite TV dads this Father's Day.

#34 Nate Fisher of "Six Feet Under" 2001-05
Nate Fisher (Peter Krause) took over half of the family funeral business after his father's death. Nate's struggles with women, along with the fact that he fathered a child behind his girlfriend's back, drive the plot of the show.

#40 Carl Winslow of "Family Matters" 1989-98
Hey, big guy! Chicago police officer Carl Winslow (Reginald VelJohnson) could never seem to escape from the pesky Steve Urkel. And he couldn't keep Urkel away from his daughter either.

#41 Herman Munster of "The Munsters" 1964-66
A re-creation of Frankenstein, Herman Munster (Fred Gwynne) is the undertaker father of werewolf Eddie.

#43 Ray Barone of "Everybody Loves Raymond" 1996-2005
Sportswriter Ray Barone (Ray Romano) may have a beautiful wife and family, but his next-door neighbor parents and brother make his life a living hell.

#44 Ward Cleaver of "Leave It To Beaver" 1957-63
Ward Cleaver, played by Hugh Beaumont, was the head of the classic all-American 1950's TV family. While he worked all day down at the salt mines as an accountant, Wally was trying to keep The Beaver out of trouble. At the day and episode's end, Mr. Cleaver always let The Beaver off the hook with a moral and a little parental wisdom. That Eddie Haskell, however, seemed to never get caught.

#45 Archie Bunker of "All in the Family" 1971-79
Archie Bunker (Carroll O'Connor) is the conservative dock foreman father of the Bunker family. He is in a constant argument with his liberal son-in-law, "Meathead".

#48 Mike Brady of "The Brady Bunch" 1969-74
It seemed as if the only place the Brady father (Robert Reed) could ever get any peace and quiet was in his study, where he worked on new architectural designs. And he must have been making decent coin, you know, to pay Alice, fix Marsha's nose, and replace Mom's favorite vase. Architect Mike Brady was the steel beam that held the Brady building together.

#51 Steven Keaton of "Family Ties" 1982-1989
Steven Keaton (Michael Gross), along with his wife Elyse, are two former hippies hoping to raise their children with the same liberal values. Public TV station manager Steven is in for a surprise when son Alex P. Keaton takes a liking to Ronald Reagan.

#54 Fred Flintstone of "The Flintstones" 1960-1966
Freddy Flintstone is the modern Stone Age dad, a quarry crane operator who supports wife Wilma and daughter Pebbles. Perhaps Fred's most fatherly duty is powering the Flintstone's car with his feet.

#57 Al Bundy of "Married…With Children" 1987-97
America could not help but feel bad for Al Bundy (Ed O'Neill), a women's shoe salesman who hated his job and couldn't let go of his dream of being a football star. Not to mention that his wife was lazy and spent all his money at the mall, his son wasn't too much of a hit with the ladies, and his daughter was, well, too much of a hit with the guys. Al Bundy was the ideal dad of the dysfunctional family.

[barwars]

I hate that on new shows, they always seem to be pinching for money, yet their houses look like Extreme Makeover designed them.

[Janice]

Originally Posted by barwars

I hate that on new shows, they always seem to be pinching for money, yet their houses look like Extreme Makeover designed them.

I know, and they're all dressed in designer clothes too.

[barwars]

Originally Posted by Janice

I know, and they're all dressed in designer clothes too.

Exactly. It wasn't until recently that this happened. I think Everybody Loves Raymond may be the last sitcom where the house looked like they lived in it, and that they bought their clothes at the mall, like normal people.

Everybody is insanely good looking too, it gets annoying.
I like Friends a lot, but it seems to be the series that started it all. Huge apartments, designer clothes, perfect looking people.

[Raisingdad2004]

Thats one thing I love about Frasier, it looks real.
I mean sure Frasiers apartment is nice, but it is actually something Frasier would "design" and it's financially believable.

I can't believe that on Friends the gang could afford the apartments they live in, nor would Chandler and Joey keep it that clean - unless Monica cleaned it for them, It seems fake!

Home Improvement though wasn't too bad, I mean the kids clothes were generally "holey" and the house was a bit of a mess (most of the time because of Tim!).

[Mr. Monitor]

Man George Jefferson was makin that BIG TIME CHEESE!!!

Movin' on Up is right!

[Belair]

Who cares honestly! Never have I watched a sitcom and wondered how much money a character was bringing home!

[db108108]

Originally Posted by Belair

Who cares honestly! Never have I watched a sitcom and wondered how much money a character was bringing home!

I guess it depends on what sitcom you're watching. For instance, the Conner's (Roseanne) could NOT have lived in the Huxtable house. The show just would not have worked as their struggle would not have been believable. 714 Deleware was so perfect for Roseanne- it was small, cramped, dingy, dirty, tacky, the coach was ratty, the kitchen table was tacky, there was junk food on the cupboards, the washing machines were old- it was just like where I grew up! Maybe that's why I love the show so much- I really see my family in their family, except that we didn't win the lottery

About Friends, I remember reading early in their run (maybe after the first season), that their apartment in that location would cost something like $3500 a month. Considering that Monica was a chef and Rachel was a waitress, it was beyond realistic. As well, I read that Frasier Crane's apartment, with the view of Seattle that it had, would market for something like $5.5 million dollars. Drew Carey's house would have sold for something like $70,000 in the mid 90s (or so I read then), so that was much more realistic. Too bad the sitcom went to the sh*thole after the fourth season.

I also don't think that Tim Taylor should have ranked so high on the list. He was a tv host, yes, but on a local cable show. In a market like Detroit, that just spells big bucks.

[barwars]

Originally Posted by db108108

As well, I read that Frasier Crane's apartment, with the view of Seattle that it had, would market for something like $5.5 million dollars.

Frasier's view is actually impossible, there is no building from the angle of the Space Needle.

Anyways, Frasier was rich, so it made sense for him to have such a huge apartment.

[spunkygirl]

I never would have thought Tim Taylor made more than Frasier Crane

[barwars]

Originally Posted by Sasette

I never would have thought Tim Taylor made more than Frasier Crane

He had those classic cars, so maybe that explains where some of the money went. Ohh, and hospital bills of course.

[spunkygirl]

Originally Posted by barwars

He had those classic cars, so maybe that explains where some of the money went. Ohh, and hospital bills of course.

I never would have thought someone who hosted his own tool show would make more money than a psychiatrist, that's just crazy.