Mariska Hargitay's Jaw-Dropping 'Law & Order: SVU' Salary Revealed — as Show Celebrates Major Milestone
Mariska Hargitay's salary for 'Law & Order: SVU' episodes is revealed.
Nov. 13 2026, Published 7:32 p.m. ET
Mariska Hargitay shocked the public when her Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (SVU) salary was revealed, RadarOnline.com can report.
A new report says Hargitay makes a whopping $850,000 per episode of the longstanding detective drama. The update comes as NBC aired the show's 600th episode on November 12.
Hargitay's Salary Revealed
A $850,000 deal per episode brings Hargitay nearly $18 million a season.
SVU has typically aired 21 to 22 episodes a season in the last five years, besides season 25, which was cut short due to the 2023 Writers Guild of America and SAG-AFTRA strikes.
While season 28's full episode count has not been released yet, the 62-year-old Emmy winner could expect an estimated pay between $17.85million and $18.7million.
Since the show premiered in 1999, Hargitay has starred as the beloved character Olivia Benson. Her pay increased in 2014 when she was added as an executive producer for season 15.
Hargitay Gives Toast to Crew
Hargitay nearly skipped out on the cast and crew's celebratory dinner.
Hargitay gave a speech at the cast and crew's celebration dinner of the episode.
"Here we are at episode 600, and it really doesn’t feel totally real, which in a way is exactly how it should feel, because it’s as if we all get to live in this dream of what you thought might be possible someday," she said. "And you’ve shown that it’s not only possible, but it’s so much better than anyone could have imagined."
The episode is described as showcasing Benson's personal journey in a new way the show hasn't seen. The actress interpreted the story as an important one to tell for women.
Hargitay's toast commemorated show creator Dick Wolf for his years of dedication.
"You truly have television, the kind of vision that lets you see and dream and believe far enough and wide enough to create some of this. All those years ago, when you sat there with this idea for the show, and you said, ‘Huh, this might work,’ you used your television, your foresight, to look many years in the future," she said.
Christopher Meloni Returns
Christopher Meloni makes another appearance on 'SVU' as detective Elliot Stabler.
The new episode, titled "Obedience," also features the return of Christopher Meloni's character Elliot Stabler, who has frequently made guest appearances after departing in 2011. His absence ultimately bumped Hargitay's name up the cast sheet, but their chemistry always seems to fall back into place as they explore their characters' fraught relationship.
Wolf Entertainment CFO Peter Jankowski commented on Meloni's importance to the show, even if it lingers in the background during his absence, saying he's a part of their DNA.
"There is something reassuring about seeing Mariska and Chris work together just like old times. The difference is that for the last 15 years, it has been Mariska’s show. She is the alpha dog now," he said.
The partners in crime reopen an old case in the new episode, which has some fun moments that Hargitay noted mirrored the actors' personalities.
TV Actors' Salary Gets Exposed
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Hargitay is one of the highest earning actors on TV.
Hargitay is just one actor whose paycheck amounts were recently exposed. Fellow longtime network TV actress Ellen Pompeo, who plays the titular character in Grey's Anatomy, earns $20 million per season, which has recently consisted of around 18 episodes. The actresses are surprising cases of large earnings, given that high-profile series with A-list stars have shorter seasons, often between six and 13 episodes.
Meanwhile, The Morning Show stars Jennifer Aniston and Reese Witherspoon earn about $20 million for a 10-episode season.
Zendaya received $2 million per episode of the latest season of Euphoria.
Meanwhile, Only Murders in the Building stars Selena Gomez, Martin Short, and Steve Martin, each earning $1 million per episode for the Hulu 10-episode-per-season show.
