The Big Bang Theory won over the hearts of millions throughout its 12-year run, from the quirky characters to the unique and lovely relationships to the constant takeaways, and much more. The show was a revelation. One of its main characteristics is how it centers around four scientists who all work at Caltech.
Such qualified professionals in their field should be earning the big bucks but there are characters like Penny who wind up earning similar cash later in the series. The characters have jobs ranging from a pharmaceutical sales rep, a microbiologist, to even a comic book store owner. But who was paid the most?
Updated on June 3rd, 2021, by Lynn Gibbs: After ending in 2019, it's been two years since The Big Bang Theory left fans' screens. Sheldon's idiosyncrasies and Leonard and Penny's long-running relationship storyline are missed dearly. Luckily, if fans aren't watching the spinoff, Young Sheldon, they can rewatch TBBT again and again on streaming services. The more fans rewatch the series, the more questions they have revolving around the group's everyday lives. Money is a huge conversation piece for TBBT, mainly because Penny was living on a waitress' salary and still able to live on her own in a spacious Pasadena apartment. This begs the question of how much the characters actually made according to real-life resources.
Penny: Cheesecake Factory Waitress ($28,000+)
Penny (Kaley Cuoco) moved into the apartment next to Sheldon and Leonard after falling out with her ex-boyfriend, but before that, she moved to California to carry out her dreams of becoming an actress. Alas, as many people know, such a dream can take years before it comes true, so in the meantime, she decided to take a job as a waitress for The Cheesecake Factory.
However, working that job for seven years probably didn't give her the kind of money she would have hoped for. Indeed notes that the average annual salary for servers is around $28,000. In fact, given the nice apartment outside of Los Angeles she lived in, Penny was unlikely to have much left over after paying the bills.
Stuart: Comic Book Store Owner ($35,000+)
When the show introduced Stuart Bloom (Kevin Sussman), he was a slightly geeky but charming and kind-hearted man who owned his very own comic book store, but after his two dates with Penny, his luck seemed to go away with her. Throughout the rest of the show, he was always alone and repeatedly struggling for money. Somehow he managed to keep the comic book store open for many years, even after it had burnt down, but that often left him with barely any spare cash.
At one point he moved in with Howard's mother and took care of her, but it's hard to imagine he was earning much from that side job either. According to Simply Hired, the average salary for a comic book store owner is around $62,000 a year. But knowing that Stuart lived and ate at the store, it seems like he wasn't making that kind of cash until later seasons.
Emily: Dermatology Resident ($48,000+)
While not a main character, Emily (Laura Spencer) was still had quite a significant part to play in the series, especially in some of the later seasons when she was a long-term girlfriend to Raj. From what fans know of Emily, after graduating from Harvard, she became a dermatology resident at Huntington Hospital. Unfortunately, fans don't really get to see much of what she does there or her role at the hospital.
Seeing as her education was of the highest standard, it's fair to assume she is a high-end dermatologist. Comparably notes that the average salary for a dermatology resident is around $48,000, but those in the Los Angeles area can earn upwards of $60,000.
Amy: Neurobiologist ($80,000+)
After joining the main cast in season 3, Amy Farrah Fowler became an integral part of the show. Played by real-life scientist Mayim Bialik, Amy is the love interest of Sheldon and is also great friends with the rest of the gang, particularly Penny and Bernadette. Unlike the guys, Amy's scientific expertise lies in the field of biology.
Also from Harvard, Amy is a neurobiologist, but the show never explicitly reveals who she works for. She's regularly seen in her own laboratory, conducting experiments focusing on animal addiction, such as a capuchin addicted to cigarettes or starfish addicted to cocaine, but it's unclear whether she works for another university or an independent firm. Zip Recruiter notes that neurobiologists in the Los Angeles area make close to $80,000 a year.
Leonard: Experimental Physicist ($100,000+)
Coming from a family full of scientists, it was only natural for Leonard Hoftstadter (Johnny Galecki) to also venture into the field, but unlike his neuroscientist and psychologist mother, he opted for the study of the universe with his Ph.D. in experimental physics. After receiving his Ph.D. at Princeton University at the young age of 24, Leonard went on to become a research scientist at Caltech.
His work often involves high-powered lasers, and he studies various topics ranging from Bose-Einstein condensates to dark matter and cosmic radiation, which has led him to publish world-renowned papers with Sheldon and also work with the military on classified rocket fuel. Because of his education and position, he could be earning close to $100,000 a year.
Raj: Astrophysicist ($100,000+)
Over the years, Rajesh Koothrappali (Kunal Nayyar) discovered plenty of breakthroughs in his field of astrophysics. He discovered a planet, found a comet with the help of Penny, and of course, he was included in People magazine's "30 (Visionaries) Under 30 (Years of Age) to Watch," becoming a somewhat celebrity in his field.
Later in the show, Raj was even seen to take up a second job that he loved, working at the planetarium as a speaker. Since he works at such a renowned university and made some pretty incredible discoveries, PayScale notes he could be making close to $100,000.
Howard: Aerospace Engineer ($110,000+)
As an aerospace engineer, Howard Wolowitz would have already been making extremely good money, especially at a university like Caltech, but following his expeditions to the International Space Station, he almost definitely received a hefty pay rise. Aerospace engineers design and build various aircraft, satellites, spacecraft, and even missiles, but Howard's job didn't stop just there.
Howard was also given responsibilities such as driving the Mars Rover and most importantly, actually going to space in season 6. While most aerospace engineers at such high-level universities earn around $100,000, given Howard's achievements, he probably earned way over that amount.
Penny: Pharmaceutical Sales Rep ($110,000+)
After finally moving on from her acting career, Penny used her natural charm and charisma and entered the world of sales. Thanks to a kind reference from Bernadette, Penny was able to start off as a pharmaceutical sales rep for Zangen. With her large commissions and awesome perks, like bonuses and vacations, she was already earning more than Leonard in her first year.
But it got even better for Penny, as she was promoted to head of sales for the drug that Bernadette was developing. Given how big the company is, and how much commission Penny could have gained, she's making more than $110,000 a year, according to Economic Research Insitute.
Bernadette: Microbiologist ($125,000+)
Another late addition to the gang, but also a great one, is Bernadette. Fans met her as a student studying for her Ph.D. in microbiology while working at The Cheesecake Factory on the side with Penny. After her hard work, Bernadette received her Ph.D., leaving her husband Howard as the only academic without one, and got a high-level job at a pharmaceutical company called Zangen. And since she said she makes a "buttload of money," every fan has the same question: how much does Bernadette make?
The show never mentions specifically what her role is, or how much she makes, but it's clear she has an extremely important role at a big company. The average salary in LA for microbiologists is around $66,000, but due to Bernadette's Ph.D. and role at Zangen, she most likely earns upwards of $120,000.
Sheldon: Theoretical Physicist ($150,000+)
With an incredible IQ of 187, Sheldon is by far the smartest character in the show, and his job certainly justified this. As a senior researcher and junior professor at Caltech, Sheldon was at the summit of theoretical physics research and has written some vital papers over the years. Most importantly, during the final season, when, after teaming up with wife Amy, he published a paper about super-asymmetry, winning them both a Nobel Prize.
As a junior professor, Glassdoor claims Sheldon is earning six figures, which already is quite a substantial amount, but following his recent Nobel Prize, that number is very likely to increase. In fact, Nobel Prize winners also receive just under a million dollars for winning, so Sheldon definitely has some spare change for the comic book store.