You’ve seen him as Steve Harvey. You’ve seen him as the "What Up With That?" guy. Honestly, it’s hard to remember a time when Kenan Thompson wasn't on Saturday Night Live. He’s been there for over two decades, which is basically an eternity in show business. But while he’s making us laugh every Saturday night, there’s a massive question fans keep asking: How much is NBC actually paying the guy to stick around?
The Kenan Thompson SNL salary is a bit of a legend in the halls of Studio 8H. Usually, the show has a very strict, tiered pay scale. Newbies make "pennies" (by TV standards), and the veterans eventually hit a ceiling. But Kenan? He’s the exception that proves the rule.
Breaking Down the Standard SNL Pay Scale
To understand why Kenan’s paycheck is such a big deal, you have to look at what everyone else is making. Most people think being on TV means you’re instantly a millionaire. Not quite.
- Year One: Fresh-faced "featured players" start at roughly $7,000 per episode. Over a 21-episode season, that’s about $147,000. Sounds great, until you realize they have to live in Manhattan and work 80-hour weeks.
- Year Two: If they get invited back, they get a small bump. Usually around $8,000 per episode.
- The Mid-Level: By the fifth year, you’re looking at $15,000 per episode, or roughly $315,000 a year.
- The "Vets": Heavy hitters like Kate McKinnon or Colin Jost historically topped out at $25,000 per episode. That caps their annual SNL earnings at $525,000.
Then there’s Kenan.
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Why the Kenan Thompson SNL Salary Breaks the Rules
Most sources, including Celebrity Net Worth and industry insiders, estimate that Kenan earns between $2 million and $3 million per year. Do the math. In a 21-episode season, that’s about $95,238 per episode.
That is nearly four times what the "highest-paid" stars are supposed to make. Why the massive gap? It’s simple: leverage.
Kenan joined in 2003. He has outlasted legends like Bill Hader, Kristen Wiig, and Seth Meyers. He is the "glue" of the show. If a sketch is falling apart, Lorne Michaels knows he can throw Kenan in there to save it with a single facial expression. That kind of reliability is worth a premium. He isn't just a cast member anymore; he’s an institution.
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The Business of Being the Longest-Running Cast Member
Staying at SNL for 22+ seasons is unheard of. Most actors use the show as a four-year springboard to Hollywood movies. Kenan took a different path. He realized that steady employment at NBC—plus the ability to do side projects—was a better deal.
His net worth is now sitting around $9 million to $13 million, depending on which tax expert you ask. While a huge chunk comes from that Kenan Thompson SNL salary, he’s also been smart about diversification. He had his own sitcom (Kenan), he does voice acting, and he’s constantly appearing in commercials.
There's also the "warm-up" factor. For over a decade, Kenan has been the guy who goes out and gets the audience hyped before the cameras roll. He recently hinted in January 2026 that he might pass those duties to someone like Marcello Hernández, but his presence on the actual show doesn't seem to be going anywhere.
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What This Means for the Future of the Show
Kenan’s salary sets a massive precedent. For years, the rumor was that nobody—not even the biggest stars—could break that $25k-per-episode ceiling. Kenan proved that if you stay long enough and become indispensable, you can negotiate like a movie star.
Is he leaving soon? Probably not. He often talks about how much of a "blessing" it is to have a steady job in an industry that’s notoriously unstable. Plus, as the show’s mentor, he’s basically a coach who also happens to be the star quarterback.
How to Track Your Own Industry Value
You might not be a sketch comedy legend, but Kenan’s career path offers some real-world takeaways for anyone looking to maximize their earnings:
- Become the "Glue": In any company, the person who can fix any problem is the most expensive to replace. Kenan didn't get $3 million by being the loudest; he got it by being the most reliable.
- Understand Your Leverage: Use tenure to your advantage. If you’ve been at a job for 10 years and know where all the bodies are buried, you should be paid significantly more than a new hire, even if the "official" pay scale says otherwise.
- Diversify Your Income: Even with a multi-million dollar salary, Kenan never stopped doing side hustles. Whether it's a Netflix special or a podcast, never rely on a single paycheck.
If you’re curious about how these numbers compare to other TV icons, look into the salaries of the Weekend Update hosts or the historical pay of the "Original Six" cast members. You’ll find that while the numbers go up, very few people ever reach the "Kenan Tier" of job security.