Ray Romano is reportedly still earning a staggering $18 million per year in residuals for his starring role in Everybody Loves Raymond.
According to a report from Forbes and Vanity Fair, Romano, who was paid almost $2 million per episode on the hit sitcom’s ninth and final season in 2005, earns up to $18 million annually in syndication residuals. Despite ending in 2005, Everybody Loves Raymond continues to air in syndication and on streaming services such as Paramount+ and Peacock.
The popular CBS comedy series, created by Phil Rosenthal, starred Romano as Raymond “Ray” Barone, a sportswriter living with his family on Long Island. The show ran for nine seasons between September 13, 1996, and May 16, 2005, and won 15 Emmys from 69 nominations.
As of 2026, Romano is worth $200 million, according to Celebrity Net Worth. While the actor has starred in several films and TV shows, including the Ice Age franchise and the NBC comedy-drama Parenthood, much of his earnings come from his Everybody Loves Raymond royalties.
CBS/Courtesy: Everett Collection
Romano’s wages on Everybody Loves Raymond became a major topic of conversation in 2003 during the show’s eighth season. After reports came out that Romano was making around $1.8 million a week as part of a $40 million deal for the season, co-star Brad Garrett, who played Ray’s older brother Robert Barone, demanded a raise.
Garrett was further disgruntled when it came out that Romano’s contract renewal stated that he’d get royalties for re-runs of older episodes, per The Daily Mail. At the time, Garrett was said to be making around $160,000 per episode.
After refusing to turn up to work unless his CBS contract was renegotiated, Garrett’s character was temporarily removed from the first episode and threatened with being written out of the show entirely. However, his fellow castmates, Patricia Heaton, Doris Roberts, and Peter Boyle backed him up and called in sick in solidarity.
“Ray deserves every penny, all Brad wants is compensation commensurate with what other similarly situated actors have made in the past and are making today,” Garrett’s representative said at the time.
According to Entertainment Weekly, CBS eventually entered negotiations with the cast, and Garrett’s pay was increased to $250,000 an episode for Season 8 and $315,000 per episode for Season 9.
Romano didn’t blame Garrett and admitted he’d have likely done the same in his shoes. “When my salary came out in the papers, I knew stuff would happen,” he said at the time. “I’d do exactly the same thing.”
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Originally published on tvinsider.com, part of the BLOX Digital Content Exchange.
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