Andrew Lincoln and Norman Reedus

Andrew Lincoln has been the show’s main star ever since the beginning, leading the charge as Rick Grimes. Although his character has had his ups and downs (lots of downs, especially during those middle seasons), Rick continues to remain on top, appearing in the vast majority of episodes. And while Lincoln is one of the top-billed cast members, he only made approximately $92,000 per episode (which usually take eight days to film), as of season 6, thus totaling just over $1.47 million per season.

Norman Reedus, on the other hand, made either $80,000 or $124,000 per episode, depending on the source. While he’s among the crowd who were more well-established in the industry before taking up residence on The Walking Dead, being paid $32,000 more than the series’ main star seems far-fetched, especially for this particular show. With that in mind, the $80,000 estimation makes much more sense. However, recent reports have indicated that both Lincoln and Reedus had received massive pay hikes for seasons 7, 8 and beyond, going from $80,000 and $92,000 to $550,000 and $650,000 per episode respectively - and that would put them in the same ballpark as other top-tier shows, such as Homeland and Game of Thrones, but it’s still not as high as what the casts of broadcast programs make.

Chandler Riggs

Chandler Riggs is one of the wealthiest child actors in the industry today, having garnered an approximate net worth of $2 million, virtually all of which comes from The Walking Dead. It’s unclear what his exact salary is, but if we were to deduce his salary from his co-stars and other child actors, it’s probable that he makes somewhere around $30,000 to $40,000 per episode - though most likely on the low-end of the spectrum.

Riggs was initially contracted for seven seasons, and before he re-upped his contract with AMC, rumors were flying about him meeting his untimely demise during the season 7 finale (which came close to actually happening on-screen). Although Riggs was raking in a hefty sum for someone his age, it’s unclear if he’s being paid more or the same from season 8 onward; we’d wager his being paid much, much more.

Melissa McBride, Lauren Cohan, and everyone else

Andrew Lincoln and Chandler Riggs are technically the only main cast members from season 1 that remain on the show, whereas Norman Reedus - who started out as a recurring star - quickly rose through the ranks to receive top-billing. Although several cast members have been bumped up to series regulars for quite a few seasons now, namely Melissa McBride (Carol), Lauren Cohan (Maggie), and Danai Gurira (Michonne), it’s unclear how much they actually make per episode from the series.

What is clear, though, is that they don’t pull in the same numbers as Lincoln and Reedus do. Judging by their approximate net worth, the majority of principal stars presumably rake in an average of $40,000 to $60,000 per episode, if not more, with Cohan and McBride most likely earning somewhere closer to the higher end of the spectrum - at least as of season 6. After all, McBride has amassed a net worth of approximately $3 million, primarily from appearing on The Walking Dead.

Other principal actors, such as Josh McDermitt, Alanna Masterson, and now Jeffrey Dean Morgan, may pull in lower salaries, for various reasons - one of which is actual screen time. Still, with the aforementioned actors receiving significant raises as of season 7, we’re sure the numbers have trickled down to the other stars as well, with many of them pulling in more than $60,000 throughout future seasons. Unfortunately, those actual numbers may never see the light of day.

Are they being paid enough?

The Walking Dead hit the ground running in the ratings when it premiered back in 2010, but undoubtedly had a tumultuous start when it came to its production team. The network infamously fired the series creator and showrunner Frank Darabont midway through its second season, leaving Glen Mazzara in charge for the rest of season 2 and season 3. Scott M. Gimple took over for Mazzara in season 4 and has been shepherding the series ever since. What’s interesting is that Darabont had sued AMC for breaching his contract and withholding profits owed to him. On the surface, it may seem like Darabont was merely lashing out, when, in actuality, it’s something that continues to plague the network. After all, several other producers have now filed their own lawsuits against AMC.

What’s more, seeing as AMC is allegedly withholding profits from its senior crew members, it’s now even more understandable why they wouldn’t be paying their cast as much as they probably should. Considering that the series is one of the most-watched shows in television history, the main cast members should be making more than $100,000 per episode (especially since AMC charges advertisers $415,000 for one package of ads), which is still a far cry from what shows on broadcast channels make (see: The Big Bang Theory). Of course, the acting salary isn’t the only form of income for the stars - they also can earn big sums from convention appearances and autographs.

Unlike most shows, even the main cast members of The Walking Dead run the risk of being killed off at any moment, so perhaps they don’t want to - or even have the power to - negotiate with the upper echelon at AMC. But, at least, Lincoln and Reedus have managed to secure higher pay from season 7 and beyond. Unfortunately, there’s no telling if the rest of the principals also received raises.

Next: How To Watch The Walking Dead Season 8 Premiere

The Walking Dead season 8 premieres Sunday, October 22 on AMC.