How Much Did Philip Michael Thomas Make Per Episode on Miami Vice? Around $50,000 at His Peak

Philip Michael Thomas, who played Ricardo "Rico" Tubbs on the iconic 1980s cop show Miami Vice, was earning around $50,000 per episode by the height of his run on the series. This made him one of the highest paid TV stars of his era. But how did Thomas‘ Miami Vice salary stack up to other top shows of the time? And what does his pay reveal about show business then versus now? Let‘s dive deep into the numbers behind Thomas‘ iconic role.

Thomas Earned Over $100,000 Today For Each Later Season Episode

Specifically, reports indicate that Philip Michael Thomas started out making approximately $25,000 per episode during the first two seasons of Miami Vice from 1984 to 1986. Adjusted for inflation, this equates to around $65,000 per episode in present day dollars. Not too shabby!

But Thomas‘ salary increased substantially due to his growing fame as the show became a worldwide sensation. By the third season in 1986, he was earning $50,000 per episode. In today‘s money, that‘s roughly $130,000 per episode – more than most Americans make in a year!

He seems to have earned this higher per episode rate for the remaining three seasons of Miami Vice until the show ended in 1989. That means Thomas banked well over $100,000 today for each of the last few dozen episodes, through the rest of the decade.

How Did Miami Vice Salaries Compare to Other ‘80s Hits?

To put Thomas‘ paydays in context, it‘s useful to look at what other major shows of the 1980s were shelling out for their talent:

• On Dynasty, Joan Collins was making $40,000 per episode by the mid-1980s – less than Thomas – while other stars like John Forsythe earned around $100,000.

• The Cosby Show was a massive hit, but Lisa Bonet made just $12,000 per episode early on, less than half Thomas‘ initial salary.

• Cheers star Ted Danson broke out in the late ‘80s earning around $200,000 per episode in the final seasons – impressive even next to Thomas.

So Thomas‘ Miami Vice pay rated very favorably among other primetime giants of the decade. The show was famously expensive to produce, with lavish locations and action sequences. NBC was willing to foot the bill, seeing the show as a prestige drama that attracted advertisers.

Miami Vice Helped Fuel the Booming ‘80s TV Ad Market

In fact, the rise of Miami Vice coincides neatly with the explosion in TV ad revenue during the go-go 1980s. According to analysis of historical ad cost data:

• In 1984, the average cost of a 30-second commercial was around $50,000.

• By 1989, at Miami Vice‘s peak, that same ad cost over $135,000 – a 170% increase in just 5 years!

So NBC had the deep pockets to meet Thomas‘ salary demands – and advertiser interest in the show justified the generous pay. Miami Vice was a TV giant that embodied the swaggering, big-budget spirit of 1980s Hollywood.

Thomas‘ Fashion and Lifestyle Set New Pop Culture Trends

And Thomas didn‘t just get rich from Miami Vice – he became an arbiter of cool for countless fans. Alongside co-star Don Johnson, Thomas pioneered a whole new aesthetic for men in the 1980s. Their expensive Italian suits, luxury cars and speedboats, and ever-present sunglasses spawned endless imitators.

Brands like Ray-Ban, Armani, and Lamborghini became red hot simply through their association with Thomas‘ character Rico on the series. The public craved his aspirational jetsetting lifestyle, fueling demand for high-end fashion and travel.

So while the cash certainly didn‘t hurt, Thomas earned his big paycheck by defining men‘s style for a generation and spreading Italian luxury brands to the masses.

Thomas vs. Johnson: Who Came Out Ahead?

Interestingly, Don Johnson‘s initial salary was reportedly even lower than Thomas‘ – just $30,000 to $35,000 per episode at the beginning. However, Johnson later negotiated a massive raise to around $65,000 per episode for his role as Sonny Crockett.

This put the co-stars on parity for the later seasons. But after Miami Vice ended, their careers diverged significantly. Thomas never again reached the same heights, while Johnson parlayed his stardom into movie roles and lead parts on shows like Nash Bridges.

In fact, Johnson has raked in a cumulative $350 million from acting over his long career, according to Celebrity Net Worth. Thomas is thought to be worth around $1.5 million by comparison.

So while Thomas had the bigger trailer early on, Don Johnson definitely "won" in the long run by sustaining his box office power.

How Do Miami Vice Salaries Compare to Today‘s TV Pay?

As massive as Thomas‘ paydays were in the ‘80s, they seem almost quaint by today‘s standards. Some comparisons:

• Modern drama stars like Claire Danes earn $500,000 per episode on shows like Homeland.

• Sitcom leads such as the cast of The Big Bang Theory scored $1 million per episode by the end of their runs.

• Even supporting actors on network procedurals now make $50,000 to $100,000 per episode – similar to Thomas‘ peak Miami Vice rate.

• Reality stars on The Voice and American Idol can score over $10 million per season for judges‘ roles.

So the golden age of "Peak TV" has brought much higher paydays for top talent compared to the 1980s. However, Thomas still earned fabulously well compared to the average TV actor of his day.

What Thomas‘ Salary Reveals About Show Business Then and Now

Stepping back, I think Philip Michael Thomas‘ compensation for Miami Vice sheds light on how the entertainment industry has evolved from the 1980s until today:

• First, it shows the beginnings of the "superstar economy" where certain elite names captured most of the earnings. Thomas was an early prototype of today‘s A-list media moguls.

• It also reflects some racial income inequality in show business – Thomas was perhaps overpaid early on compared to equivalent white actors at the time.

• Nonetheless, his fame and salary created new opportunities for actors of color to become mainstream crossover stars with big paychecks.

• Overall, Thomas epitomized the "big hair, big money" widespread excess of 1980s television.

• Yet since then, star salaries have scaled up dramatically along with the entire media universe. Thomas‘ pay seems relatively modest in light of today‘s streaming-driven production budgets.

• But in its time, Miami Vice and Thomas‘ icon earnings paved the way for the TV landscape we have now, for better or worse!

So while we may think of 1980s television as dated and campy today, at the time it marked a new era of elevated budgets, advertising, and celebrity culture. Analyzing Philip Michael Thomas‘ peak pay on Miami Vice gives insight into how we got from the 1980s to the current state of the entertainment business.

I hope this breakdown provided lots of insightful analysis on Thomas‘ earnings! Let me know if you have any other classic TV salary questions.