How much do Squid Game actors get paid?

The main cast members of Squid Game Season 1 earned between $500,000 to $2 million each for the 9 episode season, with lead actor Lee Jung-jae making around $248,000 per episode. Let‘s take a deep dive into the salaries and net worths of the Squid Game cast!

Squid Game‘s Record-Shattering Popularity

Before we dig into the cast earnings, it‘s worth recapping just how massively popular Squid Game became upon its September 2021 release:

• Amassed 1.65 billion viewing hours within first 28 days, the biggest Netflix original series launch ever
• Topped Netflix charts in over 90 countries
• Most popular Netflix show of all time as of January 2022
• Spurred a 14,000% increase in global interest for Squid Game Halloween costumes in 2021

This unprecedented level of popularity for a non-English language show generated equally unprecedented paydays for its cast.

Salaries for Squid Game‘s Lead Actors

So exactly how much did the lead Squid Game actors get paid? Here‘s a breakdown:

• Lee Jung-jae (Seong Gi-hun): $248,000 per episode, or $2.2 million for Season 1
• Park Hae-soo (Cho Sang-woo): $223,000 per episode, or $2 million for Season 1
• Wi Ha-joon (Hwang Jun-ho): $55,000 to $65,000 per episode, or $500,000 to $600,000 for Season 1
• HoYeon Jung (Kang Sae-byeok): $55,000 to $65,000 per episode, or $500,000 to $600,000 for Season 1

For veteran actors Lee Jung-jae and Park Hae-soo, these per-episode rates were massive jumps from their previous Korean drama salaries of $34,000-$100,000.

But for newcomers like HoYeon Jung and Wi Ha-joon, the Squid Game paydays were utterly life-changing. Prior to their breakout roles, Jung was a model earning a modest salary, while Wi Ha-joon had small supporting roles paying under $20,000 per episode.

Their Squid Game salaries of $55,000-$65,000 per episode rocketed them to high-earning TV actor status literally overnight.

Supporting Actors Salaries

Even beyond the lead four actors, supporting cast members earned at least 10X their pre-Squid Game rates:

• O Yeong-su (Player 001): $55,000-$65,000 per episode
• Heo Sung-tae (Front Man): $35,000-$45,000 per episode
• Kim Joo-ryoung (Han Mi-nyeo): $20,000-$30,000 per episode

72-year-old O Yeong-su secured the biggest paycheck of his five decade acting career. And mid-level actors like Heo Sung-tae saw their salaries jump from around $3,000-$5,000 before Squid Game.

Typical Pay Ranges for Korean Actors

To provide context, here are typical per-episode salaries for Korean actors based on their fame level:

• A-list celebrities: $70,000+
• Leading actors: $30,000 – $70,000
• Supporting actors: $10,000 – $30,000
• Rising/unknown actors: $5,000 – $15,000

So Squid Game provided unprecedented earnings, even for the lead actors. Top stars like Lee Jung-jae rarely if ever earned over $100,000 per episode prior to Squid Game mania.

According to reports, Lee‘s previous per-episode rates ranged from $34,000 to $55,000 for career-defining dramas like Sandglass and Triple. So his Squid Game salary marked a 400-600% raise.

Lee Jung-jae‘s Net Worth and Career Earnings

In fact, Lee Jung-jae was already considered one of Korea‘s highest-paid TV stars pre-Squid Game, thanks to his extensive career:

• Debuted in 1991; acted in 40+ movies & 20+ K-dramas
• Won acting accolades like the Blue Dragon, Grand Bell, and Baeksang Arts awards
• Had an estimated net worth of $16 million pre-Squid Game

Some of Lee Jung-jae‘s best known roles include:

• Sandglass (1995) – beloved K-drama that boosted Lee‘s fame
• Il Mare (2000) – breakthrough romantic film, remade as The Lake House
• The Thieves (2012) – one of the highest grossing Korean films of all time
• Assassination (2015) – another box office smash hit

Lee also starred in the acclaimed TV series Triple in 2009, for which he likely earned around $34,000-$55,000 per episode based on industry rates.

So while already successful, Squid Game has launched Lee Jung-jae‘s earnings and fame into the stratosphere.

The Impact of Squid Game‘s Success on Cast Earnings

Across the board, Squid Game utterly elevated its cast in terms of fame, career opportunities, and financial compensation:

• Lee Jung-jae‘s estimated net worth has doubled since Squid Game launched to around $30 million.
• Wi Ha-joon went from small supporting roles to fielding lead offers for upcoming K-dramas.
• HoYeon Jung became the global face of Louis Vuitton fashion campaigns.
• Heo Sung-tae‘s previously middling per-episode rate leapt 10X to $35,000-$45,000 for Squid Game.

For veteran actors, the success provided unprecedented late career boosts. O Yeong-su secured Korea‘s first Golden Globe at age 77 thanks to Squid Game mania.

But for newcomers like HoYeon Jung and Heo Sung-tae, the show represented utterly life-changing breaks that immediately placed them among Korea‘s highest-earning stars.

How Squid Game Salaries Compare to Other Netflix Shows

Squid Game‘s cast pay scales are impressive compared to salaries for other top Netflix programs:

• The Crown: Claire Foy and Matt Smith earned $40,000 per episode for Season 1.
• Stranger Things: Ryder and Harbour made $350k per episode in Season 3.
• The Witcher: Henry Cavill earned $400k per episode in Season 1.
• Bridgerton: Estimated $50-60k per episode for first seasons.
• Ozark: Jason Bateman and Laura Linney earned $500k per episode in Season 4.

So at $248k per episode, Lee Jung-jae made far more than most Netflix leads, cementing his status as the streamer‘s highest-paid dramatic actor along with Ozark‘s stars.

Chart comparing lead cast salaries for top Netflix original series

And in Season 2, Lee Jung-jae could potentially make up to $700k per episode if rumors are true – matching the massive sums earned by sitcom stars like The Big Bang Theory‘s Jim Parsons and Friends‘ Jennifer Aniston.

Squid Game Cast Salaries for Season 2

In fact, major publications like Variety have reported that the entire Squid Game cast is fielding huge raises for the much-anticipated Season 2:

• Lee Jung-jae: potentially $700k per episode
• Park Hae-soo: potentially $200-250k per episode
• Wi Ha-joon: potentially $200-250k per episode
• HoYeon Jung: potentially $100-150k per episode

While not confirmed, these figures demonstrate how Netflix is willing to pay top dollar to lock down the cast responsible for its biggest show ever. After reaping billions in revenue from Season 1, shelling out millions more for Season 2 is a no-brainer investment.

Accolades Won by Squid Game Cast

In addition to the massive financial windfalls, Squid Game has showered its cast with acclaim and awards:

• Lee Jung-jae won:
  • 2022 Emmy for Best Actor, first Asian to win
  • 2022 SAG Award for Best Actor
  • 2022 Critics Choice Award for Best Actor
• O Yeong-su won:
  • 2022 Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actor
• HoYeon Jung won:
  • 2022 SAG Award for Best Actress
• The show also earned SAG awards for Best Stunt Ensemble and Best Action Performance.

Lee Jung-jae in particular achieved "grand slam" awards season success, cementing his standing as a top global actor.

Highest Paid Korean Actors: Squid Game Cast Now Among the Top

While Lee Jung-jae was already one of Korea‘s top stars pre-Squid Game, the show‘s success has now catapulted him into the top tier of highest-paid Korean actors alongside superstars like:

• Kim Soo-hyun: $110,000+ per episode
• Song Joong-ki: $82,000+ per episode
• Hyun Bin: $58,000+ per episode

Prior to Squid Game, Lee Jung-jae likely earned around $50,000 per episode for his dramas. But post-Squid Game, Lee now commands $200,000 to $700,000 per episode, cementing his status as the highest-paid Korean drama actor ever.

Chart showing the top salaries earned by elite Korean actors

And other cast members like Park Hae-soo and Wi Ha-joon also now find themselves ranking among the top K-drama actor pay scales, with their salaries rising from under $30,000 pre-Squid Game to $200,000+ post-Squid Game.

Conclusion: Massive Earnings for Squid Game Cast

In closing, the unprecedented global popularity of Squid Game enabled massive salary leaps for its cast. For lead actor Lee Jung-jae, his per-episode fee jumped from $50,000 to $250,000, and soon potentially over $700,000 for Season 2.

Supporting cast members like Wi Ha-joon and HoYeon Jung saw income explosions from under $20,000 to $250,000 per episode. And Squid Game has turned its actors into globally recognized superstars who can command top fees for future projects. So there is no doubt that Squid Game represented career, fame, and financial windfalls beyond the dreams of its hard-working Korean cast.