Selena Gomez Made $30K Per Episode Salary for ‘Wizards of Waverly Place’
Like so many former child stars before her, Selena Gomez has seen her career drastically evolve over the years. These days, the actor and singer is best known for her hit Hulu series Only Murders in the Building, Rare Beauty makeup line, and hit songs like “Back to You” and “Lose You to Love Me.”
However, Gomez was already earning a hefty paycheck as the star of the Disney Channel’s Wizards of Waverly Place.
Selena Gomez starred on ‘The Wizards of Waverly Place’ from 2007 to 2012
For four seasons, Gomez played teenage wizard-in-training Alex Russo. Along with her brothers Justin (David Henrie) and Max (Jake T. Austin), Alex lives in a New York apartment with their parents as they attempt to master magic and balance their pursuit of wizardry with their personal lives.
In addition to more than 100 episodes of Wizards of Waverly Place, Gomez reprised the role for a pair of TV movies, airing in 2009 and 2013.
Besides The Wizard of Waverly Place, Gomez also appeared in a ton of other series early in her career. These include guest or recurring roles on Barney & Friends (her first screen credit), The Suite Life of Zack & Cody, and Hannah Montana. One of her earliest singles, 2009’s “Magic,” also derived from her role as Alex Russo on The Wizards of Waverly Place.
How much did Selena Gomez earn on the Disney series?
According to Ms. Mojo, Gomez made a tidy sum for her performance on Wizards of Waverly Place. For her role as Alex Russo, she was reportedly paid somewhere between $25,000 and $30,000 per episode. Considering the show ran for 106 episodes, this means Gomez could have earned as much as $3.2 million, all before her 20th birthday.
That among certainly makes Gomez among the highest-paid TV child actors. But the star also leveraged the popularity she gained on Wizards of Waverly Place to propel her career forward. She even made her debut as a producer on the 2013 TV movie that succeeded the series finale, The Wizards Return: Alex vs. Alex, in which she plays a dual role as Evil Alex.
What is Selena Gomez worth today?
Since The Wizards of Waverly Place ended, Gomez has landed several other popular roles. She starred opposite James Franco and Vanessa Hudgens in the hit film Spring Breakers. She landed a main role in the Hotel Transylvania movies and produced the hit Netflix drama 13 Reasons Why. In addition, Gomez has continued a successful music career, releasing three solo albums.
The now-30-year-old’s Rare Beauty makeup line released in 2020. It’s quickly become a beloved and reputable brand, with her lip colors and liquid blush becoming instant favorites of beauty aficionados.
Perhaps all that accounts for her reported net worth of $75 million. And that total is only likely to rise, as Gomez continues to star as one of three leads on Only Murders in the Building. That show – which also stars Steve Martin and Martin Short – will soon return for its third season.
