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Top 10 TV Star Salaries: Highest Paid TV Stars

10. Zach Braff

Annual Pay: $7.7 million
The Big Bucks: Being a real-life ER doc is lucrative enough, but playing one on TV is an even better bet. 'Scrubs' star Zach Braff recently signed a one-year deal, and he reportedly stands to take home about $350,000 an episode.

9. Charlie Sheen

Annual Pay: $7.7 million
The Big Bucks: A TV show has never had a more appropriate title. For a week's work, Sheen takes home the net worth of 'Two and a Half Men.' When he signed his deal in September of 2006, he was the highest paid actor on TV.

8. The Cast of 'Desperate Housewives'

Annual Pay: $10. 1 million
The Big Bucks: You can forget the show's "desperate" sophomore slump. The ladies of Wisteria Lane ironed out new contracts, which reportedly pay them $440,000 an episode.

7. Kiefer Sutherland

Annual Pay: $13 million
Big Bucks Club: As Jack Bauer on '24,' he's saved the world six days in a row. To keep him around for the next three, Fox signed Sutherland (who also executive produces the hit thriller) to a $40 million contract. Not bad for thankless government work.

6. Katie Couric

Annual Pay: $15 million
The Big Bucks: When she signed a deal with CBS News, Couric became the first woman to solo anchor a network evening news broadcast. But CBS has to wonder if their money was well-spent; the newscast is still a distant third.

5. James Gandolfini

Annual Pay: $22 million
The Big Bucks: Who says a life of crime doesn't pay? For portraying mob boss Tony Soprano, Gandolfini commands $1 million an episode. And when 'The Sopranos' comes to an end, he'll be tied to HBO with an exclusive three-year producing deal.

4. Simon Cowell

Annual Pay: $36 million
The Big Bucks: Without his snarky comments and spot-on critiques, 'American Idol' wouldn't be worth watching -- and Cowell knows it. He's signed on for five more seasons of the ratings juggernaut.

3. David Letterman

Annual Pay: $40 million
The Big Bucks: He may not be the top-rated late night host, but Letterman owns a stake in his show and has the cash to prove it. His recent contract extension will keep him at CBS until 2010.

2. Dr. Phil

Annual Pay: $45 million
The Big Bucks: They say syndication is a cash cow, and Dr. Phil serves as proof. An out-of-the-box ratings hit after Oprah introduced him to the world, his syndicated talk show gives him runner-up status on our list of top-earning stars.

1. Oprah Winfrey

Annual Pay: $225 million
The Big Bucks: Forget TV, Oprah's the richest woman in entertainment. In addition to her own blockbuster talk show, she also produces syndicated shows for Dr. Phil and Rachael Ray. She's amassed a personal fortune of a reported $1.5 billion. Talk ain't cheap after all.