Here are the biggest salaries of TV's top stars

How much is Hollywood shelling out for its top TV talent?

In this age of wall-to-wall TV programming, stars have become essential in bringing sizable audiences to shows.

Variety talked to actors, executives, agents, managers, attorneys, and others who are in the know about how much TV stars are making these days and found that the gap between the salaries of main stars and supporting ones has become larger.

Star salaries can range from $1 million an episode for the main players of CBS's "Big Bang Theory" to as small as $20,000 per episode for the actors who play the Lyon kids on Fox's "Empire."

Here's a look at the biggest salaries across comedy, drama, and reality/news/talk series*:

*Salaries are per episode, unless otherwise indicated. Some salaries may include producing fees and profit participation.