'The Big Bang Theory' Short Sitcom Episodes Cost a Whopping $9 Million to Create - Showbiz Cheat Sheet

Mayim Bialik and Melissa Rauch joined the series later than the other cast members, and a gap in their salary reflected the difference

When the show began, the two starring cast members were making $1 million per season

By the time the show wrapped up twelve seasons later, the top five cast members were making $1 million per episode

However, any fan of The Big Bang Theory will tell you that the cast and their chemistry is what made the show work, so if the creators were going to make an investment in anything, star power made the most sense.