Caitriona Balfe vs Sam Heughan: Which ‘Outlander’ Star Has the Highest Net Worth?

Both Caitriona Balfe and Sam Heughan quickly shot up to the A-list in 2014 for their portrayals of Claire and Jamie Fraser respectively on the Starz hit drama series Outlander. Based on the book series by  Diana Gabaldon, the show has garnered a cult following and massive critical acclaim for its actors.

Though the actors have the same salary for their work on the series as leads, who has the highest net worth?

This is what Caitriona Balfe and Sam Heughan are paid for ‘Outlander’

Back in 2017, Variety published a list of the highest-paid actors on TV. At the time, Outlander was in the middle of its third season and had garnered major recognition. For their work on the show, both Balfe and Heughan were being paid $100,000 per episode. This was quite a step up from their Season 1 salaries.

Though that number has not been revealed, Balfe did speak candidly about how horribly she was paid during her first year in Claire Fraser’s shoes.
“That first year of Outlander, I was paid abysmally, but I was a new actress, and I really had to prove myself,” revealed to UK’s City Women Network. “And I worked my a** off. I worked insane hours and never complained, and showed up and knew my stuff every single day.”

By the end of that season, Balfe was able to negotiate her salary, and she and Heughan were receiving parity. She explained,

Because I know my value, because I do work hard, and I can see the value in that, I’m quite comfortable with saying what I want, and I think that’s something that all women need to learn. As women, we have to not be afraid of being difficult, because they’re going to call us difficult anyway.

Now that both actors have been producers on Outlander in addition to actors since Season 5, we expect that their salaries have increased significantly.

Sam Heughan’s net worth is $5 million

Since his breakout role as Jamie Fraser when Outlander debuted in 2014, Heughan has been able to garner large paychecks for his work. In addition to the role of the beloved 18th century Scott, Heughan has also starred in The Spy Who Dumped Me.

Moreover, he has signed on for at least one more season of Outlander. Season 6 of the series has been pushed back due to the coronavirus pandemic. However, it’s slated to begin filming in Jan. 2021. Amid the Droughlander, you can catch him and former co-star Graham McTavish who played Dougal Mackenzie on the show in Starz’s Men in Kilts: A Roadtrip With Sam and Graham

According to Celebrity Net Worth Heughan is worth $5 million.

Caitriona Balfe’s net worth is $4 million

The Irish actor got her start in the industry as a model before snagging her role on Outlander. According to Celebrity Net Worth, she is worth $4 million, $1 million less than her co-star and best friend, Heughan.

However, Balfe has always known how to stick up for herself. In 2009, she stopped working with the fashion brand BCBG temporarily, when the company continually paid her late.

Balfe now credits the cutthroat world of fashion for the education she needed to learn how to stand up for herself.