KEY POINTS

  • “Grey's Anatomy” has aired over 380 episodes over 18 seasons
  •  For seasons 13 and 14, Pompeo earned $350,000 per episode
  • She made $550,000 per episode for seasons 15 and 16 

It was in 2005 when American actress Ellen Pompeo was cast as the lead role and title character Meredith Grey, a surgical intern at the fictional Seattle Grace Hospital, on ABC's "Grey's Anatomy."

Seventeen years later, Pompeo has an estimated net worth of $80 million, according to Celebrity Net Worth, thanks to the show, which brought her both fame and fortune.

As of late, the series has aired over 380 episodes over 18 seasons.

According to reports, Pompeo’s role in the series made her one of the highest-paid actresses in the world.

For seasons 11 and 12, Pompeo earned an estimated $300,000 per episode, roughly $7.5 million per year. For seasons 13 and 14, she earned $350,000 per episode, roughly $8.7 million per year.

The actress made around $20 million per year or $550,000 per episode for the 15th and 16th seasons, according to an article published by The Hollywood Reporter.

Aside from her salary, she also had a signing bonus and backend “equity points” that will likely amount to an additional $6 million to $7 million.

Before "Grey’s Anatomy," Pompeo appeared in episodes of "Law & Order," "Strangers With Candy" and "Strong Medicine," and in movies, including "Moonlight Mile," "Catch Me If You Can," "Daredevil" and "Old School."

Pompeo also delved into producing and directing through the years.

In 2011, she launched her own production company called Calamity Jane and sold its first project to ABC.

She was listed as a co-producer for a “Grey's Anatomy” spinoff titled "Station 19."

Her company also previously inked a massive deal with Amazon for a series about American fashion designers.

Pompeo and her husband Chris Ivery reportedly own a Malibu beach house valued at around $6.4 million.

Over the past years, the couple made money by selling some of their properties for a higher price. One of them was a Hollywood Hills mansion that they sold for $2.8 million in 2018, 13 years after purchasing it for $1.5 million.

Ellen Pompeo
BEVERLY HILLS, CALIFORNIA - OCTOBER 02: Ellen Pompeo attends Save The Children's "Centennial Celebration: Once In A Lifetime" at The Beverly Hilton Hotel on October 02, 2019 in Beverly Hills, California. (Photo by Amy Sussman/Getty Images) Photo by Amy Sussman/Getty Images)