Despite being off the air for almost two decades, the iconic sitcom Friends continues to spark the curiosity of fans online, with the show’s continuity issues and many other behind-the-scenes details making the rounds on social media long after it peaked in the late 1990s. The wages of the Friends characters during the course of the show’s 10-season run have now been released, and viewers may be shocked to hear who made the most money.
According to the Independent, figures gathered by a recruitment firm for the phone network Giff Gaff estimate that on-and-off soap opera star Joey Tribbiani (played by Matt LeBlanc) earned the most within the Friends universe after landing a role in a feature film that saw his annual earnings skyrocket to $130,000. Joey, on the other hand, appeared to be without any part-time occupations in between acting engagements.
Meanwhile, Chandler Bing (Matthew Perry) is said to have increased his annual salary as an IT procurement manager from $50,000 to $100,000. Chandler’s wages are thought to have dropped dramatically when he switched occupations to become an advertising copywriter in Season 9.
Monica Geller earns an estimated $80,000 per year as the chief chef at Javu. However, fans rarely saw Monica at the restaurant (or any other waitressing jobs she had), where lengthy hours were expected.
Ross, her brother, is said to have earned $75,000 per year as a paleontologist. He then takes a couple of seasons off before returning to work at a somewhat lower income.
Rachel Green earned a maximum of $55,000 in her capacity at Ralph Lauren after previously working as a buyer and personal shopper at Bloomingdale’s.
Phoebe Buffay (Lisa Kudrow), having tried her hand at a variety of jobs, including masseuse and busker, is thought to be the poorest of the six New York City buddies.
As previously said, the Friends character wages are only estimates, and when considering the real-world cost of living, particularly in one of the most expensive cities in the world, the Friends economics should definitely be taken with a grain of salt.
According to Which? Mortgage Advisers, Monica’s renowned Greenwich Village apartment would have cost an estimated $4 million in 2018, with the deposit alone costing $400,000.