Who were the highest paid child stars of the 90s and how much did they earn?

Top-Earning Child Stars of the ’90s: Their Incomes and Current Endeavors

Whether you were a fan of Casper the Friendly Ghost or never missed a Mary-Kate and Ashley original, the ’90s introduced us to some of the most memorable child roles in film history, with their actors becoming equally iconic. With Hollywood fame often came substantial salaries that rivaled those of their adult counterparts, supporting these leading stars into adulthood.

From the familiar face who reportedly earned over $200 million from a single film to the child stars who became global billionaires, here’s what some of the decade’s highest-paid kids in Hollywood earned during the era and what they’re up to today.

All current net worth data is taken from celebritynetworth.com.

Macaulay Culkin

Though Macaulay Culkin took a break from Hollywood after Richie Rich (1994), he had already established himself as the wealthiest child star of the decade, becoming the first child actor to earn over $1 million for a single film thanks to My Girl (1991). After earning around $100,000 for the first Home Alone (1990) film, Macaulay secured a far more lucrative contract for its second installment in 1992, bringing in approximately $4.5 million as well as 15 percent of merchandising revenue, with his total earnings estimated to be well over $200 million.

Though he’s no longer earning the staggering sums of the ’90s, with an approximate net worth of $25 million, Macaulay is back on screens again with a recent role in Prime’s smash-hit Fallout (2025).

Jonathan Taylor Thomas

As one of several child stars on the hugely popular sitcom Home Improvement (1991–1999), Jonathan Taylor Thomas was earning an estimated $8,000 per episode. It’s believed the show’s child actors unsuccessfully tried to negotiate with Disney for a higher sum. Despite this, Jonathan likely received a hefty sum from the network when he voiced Young Simba in The Lion King (1994), followed by an approximate $600,000 for his role in Tom and Huck (1995).

While he no longer acts, Jonathan has served as a national board member of SAG-AFTRA, the media labor union, since 2017 and still has a net worth of around $12 million.

Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen

After joining Full House (1989–1995) at just nine months old, Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen entered the ’90s as some of the most well-to-do tots in Hollywood, believed to have been making $80,000 per episode by the time the show ended. After their global empire Dualstar was founded in 1993, the twins went on to earn millions from films, merchandise, and cosmetics, with the company grossing over $1 billion by 2002.

The pair are now successful fashion designers who spend much of their time running their luxury brand, The Row, though they likely still have their media empire to thank for their $1 billion joint net worth.

Christina Ricci

Though Wednesday herself is believed to have only made a modest sum for her breakthrough role in The Addams Family (1991) and its 1993 sequel, Christina Ricci reportedly went on to make a much larger sum for Casper (1995) thanks to the film’s box office gross of $290 million worldwide. Christina revealed that she supported her family financially as a child.