What Is Kate McKinnon's Net Worth and Salary?
Kate McKinnon is an American actress and comedian who has a net worth of $9 million. Kate McKinnon is best known for her work on the sketch comedy show "Saturday Night Live" ("SNL"). McKinnon began performing improv and sketch comedy in New York City. In 2012, she joined the cast of "SNL" and quickly became known for her impressions of famous figures such as Hillary Clinton, Kellyanne Conway, and Ellen DeGeneres. She has also appeared in numerous films, including "Ghostbusters" (2016), "Rough Night" (2017) and "Barbie" (2023). She won several Emmy Awards for her work on SNL. McKinnon is known for her quirky humor and ability to embody a wide range of characters, making her one of the most talented and versatile comedians of her generation.
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Early Life
Kathryn McKinnon Berthold was born on January 6, 1984, in Sea Cliff, New York. Raised alongside a younger sister in a middle-class family, Kate's father passed away when she was 18. During her youth, McKinnon fell in love with music and learned how to play several instruments, including the piano, the cello, and the guitar. She also dove into acting and impressions from a young age. One of her earliest memories of performing was during fifth grade when she used an English accent to impersonate the Queen of England in front of her classmates.
After graduating from high school in 2002, Kate attended Columbia University. She studied theatre and co-founded her own comedy group, Tea Party. One of her focuses during her college years was musical improv comedy. She also appeared in many of the university's shows and joined a comedy group that specialized in pranks.
Career
Kate's career began in earnest when she joined the cast of "The Big Gay Sketch Show." For the next three seasons, McKinnon was a regular cast member. During this period, she also performed live sketch shows in New York City and began her voice acting career. Some of her early voice acting gigs at this point included animated series such as "The Venture Bros.," "Robotomy," and "Ugly Americans."
By 2009, Kate was a widely recognized comedian, and she was awarded the NewNowNext Award for Best Rising Comic. Further award nominations followed before she pushed forward with her voice acting career. To date, Kate has voiced characters in shows like "The Simpsons," "Family Guy," "Magic School Bus," and "Nature Cat."
In 2012, McKinnon joined the cast of "Saturday Night Live." Although she began as a featured player, she was promoted to a more central position by 2013. Also in 2013, she was nominated for an Emmy Award for Best Supporting Actress in the Comedy category. More award nominations followed over the last few years, and Kate was especially praised for her comedic songs. In 2016, she finally won an Emmy for her work with "SNL," becoming the first cast member to do so since Dana Carvey 23 years prior.
During her time on "Saturday Night Live," Kate became well known for her celebrity impressions. The year 2016 was especially notable because this was when she first started to do an impression of Hillary Clinton (a woman she greatly admired). She has also done impressions of political figures like Kellyanne Conway and Elizabeth Warren. Outside of political figures, many fans know Kate for her hilarious impressions of Justin Bieber. Over the years, she has also taken on the roles of countless other celebrities, including Shakira, Bella Hadid, Ellen DeGeneres, Iggy Azalea, and many others.
In terms of film work, one of McKinnon's most notable roles came in 2016, when she voiced a character in the incredibly popular animated film "Finding Dory." That year, she also starred in the reboot of "Ghostbusters." Prior to this, she had appeared in films such as "Balls Out," "Ted 2," and "The Angry Birds Movie." Kate is also known for starring in movies like "The Spy Who Dumped Me" and "Yesterday."
McKinnon has worked extensively behind the camera as well. She has created a web series called Notary Publix with her sister Emily Lynne. In 2019, Kate teamed up with her sister once again to release the Audible audio series "Heads Will Roll."
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Endorsements
Kate McKinnon has supplemented her income over the years with numerous brand endorsements. In 2015, she appeared in a series of advertisements for the new Ford Focus. In February 2024, Kate and Pete Davidson teamed up for a Super Bowl ad for Hellmann's mayonnaise.
Relationships
Kate McKinnon has been openly gay for many years. In 2020, during the 77th Golden Globe Awards. Kate personally thanked Ellen DeGeneres for being supportive and making it "less scary" to accept her true self while she was watching the sitcom "Ellen." During her college years, McKinnon dated Bari Weiss, a future journalist. Another notable relationship came when she dated photographer and actress Jackie Abbott.
"Saturday Night Live" Salary
While McKinnon's exact "SNL" salary was never publicly released, we can come up with an accurate estimate with the known facts: There are 21 episodes in a season. First-year cast members make $7,000 per episode, which equates to $147,000 per season. Second-year cast members make $8,000 per episode, which equates to $168,000 per season.
If a cast member makes it to their fifth season, they make $15,000 per episode, which equates to an impressive $315,000 per season. The highest salary that can be reached at "SNL" is for people who have been there for an extremely long period of time, or for individuals who are very important to the show. These high-earning individuals make $25,000 per episode, which equates to $525,000 per year. It is likely that Kate McKinnon's salary is on the higher end of that spectrum.
