What Is Jennifer Garner's Net Worth and Salary?
Jennifer Garner is an American actress and film producer who has a net worth of $80 million. After a few smaller roles in projects like, "Pearl Harbor" and "Catch Me If You Can," Jennifer Garner became a household name when she was cast in the hit series "Alias" in 2001. Her five seasons on "Alias" led to higher profile film work. Today, Garner is probably best known for starring in movies like "13 Going on 30," "Catch and Release," "Juno," "Ghosts of Girlfriends Past," "Valentine's Day," "The Odd Life of Timothy Green," "The Dallas Buyers Club," "Daredevil," and "The Adam Project" among many more.
Jennifer is also a highly paid product endorser for brands like Capital One and Neutrogena. On the entrepreneurial front, she is the co-founder of the baby food company "Once Upon A Farm," which we discuss in greater detail later in the article.
Early Life
Jennifer Garner was born Jennifer Anne Garner on April 17, 1972, in Houston, Texas. Her father, William, was a chemical engineer, and her mother was a homemaker turned college English teacher. When she was three, Garner moved with her parents and two sisters to Charleston, West Virginia. She grew up in a conservative household, attending a local Methodist Church every Sunday and Vacation Bible School during the summers. The teenagers were not allowed to wear makeup, paint their nails, pierce their ears, or dye their hair.
Garner enrolled at Denison University in Granville, Ohio, after graduating from George Washington High School in 1990. After three years, she changed her major from chemistry to theater and spent the fall semester of 1993 studying at the National Theater Institute in Waterford, Connecticut. She graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in theater in 1994 and moved to New York City to pursue acting.
Career
After landing some very minor roles in various miniseries post-graduation, Garner moved to Los Angeles in 1997. She nabbed her first leading role in the TV movie "Rose Hill" and made her first feature film appearance in the period drama "Washington Square." She was involved in the Woody Allen film "Deconstructing Harry," but most of her performance was cut from the final edit of the film. Garner was cast in J.J. Abram's popular college drama "Felicity" in 1998, which was her most significant role yet. She played minor roles in big-name movies like "Dude, Where's My Car?" in 2000 and 2001's war epic "Pearl Harbor."
The early 2000s proved to be a turning point in Garner's career when she began starring as Sydney Bristow in ABC's "Alias" in 2001. J.J. Abrams, the show's creator, had written the part with her in mind. "Alias" aired for five seasons, with Garner's salary rising slowly until it was $150,000 per episode by the end of the series. The show was successful amongst audiences and critics alike, and Jennifer received many award nominations and wins for her performance.
While she was working on "Alias," Garner continued to work intermittently in film. After being wowed by her performance in "Alias," Steven Spielberg called personally to offer her a small role in 2002's "Catch Me If You Can." Her first co-starring film role was opposite Ben Affleck in "Daredevil" in 2003. She scored her first leading role in the widely-praised romantic comedy "13 Going on 30" in 2004. The movie grossed $96 million worldwide, and Jennifer was praised for her effortlessly charming portrayal of the main character, Jenna. After a one-year break when "Alias" came to an end, she returned to work in 2007 with the major hit "Juno," a film by Diablo Cody and Jason Reitman. Her work as Vanessa, a woman desperate to adopt a child, was utterly effective and critically acclaimed.
Garner returned to the stage in late 2007 and early 2008, playing Roxanne and starring with Kevin Kline in "Cyrano de Bergerac" on Broadway, earning glowing reviews for her performance. Shortly after, she became a spokesperson for the skincare line Neutrogena.
(Photo by Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images)
Garner continued with romantic comedies, including 2009's "The Invention of Lying," in which she starred opposite Ricky Gervais in his directorial debut, again scoring praise for her flawless comedic timing.
In the 2012 drama "The Odd Life of Timothy Green," Garner played a mother for the first time starring opposite Joel Edgerton. The film saw modest monetary success and was met with mixed reviews. Jennifer worked with Matthew McConaughey in 2013's drama "Dallas Buyer's Club," in which she portrayed a doctor treating Texas AIDS patients during the '80s. She once again was praised by reviewers and fans alike for her sensitive and poignant performance.
Garner has continued to hone her acting craft and appear in major roles on and off throughout the 2010s. She is often praised for her ability to connect with audiences on emotional and humorous levels. In August 2018, she was honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. In 2019, it was announced that she would produce and star in "Yes Day," a Netflix comedy directed by Miguel Arteta. She then appeared in 2022's "The Adam Project" before becoming a series regular in the revival of Starz's "Party Down." Garner also executive produced and took on the role of Hannah Hall in the Apple TV+ series "The Last Thing He Told Me."
"Alias" Salary
How much did Jennifer Garner make for "Alias"? For early seasons, she earned $45,000 per episode, which worked out to around $1 million for the full 22-episode season. By the end of the show's run, Garner's peak salary was $150,000 per episode, roughly $3.3 million per season.
Other Salaries
Jennifer's salary for 2004's "13 Going on 30" was $3 million.
For 2007's "The Kingdom," Garner was paid $7 million. That same year, she appeared in "Juno," for which she accepted a nominal upfront salary in exchange for a percent of the movie's backend gross.
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Capital One Earnings
How much does Jennifer Garner get paid to appear in Capital One commercials? Typically, a high-profile actor like Jennifer does not earn a salary per commercial with a brand like Capital One. Instead, she will sign a long-term contract that covers a set number of commercials per year. Based on comparable actor's known endorsement contracts, Garner is likely operating under a 5-year $15-20 million deal to work with Mercedes. That's $3-4 million per year if you want to think of it that way. But the money is likely paid upfront.
Once Upon A Farm
Jennifer is the co-founder of the organic baby food company Once Upon A Farm. The brand was founded in 2017. She also serves as Chief Brand Officer. Their products can be found in more than 10,000 stores around the United States.
(Photo by Frazer Harrison/Getty Images)
Activism
Garner is a strong advocate for early childhood education. She is an ambassador and serves on the board of trustees for Save the Children, which promotes national literacy and early education efforts. She frequently visits families involved in the Early Steps to School Success program, which helps families get assistance with early childhood education.
While Jennifer has stated she is not an overly political person, she has donated to various Democratic politicians, including Wendy Davis. Garner also hosted two fundraisers for Barack Obama in 2008 and a fundraiser in support of Hillary Clinton in 2016.
Garner is vocally supportive of laws that protect children of celebrities from paparazzi. She testified alongside Halle Berry in August 2013 in support of a bill to protect kids from photographer harassment, which passed and is now California law.
Personal Life
Jennifer Garner was married to actor Scott Foley from 2000 to 2004. They met on the set of "Felicity" in 1998. She was then married to actor/producer/director Ben Affleck, whom she met on the set of "Pearl Harbor," from 2005 to 2015. Garner and Affleck, who have three children together, announced their split on June 30, 2015. Their divorce was finalized in October 2018. It was reported that there was no prenuptial agreement. She then dated businessman John C. Miller from 2018 until early 2020, and they resumed their relationship in April 2021.
Accolades
In 2002, Jennifer won a Golden Globe Award for Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series – Drama for Alias. She won a Screen Actors Guild Award in 2005 for the same role. Garner has won several other awards and been nominated for more than 50 including three other Golden Globes and four Primetime Emmy Awards.
Real Estate
In 2009, Jen and Ben spent $17.55 million for a home in LA's Pacific Palisades neighborhood. The seller was super-producer Brian Grazer. The ranch consists of five bedrooms, eight bathrooms, high ceilings, massive picture windows that lend a sense of openness to the entire house, a guesthouse, a swimming pool, a gym, a half basketball court, an office/studio, and gorgeous views. The house has an incredible history as well. Cliff May, the architect who created the "California ranch-style" house, designed it, and it was previously owned by actor Gregory Peck.
Jennifer continued living in this house until late 2018. After she and the kids moved out, Ben and Jen sold this mansion to Maroon 5 singer Adam Levine for $32 million in December 2018. Here's a video tour of this incredible 3-acre property:
In early 2019, Jennifer spent $8 million on a new home in Los Angeles' Brentwood Park neighborhood. In September 2024, Jennifer gave a tour of her home to Architectural Digest:
