12 Richest Soap Opera Stars Of All Time Ranked

Daytime soap operas present a unique opportunity for actors — namely, the ability to pick up steady ongoing work and near-daily screen time. In a medium that includes shows that have been airing since the '60s, some of the longest-tenured actors have appeared in thousands of episodes. That's remarkable for anyone in any line of work, let alone one as notoriously fickle as the entertainment industry.

Given all that, you might be wondering just how generously soap stars are compensated. In some cases, the answer is "not as much as you might think." Side characters and small parts on a soap opera can provide great exposure for a new actor, but the pay is minimal, and the hours are often unstable. Regulars can earn a respectable salary, but they're still sometimes out-earned by professional workers such as doctors, lawyers, and software engineers.

On the other hand, it's typically a different story for the longest-serving actors on the shows that have been on the air for decades. We're talking "Days of Our Lives," "The Young and the Restless," "General Hospital," and "All My Children." These are the shows that have created the richest soap opera stars of all time, and here we're taking a look at the richest of the rich; the biggest names with the heaviest wallets. Can you guess who will steal the number one spot?

For fans who follow multiple soap operas, Jack Wagner's is a face that shows up everywhere: He's amassed a total of over 1,800 episodes across "Melrose Place," "General Hospital," and "The Bold and the Beautiful" and has also appeared in a number of Hallmark TV movies and series, including the long-running "When Calls the Heart."

While definitely not a blameless character, Wagner's Nick Marone was a fan favorite on "The Bold and the Beautiful" and fans were saddened when he left the show in 2012. However, his role on "General Hospital" as Frisco Jones remains the one he's most closely identified with. As one half of the Frisco and Felicia supercouple, this character entranced audiences from 1984 to 1987, followed by a return stint in 1989-'91 and brief runs in 1994, 1995, and 2013. In a case of reality imitating art, he was married to his onscreen wife, Kristina Wagner, from 1993 to 2006.

Aside from his long and varied acting career, Wagner's estimated $9.8 million net worth has also been boosted by his work as a musician. He has released multiple albums, and his signature hit, "All I Need," reached No. 1 on the Billboard Adult Contemporary chart in 1985. In addition to acting and singing, Wagner is also a professional-level golfer. He won his first title in 1980, and took the crown in the American Century Celebrity Golf Classic in 2006. This win also earned him the spot as the "number one celebrity golfer" according to Golf Digest.

If you think this name sounds familiar, that's for very good reason. John Aniston is Jennifer Aniston's father, and he's been in the acting business for more than 50 years. His most famous role is as Victor Kiriakis on "Days of Our Lives," which he began in 1985 and continues into the 2020s, amassing over 3,300 episodes. However, this is not his only role on "Days." Aniston actually had a year-long stint as another character, Eric Richards, 15 years prior to his career-shaping role as Kiriakis.

Aniston was born on the Greek island of Crete and moved to the U.S. at just two years old. After serving in the U.S Navy, he became an actor on both the screen and stage, eventually landing his decades-spanning role in "Days of Our Lives." Aniston's other TV appearances include "Search for Tomorrow," "Star Trek: Voyager," "Gilmore Girls," and "Mad Men."

In 2015, Aniston added to his estimated $10 million net worth by selling his 4,466-square-foot home in Bell Canyon for $1.42 million. The grounds of the 1.52-acre property included waterfalls, a swimming pool, and mountain views. In June 2022, Aniston received the Daytime Emmy Lifetime Achievement Award for his decades of work on "Days of Our Lives," which his daughter Jennifer presented.

Daniel Goddard's career has taken him all around the globe on several occasions, and it shows no signs of slowing down. The actor started out in Australia with a small role on the well-known Australian soap "Home and Away." He then moved to the U.S., where he worked as a model for names such as Calvin Klein and Dolce & Gabbana. 

His stay in the U.S. didn't last all that long initially, because he then proceeded to snag the lead role on the fantasy show "Beastmaster" and traveled back to Australia to film it. After three years and 66 episodes, Goddard headed back to L.A. to look for more work, and he found it in the form of his most well-known role. In 2007, he became a full-time member of the "Young and the Restless" crew, playing the mysterious swapped-at-birth Cane Ashby.

While his time on "The Young and the Restless" came to an end in 2019, he has plenty to keep him busy: He has been married since 2002 and has two children, and a favorite hobby of his is go-kart racing, which he does every week. between his acting and modeling work, Goddard has racked up an estimated $16.7 million net worth.

With roughly 100 acting credits to his name, Eric Braeden has led a full career and is loved by many, most notably for his long-running role on "The Young and the Restless." It's also no wonder that he's built up an estimated net worth of $25 million. Braeden took up the role of Victor Newman in 1980 and has contributed consistently to the show for decades. Over these many years, he has appeared in over 3,700 episodes of the daytime drama.

Braeden has also appeared on the "Y&R" sister show "The Bold and the Beautiful." Another of his most famous roles of his came on the big screen: he played John Jacob Astor in the blockbuster "Titanic." Although his character's role wasn't the biggest one in the movie, he starred alongside Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet in their early days before they both rose to superstardom.

As an immigrated German in the U.S. during the 1960s, many of his early roles were as German soldiers in war dramas. His family had strong connections to the military, if only due to the fact that his father was once a major in the German army. According to his autobiography, "I'll Be Damned," he also survived the sinking of the MV Wilhelm Gustloff. Considering his role in "Titanic," that's certainly an interesting anecdote. Braeden also keeps up with the times — lately, he's been dedicating some of his downtime to posting TikTok videos.

Susan Lucci is a household name in the U.S. thanks to her portrayal of Erica Kane on "All My Children." She was featured in over 1,500 episodes, and was part of the show until its ended its broadcast run in 2011. After the long-running soap came to an end, Lucci appeared on other shows, including "Hot in Cleveland" and "Devious Maids." In the early '90s, she also played a short recurring role in the popular drama "Dallas."

Her work on "All My Children "earned her an amazing 18 Daytime Emmy nominations, and she eventually won in 1999. However, her win was not without a touch of (albeit comedic) controversy. She was nominated so many times that her constant nominations without a victory were made fun of in the media. As a result, she was invited to host "Saturday Night Live," during which the cast, the crew, and even the stagehands carried around their own Emmys. She took it well and laughed it off in an interview.

In 2016, Lucci contributed to her estimated $80 million worth by selling her $20 million home in the Hamptons, a popular holiday spot for New York's elite. The 10,622-square-foot property was built in 1989 on 1.4 acres of land and has seven bedrooms and seven bathrooms, which is really just like a small hotel. Complete with its own pool and balconies looking out onto the ocean, it was definitely a house fit for "Daytime's Leading Lady."

Taking the top spot is a true member of soap opera royalty — Lauralee Bell is a long-serving cast member of "The Young and the Restless" as well as the daughter of the couple who created it. The Bells also created "The Bold and the Beautiful," and Lauralee's father William Joseph Bell wrote on "Days of Our Lives."

In 1977, Lauralee asked for a part on her parents' show "The Young and the Restless," and was allowed to participate in filming during her summer vacations. At 13, she was given some lines, and a strong response from the fans led to her receiving a recurring role as Christine "Cricket" Blair. Although she has stepped away from the series at times to focus on other projects, she's filmed over 1,500 episodes during her tenure.

Her other projects and appearances include "The Bold and the Beautiful," "CSI: Miami," "Diagnosis Murder," and "Mistress Hunter." Bell has been married to photographer Scott Martin since 1997 and they share two children. Bell's estimated $200 million net worth was earned from her acting work and other projects, and also inherited from her parents. This inheritance is reported to include real estate in Malibu, Los Angeles, which is also where Bell and her family live.