Top Five Paid People each year #Oprah Winfrey ("The Oprah Winfrey Show"): $260 million #Simon Cowell ("American Idol"): $45 million #Judge Sheindlin ("Judge Judy"): $30 million #Katie Couric ("CBS Evening News Anchor"): $15 million Network Prime Time Salaries per episode #William Petersen ("CSI"): $500,000 #Charlie Sheen ("Two and a Half Men"): $350,000 #Mariska Hargitay ("Law & Order: SVU"): $350,000 #Chris Meloni ("Law & Order: SVU"): $350,000 #Hugh Laurie ("House"): $300,000 #Julia Louis-Dreyfus ("New Adventures of Old Christine"): $225,000 #Ellen Pompeo ("Grey's Anatomy"): $200,000 #Eva Longoria Parker ("Desperate Housewives"): $200,000 Morning top paid salary per year #Judge Judy: $30 million #Bob Barker: $10 million #Maury Povich (per year plus profits): $7 million #Ellen DeGeneres: $5 million #Jerry Springer: $3 million - 4 million #Tyra Banks: $3.5 million News Anchors salaries per year #Katie Couric ("CBS Evening News" anchor): $15 million #Matt Lauer (NBC "Today" co-anchor): $12 million #Meredith Vieira (NBC "Today" co-anchor): $10 million