Josh Peck, a former child star on Nickelodeon's "Drake & Josh," has revealed that he earned approximately $900,000 over four seasons of the hit sitcom. Peck shared these figures on the "Financial Tea with Mrs. Dow Jones" podcast, clarifying public assumptions about the financial success of young actors.
Peck began his television career on "The Amanda Show" from 2000 to 2002, where he earned $3,000 per episode. Following this, he landed the lead role in "Drake & Josh," which aired from 2004 to 2007. During its run, the show produced 60 episodes. Peck stated that the average rate per episode for "Drake & Josh" was around $15,000, leading to a total earning of roughly $900,000 over the four-year period.
However, Peck emphasized that the net amount was considerably less after expenses. "We probably, between agent, manager and taxes, we cleared half of that," he recalled. This means his take-home pay was closer to $450,000, or about $112,500 per year before taxes.
Peck noted that his living situation during the show's run reflected a middle-class lifestyle, not one of immense wealth. He and his mother lived in a two-bedroom apartment and drove a used BMW.
He also pointed out the lack of residual income for child actors in television. "There's no residuals on kids' television," Peck stated. His former co-star, Drake Bell, echoed this sentiment in a separate interview, noting that "the bummer for most of us on Nickelodeon, we don't get residuals for our shows."
Peck acknowledged that while $125,000 a year was a substantial income, the perception that child stars become wealthy beyond measure is often inaccurate. He attributed his continued work ethic to a deep-seated financial insecurity, stemming from being the primary breadwinner for his family at a young age.