The 2026 Emmy Awards have come and gone, and the world tuned in to see which TV shows got the top honors of the season.
Stars like Tom Pelphrey, Sally Field, Allison Janney, and more scored major awards at the September 14 ceremony, but perhaps the most important guest of the night was Law & Order: SVU star Mariska Hargitay, who hosted the star-studded event.
Between her memorable opening number and her unforgettable looks throughout the night, it was hard to keep our eyes off Mariska. Her hosting made us wonder how much Mariska Hargitay got paid to host the 2026 Emmy Awards.
How much did Mariska Hargitay get paid to host the Emmys?
Right now, no reports indicate how much Mariska got paid to host the Emmys. But based on what previous hosts have said about salaries for hosting other awards shows, we may have a sense of what Mariska’s salary could have been for the night.
The Hollywood Reporter wrote in 2013 that if a celebrity hosted the Academy Awards, they were expected to earn $15,000 to $25,000 for the night, per SAG-AFTRA guidelines. Late-night host and four-time Oscars host Jimmy Kimmel later confirmed his salary fell within that spectrum. “It probably sounds like a lot for one night, but it's months of work leading up to it. You're getting robbed,” he said.
Mariska may have made somewhere in that bracket since she’s likely in the SAG-AFTRA union.
What is Mariska Hargitay’s net worth in 2026?
Multiple reports estimate that Mariska’s overall net worth is likely around $100 million.
Along with starring in Law & Order: SVU, where reports indicate she makes roughly $11 million per season and $500,000 per episode, Mariska has appeared on Broadway and directed and starred in the documentary film My Mom Jayne. She is also the founder of the Joyful Heart Foundation, which “transforms society’s response to sexual assault, domestic violence and child abuse by building a world that prioritizes survivors’ healing,” according to the organization’s website.
