LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: 'The Big Bang Theory', one of the most-watched sitcoms of all time, debuted on CBS on September 24, 2007, and ran for 12 seasons and 279 episodes before ending on May 16, 2019. The popular show revolved around the lives of four socially awkward pals: Leonard, played by Johnny Galecki, Sheldon (Jim Parsons), Howard (Simon Helberg), and Raj (Kunal Nayyar). Mayim Bialik and Melissa Rauch, who played Sheldon and Howard's romantic interests respectively, both joined 'Big Bang' in Season three.

Their addition was a major factor in the show's transformation into a more relatable story about love and relationships, and viewers adored the two. However, they apparently earned significantly less than their co-stars, prompting the senior cast members to take a voluntary pay cut, according to some recent reports.

Fans loved Mayim Bialik and Melissa Rauch

'The Big Bang Theory's third season perhaps had the most influence overall as it introduced whole new arcs. Rauch was granted a recurring role when Bernadette and Amy were originally introduced, while Bialik was only brought in for one season. However, something about both roles seemed to resonate, and as a result, both performers were elevated to the starring cast for the fourth season. Fans had feared Amy and Bernadette would vanish just like Leslie did, but to everyone's relief, the two quickly became beloved by the audience, leading to Rauch appearing in 209 episodes and Bialik in 203.

Why were they paid less?

Deadline claims that when Bialik and Rauch joined the cast of 'The Big Bang Theory' in Season four, they each received a salary of $20,000 to $30,000 for each episode. After a few seasons, the two actors agreed to new contracts that initially paid them $60,000 for each episode but eventually grew to $100,000 per episode. Later, the two received a raise to $175,000 per episode.

Co-stars took a pay cut

It was revealed in 2017 that Rauch and Bialik received a significant pay increase thanks to their co-stars. They all consented to a $100,000 pay cut since Parsons, Cuoco, Galecki, Helberg, and Nayyar all seemed to think Bialik and Rauch were grossly underpaid. Rauch and Bialik each received a $250,000 increase per episode as a result of their co-stars clearing $500,000 from the show's wage cap. That meant that for the final two seasons of 'The Big Bang Theory', they each received $425,000 per episode. Despite the fact that the two stars received a sizable pay increase, they still made less than half of their co-stars' $900,000 per episode salary.

However, given the information available regarding the salaries received by each cast member of 'The Big Bang Theory', a different explanation seems more plausible. They probably weren't considered essential to the success of the program since Bialik and Rauch joined the ensemble a few seasons in. Producers of the show presumably thought the series would continue to be popular even without Rauch and Bialik because it was a huge hit already. If this was the case, it would have reduced the actors' negotiating power.