Here’s how much Zendaya got paid for every single project, from Shake It Up to The Odyssey

Zendaya is now the biggest female actress in the world, earning insane amounts of money for her latest projects like The Odyssey and Spider-Man: Brand New Day, but it hasn’t always been that way. Everyone has to start from somewhere, and the amount she’s earned has increased dramatically over the years. Here’s a look at all her paychecks, from her first project right up to now. 

Shake It Up – $140k

Credit: Disney

The actress’ first big, professional role was in the Disney Channel sitcom Shake It Up, where she played Rocky Blue. She was reportedly paid $140k for all three seasons, which breaks down to roughly $46k per series or $15k per episode. It’s still an insane amount of money for a 14-year-old. 

PrankStars – $162k 

Credit: Disney

After that, Zendaya was in an episode of the Disney Channel show PrankStars, where she went undercover to prank a fan. The 15-year-old was paid $162k. Yep, $162k just for one episode. 

Frenemies – $284k

Credit: Disney

Zendaya’s first big film appearance was in Frenemies, a 2012 teen comedy-drama about three pairs of best friends at school whose friendships are put to the test. She starred alongside Bella Thorne and was paid $284k, almost double her last role. 

K.C. Undercover – $1.2 million

Credit: Disney

She starred in the sitcom K.C. Undercover next, about a teenage maths genius who takes part in a dangerous mission to save the country alongside her undercover spy parents. She had the lead role and had a massive salary jump to $1.2 million for all three seasons. That breaks down to around $50k per episode. 

Spider-Man: Homecoming – $300k

Credit: Marvel

In 2017, Zendaya did her first-ever Spider-Man film and earned $300k for it, which is pretty good considering she didn’t even have a big party. She had a pretty small role as Michelle, better known as MJ, and she was only in a few brief scenes throughout the high school parts of the film. 

Dune: Part One – $300k

Credit: Legendary Pictures

She then starred in the first Dune movie in 2021, which followed Paul Atreides as he arrived on Arrakis. She was reportedly paid $300k for that too, even though she was only on screen for seven minutes.

Spider-Man: No Way Home – $10 million

Credit: Marvel

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In the same year, Zendaya appeared in the second Spider-Man film, No Way Home and was paid an estimated $10 million in total, $2 million of which was upfront. 

Euphoria – $12 million

Credit: HBO

Then came Euphoria, one of Zendaya’s most iconic roles to date. In total, including season three, which aired in 2026, her salary is estimated to be around $12 million. She earned $1 million per episode for season three alone, and was also an executive producer on seasons one and two. 

Dune: Part Two – $2 million

Credit: Legendary Pictures

Zendaya had a much bigger role in Dune: Part Two, being the main female lead alongside her now-husband Tom Holland. She was reportedly paid $2 million for the project, a big jump from $300k for the first movie. 

Challengers – $10 million

Credit: Pascal Pictures

She played the lead role in the 2024 film Challengers, about a tennis coach who transforms her husband into a world-famous grand slam champion. Her paycheck was a massive $10 million for the role, her biggest salary so far. 

The Drama – $6 million

Credit: A24

2026 has been a huge year for Zendaya. It kicked off with The Drama, that movie that confused everyone into weirdly thinking she was dating Robert Pattinson in real life, and the actress was paid $6 million. 

The Odyssey – $7 million

Credit: Syncopy Inc and Universal Pictures

Then came The Odyssey, Christopher Nolan’s huge blockbuster based on the famous ancient Greek epic poem of the same name. Zendaya plays Athena, the goddess of wisdom and war, and was reportedly paid $7 million.

Spider-Man: Brand New Day

Credit: Marvel

Finally, we have Spider-Man: Brand New Day, the third instalment in Marvel’s Spider-Man series, which gave Zendaya a massive paycheck of $8 million. She’s killing it!

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Featured image credit: Anthony Harvey/Shutterstock