# How much did Seinfeld writers make? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [September 16, 2004, 3:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-did-seinfeld-writers-make/264697 "2004-09-16T15:12:22Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![middleman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e9a140/32.png) [@middleman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/middleman)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2004, 3:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-did-seinfeld-writers-make/264697/1 "2004-09-16T15:12:22Z")
I was reading Newsweek today and came upon a 527 article discussing who is funding these shadow groups. One of the people funding [Moveon.org](http://Moveon.org) was Daniel O’Keefe, listed as a “onetime Seinfeld writer and Kerry fundraiser.” He contributed $100,000 within three days of an “emergency” call by [Moveon.org](http://Moveon.org). Now, the article is unclear as to whether he personally wrote the check or acted as a “bundler”, collecting many individual checks. IMDb lists only a writing credit for Married With Children for [O’Keefe](http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1134372/) ,but it raised the question in my mind as to how much a sitcom writer makes. If he is a fundraiser, he likely has some funds of his own. How much would a writer be paid writing for a show like Sienfeld. I have always heard that sitcom writers make far less than one would imagine, even on a superstar show like Seinfeld. Any ideas? What are the royalty rights for when the show goes into syndication? Could a sitcom writer of a hit show have that kind of money? What would a Seinfeld writer (not Larry David, just a guy who wrote an episode or two) make per episode? ---
**Author:** ![DooWahDiddy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e9bcb4/32.png) [@DooWahDiddy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DooWahDiddy)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2004, 4:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-did-seinfeld-writers-make/264697/2 "2004-09-16T16:52:25Z")
Well, there was that episode of _Seinfeld_ where Jerry and George were offered $13,000 (total, not each) to write the “Jerry” sitcom. Considering how realistic (at least by television’s standards) the show was, I’d say that’s probably a general ballpark. WAG, though. ---
**Author:** ![ZeroGyro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/e47774/32.png) [@ZeroGyro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZeroGyro)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2004, 5:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-did-seinfeld-writers-make/264697/3 "2004-09-16T17:08:36Z")
[Here’s](http://www.tvtome.com/tvtome/servlet/DetailsServlet/epid-0/showid-0/personid-60968/moduleid-41) a link to a more complete overview of O’Keefe’s work. He was a producer (all sorts of producer) on the “The Drew Carey Show” from 1998-2004, a job which I imagine pays well, at least on top of the writing money. He’s written a lot for Carey’s show, more than for “Seinfeld” or any of the other shows he’s worked on. ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2004, 5:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-did-seinfeld-writers-make/264697/4 "2004-09-16T17:56:31Z")
From the Writers Guide of America, the union that all tv writers must belong to. [http://www.wga.org/annual/2002/market.html](http://www.wga.org/annual/2002/market.html) Look at the last table. In 2002, the highest 25% of writers reported more than $217,000. The highest 5% reported more than $567,000. O’Keefe would certainly be in the top 25% and probably in the top 5%. He’s not just a writer, avccording to **ZeroGyro’s** link, but also a high level producer, which would probably give him a five-figure weekly salary. Just as a writer, however, he would earn additional money for each episode he wrote, plus residuals. Obviously, experienced writers make more than beginners and I don’t know what O’Keefe got. However, the [Minimum Business Agreement of the Writers Guild](http://www.wgaeast.org/mba/2003/04/14/comp2003mba/) lists $19,603 as the _minimum_ payment for Story and Treatment for a Network Prime Time show. That’s 2% of what Seinfeld got, but it ain’t hay. ---
**Author:** ![middleman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e9a140/32.png) [@middleman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/middleman)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2004, 12:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-did-seinfeld-writers-make/264697/5 "2004-09-17T00:05:54Z")
> [@ZeroGyro](#): > > [Here’s](http://www.tvtome.com/tvtome/servlet/DetailsServlet/epid-0/showid-0/personid-60968/moduleid-41) a link to a more complete overview of O’Keefe’s work. He was a producer (all sorts of producer) on the “The Drew Carey Show” from 1998-2004, a job which I imagine pays well, at least on top of the writing money. He’s written a lot for Carey’s show, more than for “Seinfeld” or any of the other shows he’s worked on. It also appears he created Festivus!