Mark Harmon was a notable actor in film and television dating back to the 1970s, but it was his turn on NCIS that elevated his career. The star was nominated for several awards, and the consistently high ratings of the show — particularly during the 2000s — ensured that he was one of the most recognizable faces on TV.
Naturally, being the headliner on a highly-rated series means a sizable payday, and Harmon’s net worth reflects it. The actor’s monetary value is so sizable, in fact, that it’s become something of a talking point online. According to Celebrity Net Worth, Harmon has an estimated net worth of $120 million. To put this amount in context, William Petersen and David Caruso led hit procedural shows in the 2000s, and they have net worths of $50 million and $35 million, respectively.
How did Harmon become so wealthy? Well, there are several reasons.
NCIS money
The actor played Leroy Jethro Gibbs for two decades, and Hello! Magazine reports that he earned a whopping $525,000 per episode. This means he earned $12.6 million over the course of a full season. Harmon is also an executive producer on the project, which means he gets paid for additional duties and will continue to get paid despite the fact that he’s no longer onscreen.
As per Celebrity Net Worth, he earned $20M a year when combined with his producer credits and syndication royalties. At one point, according to Country Living, Harmon was the fifth highest-paid actor on television.
Real estate investments with his wife
Harmon also has an impressive real estate portfolio with his wife, Pam Dawber. Hello! claims that the couple owns a $15 million home in Brentwood, LA, and a second home in Malibu. They reportedly purchased the latter for $610,000 in 1998, now worth $10 million. Dawber has an impressive fortune of her own. Between the hit shows Mork & Mindy (1978-82) and My Sister Sam (1986-88), the actress has an estimated net worth of $10 million.
Harmon and Dawber, who have been married since 1987, are famously private about their personal lives. Harmon discussed the importance of privacy during a 2017 interview with TV Insider. “We stay home. A lot,” the actor explained. “I’m not a Twitter guy or a Facebook guy. Our sons [Sean and Ty] aren’t into that either. Pam and I have both made a living in this business, and still, there’s a part of that that’s just not natural.”
Despite the enormous success that Harmon has amassed, he told the outlet that he’s still taken aback by the reaction he gets from NCIS fans. “The international reach is staggering,” he admitted. “It’s hard to walk through airports even in the most out-of-the-way places without being surrounded by people who love the show—and that’s nothing to complain about. I’ve done TV shows where I walk through airports apologizing.”
Harmon and Dawber appear to be enjoying their wealth to the fullest. The former has not appeared in a feature film since 2009, and he doesn’t have any gigs lined up outside of his executive producer role. The latter has mostly retired from the big screen, but she did have a recurring part opposite her husband on NCIS. We can’t say we blame them.