Friends: The Main Characters, Ranked By Wealth

With Friends’ highly anticipated upcoming reunion special on HBO MAX, fans of the series are excited to revisit some of television’s most well-known faces. Although the special features just the cast, viewers are keeping their fingers crossed that there might be some insight into where the beloved characters are today. How’s Joey’s acting going? Maybe Monica opened up her own restaurant? What happened to Rachel’s career after she got off the plane and skipped out on Paris?!

There’s no denying that careers and money were a hot topic throughout the show’s ten-year run. There is even an entire episode in season 2 titled “The One With Five Steaks And An Eggplant” that revolves around the economic divide between the gang. One thing is for sure; there are many looming inquiries situated about their work life and in the meantime, here’s a deep dive into the characters’ finances and career history.

6 Phoebe

Throughout the series, Phoebe juggled a variety of different jobs. From a background extra to a telemarketer to a caterer, she did it all and created a resume that was as eccentric as she was. However, for the most part, Phoebe worked as a masseuse and musician which afforded her a decent work/life balance and lots of creative freedom.

Although it’s difficult to gauge her earnings as a performer since it was more than likely tip-based, her work as an RMT kept her afloat. The estimated income for this job is between $47,215 and $60,603 and given Phoebe’s years of experience, it would be safe to say that she earned the average median of $52,756.

5 Joey

Joey’s salary is a tricky one to calculate. During the show’s run, fans saw the aspiring actor struggling to book roles and his unstable career often played a major part in his story arcs. However, his on again and off again role as Doctor Drake Ramoray on the daytime soap opera Days of Our Lives earned him a pretty penny at an estimated $57,000 per year.

Between his side hustles and acting gigs, Joey surprisingly didn’t do too bad in the money department so long as he was working. But, it’s safe to assume he’d accumulated a hefty amount of debt along the way.

4 Chandler

It was a running gag on Friends that no one quite understood what Chandler’s job was. Sure, he worked in an office and it had something to with numbers but even after he dropped some hints and explanations, it was still a bit of a head-scratcher. Sometimes, it wasn’t even clear if Chandler himself knew what his job was. Although it was all a mystery, it was very clear that he found the 9-5 office gig lacked any soul and or passion.

By season 9, he started to pursue a new career as a junior copywriter for an advertising firm which means the jokester would be earning around $54, 888 per year. While it’s more than likely much less than what he was making before, this path was definitely a better fit for him.

3 Rachel

Rachel’s career aspirations were always tightly woven into her character development as she grew from a spoiled princess straight out of the suburbs of Long Island to a hardworking New York City fashionista. She hustled her way as a waitress at Central Perk to a buyer at Bloomingdale’s to securing her dream job at Ralph Lauren as a fashion executive and finally found her calling.

Although it was never completely clear what kind of exec she was, it’s a solid guess that her annual salary would be capped at around $56,196 which would leave her a modest amount to keep up with her shopping addiction.

2 Monica

Monica Geller was the epitome of a perfectionist which is probably what made her such an in-demand chef in the cutthroat world of the New York City restaurant scene. One could even assume she would have given Gordon Ramsey a run for his money with her bossiness and controlling tendencies.

She ventured from restaurant to restaurant, even dealing with unemployment for a short period of time. Once she was back on her feet, with her years of experience alongside her tough-as-nails leadership, it’s safe to say that Geller was earning a solid $64,967 for her culinary expertise.

1 Ross

Out of the entire friend group, Ross was definitely the most financially stable from the get-go. He earned his Ph.D. from Columbia University, which no doubt gave him a hefty boost in the job market. He then followed his passion for all things prehistoric which led him from museum paleontologist to professor.

When his career pivoted into the world of academics, it propelled him from stability to profitability and in season 10, fans saw Dr. Geller earn his tenure which amasses to a whopping estimate of $212,899 per year! Sure, he has to endure years of heckling and teasing from his pals over his dino obsession but he earned the last laugh with this impressive salary.

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