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Have you ever watched a television show and wondered what your favorite characters would earn in real life? Tons of series use everyday jobs in their plots–along with standouts that make us question whether or not we’re in the right profession. Here’s a look at nine Black female television characters and what they would make based on their show’s location.
Scandal/ABC
Olivia Pope
Occupation: Crisis manager
Location: Washington, DC
It’s handled.
Gladiators around the world are familiar with Scandal‘s Olivia Pope (Kerry Washington) and her power to turn a bad situation into something beneficial for her clients. As a crisis manager, she works with high-profile individuals and companies in efforts to avert any fallback from career-damaging or life-threatening events. While the average crisis manager in our nation’s capital earns $71,000 a year, we’re pretty sure Olivia pulls in much more. After all, she’s not average.
Grey’s Anatomy/ABC
Miranda Bailey
Occupation: Attending general surgeon
Location: Seattle, Washington
Even though she has had ups and downs, Miranda Bailey (Chandra Wilson) is still boss lady at Grey Sloan Memorial. As an attending general surgeon, the Grey’s Anatomy character oversees surgeries and educates students. It’s certainly no secret how much surgeons can take home in a single paycheck. How does $120,000 a year sound to you?
How to Get Away with Murder/ABC
Annalise Keating
Occupation: Criminal law professor/Defense attorney
Location: Philadelphia, PA
Shonda Rhimes is the queen of Thursday night television on ABC. Her newest series, How to Get Away with Murder is premiering and predicted to be a mega-hit. Viola Davis stars as Annalise Keating, a criminal law professor at Philadelphia University. With the estimated salary falling around $65,000, Keating also pulls in money as a defense attorney outside of her classroom. This profession in the Philadelphia area can command an average salary of $73,000.
Black-ish/ABC
Rainbow Johnson
Occupation: Anesthesiologist
Location: Los Angeles, CA
Have you watched the ABC show Black-ish about a middle-class Black family trying to stay in touch with their roots? Tracee Ellis Ross stars as Rainbow Johnson, a wife, mother, and anesthesiologist. In case you didn’t know, this profession brings home tons of coins as the average salary for a Los Angeles area anesthesiologist exceeds $185,000.
Sleepy Hollow/FOX
Lt. Abbie Mills
Occupation: Police department lieutenant
Location: Sleepy Hollow, New York
With ratings continuing to fall, the fate of the FOX show Sleepy Hollow is uncertain. (Please watch this show! It’s so much fun and our business editor likes binge watching it.)
Hopefully it will survive as Nicole Beharie stars in a lead role as Lt. Abbie Mills. Being a police lieutenant is a pretty big deal! The estimated salary for a police department lieutenant in Sleepy Hollow, New York is $49,000.
Extant,CBS (2014)
Molly Woods
Occupation: Astronaut
Were you a little confused about Extant? Halle Berry stars as Molly Woods, an astronaut who comes home after 13 months in space… pregnant. That’s too complicated to get into–so let’s focus on the aeronautics profession.
While it’s not super popular and can be dangerous, it does pay well. The national average salary for an astronaut is $100,000.
Parks and Recreation, NBC
Donna Meagle
Occupation: Office associate
Location: Pawnee, Indiana
Millions tune in to watch Amy Poehler and crew on Parks and Recreation. If you’re familiar with the NBC comedy, you more than likely have seen Retta who plays office associate Donna Meagle. Even with an average salary of $39,000, that does not stop Donna from investing in a night club and driving a Mercedes Benz SUV.
Castle, ABC
Lanie Parish
Occupation: Medical examiner
Location: New York, NY
You need to have a strong stomach to work with the deceased to determine cause of death. Actress Tamala Jones does this as medical examiner Lanie Parish on the show Castle. She’s sassy and sharp when it comes to what she does. On average, medical examiners in the New York City area earn an estimated $53,000 annually.
Justified, FX
Rachel Brooks
Occupation: Deputy Marshal
Location: Lexington, Kentucky
Did you know the United States Marshals Service is the oldest federal law enforcement agency? Erica Tazel backs up Timothy Olyphant on the hit FX show Justified as deputy marshal Rachel Brooks, the only Black woman in her department. Being a deputy marshal is a very demanding job with serious risk. The average professional in Lexington, Kentucky earns $53,000 a year.
