Elvira's Net Worth Grows Ghoulishly Larger Every Halloween

Cassandra Peterson is a longtime actress and pop culture icon, though you may not know her by that name. The “Queen of Halloween” has been camping it up as Elvira, "Mistress of the Dark," for over 40 years—no doubt inspiring many Elvira Halloween costumes along the way.

“This time of the year is really like, ‘When can I sleep? When can I eat?’” she told W Magazine in 2018. She preps year round but starts working as Elvira in August. That means traveling, meeting fans, visiting haunted venues, and appearing in movies and TV shows as her glamorous, bawdy alter-ego.

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“I do not change any of it up. Ever. I’m always exactly the same,” she said. “I try to keep it as consistent as possible, otherwise I’m not the same character. It’d be like Superman changing his hairstyle or going all Rasta or something.”

For her decades of work as Elvira, Peterson has made herself into a millionaire. Here’s a closer look at her career and net worth.

How did Cassandra Peterson, aka Elvira, get her start?

Peterson worked hard to make it in showbiz, starting as early as her teen years.

“I was 17 when I started as a showgirl in Las Vegas,” she told Entertainment Weekly in a 2016 interview. “I’ve been told I was the youngest showgirl in Las Vegas history, and I imagine that’s probably true. My parents had to sign a document with a lawyer, saying it was OK for me to work in the show.”

At the time she was also a dedicated groupie, meeting many of the most famous rock 'n' roll acts of the 1960s and ‘70s. When Elvis Presley came to see her show, he gave her advice she credited with changing her life.

"At the time, I thought I had reached the pinnacle of show business, becoming a Las Vegas showgirl. Elvis convinced me that this was no town for a young girl to be in, by herself, and that it would not lead to bigger and better things, that if I really wanted to make it in show business that I needed to get the hell out of Vegas,” she said.

Some time after that, Peterson moved to L.A. and worked acting gigs that built on the skills she'd honed in Vegas. She was a showgirl in the 1971 James Bond movie Diamonds Are Forever, a dancer in 1974’s The Working Girls and made some minor TV appearances on Happy Days, Flying High and Beyond Westworld.

Related: Ariana Grande Responds to Halloween Queen Elvira's Allegation That the Pop Star Snubbed Her

How did Cassandra Peterson become Elvira?

It wasn’t until 1981 that Peterson got her big break.

Then around 30 years old, she was part of an L.A. comedy troupe called The Groundlings. In the group, she played a ditzy, valley-girl type character that caught the eye of some producers. They wanted to hire a host for Movie Macabre, a local late-night horror show, but asked Peterson to put a spooky twist on her valley girl character.

The ultimate outcome—including the dark, revealing dress and comically high black bouffant—was inspired by Sharon Tate in The Fearless Vampire Killers, Kabuki theater makeup, and Ronnie Spector of The Ronettes.

Peterson was hired on to the show and her brazen, campy performance as Elvira made it a success.

Related: 15 Classic Halloween Monsters and Their Scary Origins

What is Cassandra Peterson’s/Elvira’s net worth?

Cassandra Peterson’s 2024 net worth is estimated at $3 million, according to Celebrity Net Worth. Her fortune has been built upon decades of performances as the vampire-like character Elvira—and she owns all rights to the "Mistress of the Dark."

How much does Cassandra Peterson make for playing Elvira?

After her show gained traction, Peterson began getting phone calls asking her to make appearances as Elvira at other events. Good thing, too–she wasn’t being paid much as a late-night TV host. According to IMDB, her salary was just $350 per week.

As the demand for Elvira appearances and cameos went up, Peterson was able to negotiate the rights to the character from the station. She then created her own line of Elvira merchandise.

“We didn’t feel bad about it because I was being paid so incredibly little,” she told HuffPost in 2018. “It was the station’s No. 1 rated show! They were taking advantage of me! I did the first 3D television show that had ever been broadcast and they sold 3D glasses at 7-Eleven. I think they sold the glasses for $3 a pair and the show only aired in L.A. and I think they sold something like 2.7 million pairs of glasses. So multiply that by three―that’s a lot of money―and I got ... $350! So when people say I cheated the station out of the rights, I say, ‘I don’t think so.’”

She continued, “We still own the character―100%. It’s a fantastic advantage. Usually, any actor who plays a popular character on something like Star Trek or whatever show, they don’t have any control over their licensing and merchandising. They may get a small percentage, but in general, it’s just pennies on each item. I get it all. Whenever you see something that features Elvira, I’m making the money off of it. That’s why when people say to me, ‘Don’t you feel typecast? Don’t you want to stop playing Elvira?’ I say, ‘Hell to the no! Are you out of your mind?’”

Now, according to USA Today, Peterson hauls in over $1 million a year as Elvira.

How much money does Elvira make each year?

Each year Cassandra Peterson makes over a $1 million as Elvira. Between public appearances, merchandise and cameos in TV shows and commercials, Peterson is able to earn a pretty penny, especially in the lead-up to Halloween.

What has Cassandra Peterson been in as Elvira?

The original show, Elvira’s Movie Macabre, ran from 1981-1986 (eventually being picked up for syndication across the U.S.) and had a short revival in the early 2010s. But the character of Elvira has appeared in many more shows and movies, including two of her own films, including:

• The Fall Guy (1984-1985)

• Saturday Night Live (1987)

• Elvira, Mistress of the Dark (1988)

• The Super Mario Bros. Super Show! (1989)

• Heavy Metal Heaven (1989-1990)

• Elvira’s Thriller Theater (1989-1990)

• The Horror Hall of Fame II (1991)

• The Elvira Show (1993)

• Attack of the Killer B-Movies (1995)

• Nash Bridges (1997)

• Elvira’s Haunted Hills (2001)

• Hollywood’s Creepiest Creatures (2004)

• Last Man Standing (2011)

• Face Off (2013)

• 13 Nights of Elvira (2014)

• The Goldbergs (2021)

• Netflix and Chills with Dr. Elvira (2021)

Related: Parade Exclusive: Elvira, Mistress of the Dark Shares Her Halloween Favorites