Since 1999, Mariska Hargitay has portrayed Detective Olivia Benson on The first franchise branch from the original series that began in 1990 has been so successful, it has outlasted its progenitor by a decade, and Hargitay's gravitas as an actor has much to do with that. NBC is so reliant on the show's steady presence and viewership draw that when it last renewed the veteran procedural crime drama, it put

down for , to run (at least) through 2023. 

As s popularity and budget has bloomed over the past 21 years, so has Hargitay's salary, and justifiably so. But she isn't just important to television for her ability — she's important for the high-profile advocacy she makes on behalf of awareness campaigns against sexual assault, domestic violence, and child abuse, all of which are major themes explored on the show in which she stars.

Here's how much Mariska Hargitay pulls down from NBC for her detective role, and what she does to give back to the real-life advocates she bases that role on.

Mariska Hargitay gives a lot back to charities and outreach programs

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