Ken Burns (1953), New York City | $125K

Every filmmaker has a unique way of delivering their work. Kenneth Lauren Burns, an American filmmaker, uses archival footage and photographs in the delivery of his documentary films. His documentary films have won him several nominations and Emmy Awards. Some of his works include “The Civil War,” “Prohibition,” “Country Music,” and “Cancer: The Emperor of All Maladies.”

You may not be aware of this, but filmmaking rakes in quite a lot of money annually. Burns does not make millions of dollars, as one might expect, but he does make $125,000 per year. In April 2021, he and Lynn Novick debuted their latest co-produced and directed a six-hour documentary, “Hemingway.”