Sofia Vergara tops Forbes list of best paid TV actresses

Sofia Vergara arrives at the Oscars on Sunday, Feb. 28, 2016, at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles. (Dan Steinberg/Invision/AP)

Colombian-American actress Sofia Vergara topped Forbes magazine's annual list of best paid television actresses for the fifth year in a row on Wednesday, earning a whopping US$43 million dollars.

The 44-year-old "Modern Family" actress -- who made more money than any male star -- was followed on the list by Kaley Cuoco, 30, who plays Penny on "The Big Bang Theory" and earned $24.5 million in the 12 months to June.

Forbes said while Vergara's role on the hit mockumentary helped propel her to the top of the best-paid list, endorsement and licensing deals have ensured she still commands the number one spot.

"In all, the 15 highest-paid female stars of the small screen made a combined $208.5 million between June 2015 and June 2016 -- $43.5 million more than last year's combined total of $165 million," Forbes said.

Mindy Kaling, 37, of "The Mindy Project" climbed from eighth to third place this year, earning $15 million. She was followed by Ellen Pompeo ("Grey's Anatomy") and Mariska Hargitay ("Law & Order SVU") who tied for fourth place, earning $14.5 million.

Bollywood star Priyanka Chopra, who plays an FBI agent in the crime series "Quantico" joined the list for the first time this year, coming in eighth and earning $11 million.

Oscar-winning Jennifer Lawrence was named the world's highest-paid movie actress for the second year running in August, with estimated pre-tax earnings of $46 million.

The world's 10 highest-paid film actresses made a combined $205 million in the 12 months from June 1, 2015 before fees and taxes, said Forbes.

The highest-paid movie actors, led by Dwayne Johnson, made a combined $456.5 million, stoking the ongoing debate in Hollywood about the industry's gender pay gap.

The list of the world's highest-paid TV actors will be published next week, Forbes said.

Rounding out the top 10 list for best paid TV actresses are:

6: Kerry Washington ($13.5 million)

7: Stana Katic ($12 million)

8: Priyanka Chopra ($11 million)

9: Julianna Margulies ($10.5)

10: Julie Bowen ($10 million)