Bewitched's Tabitha Was Out-Earning Most '60s Adults Before She Could Read
Fans of "Bewitched" know that little Tabitha quickly became an integral part of the beloved sitcom. And yet, not many people realize just how much money child actor Erin Murphy was earning for the role. The little girl was just two years old when she landed the gig of a lifetime, and it earned her a bigger paycheck than most adults at the time. Erin's twin Diane Murphy was cast as Tabitha alongside her due to child labor laws but Erin played the part most of the time, appearing in 103 episodes, compared to 21 in Diane's case. In June 2026, Erin took to Facebook with a special question for fans: "Did you ever wonder how much I made per episode on 'Bewitched?'"
She shared this caption alongside a newspaper clipping announcing herself and Diane's original contract for the series. "Now you know. $400," Murphy continued, pointing out, "That was a lot of money back then when minimum wage was $1.25. For comparison, Burt Ward from Batman made $250 per episode. Approximately $4300 per week today." So, for someone making minimum wage at the time, little Erin was earning what they took home in about eight weeks. A paycheck like that, before even knowing how to read a script, might make just about anyone believe in magic.
Erin Murphy was treated like a grown-up on set
Plenty of child stars grew up to be unrecognizable, and Erin Murphy is definitely one of them. Little Tabitha Stephens looks very different now. This is unsurprising considering the "Bewitched" star is in her 60s (she's also a natural beauty without makeup). She has vivid memories of watching another natural beauty without makeup: Her onscreen mom Elizabeth Montgomery, who played Samantha Stephens. "She was a beautiful woman, but [...] I saw everyone come in before makeup [...] I remember being fascinated," the former child star recalled during a May 2026 appearance on "The Magnificent Others" podcast. "One of the things that led me to be a makeup artist was being fascinated by what everyone would come in looking like and just how transformative hair and makeup was," Murphy further elaborated.
The power of hair and makeup on a TV set would surely have an impact on most children. But that isn't all that stuck with her after eight years on set. "Looking back, they treated me like a contemporary in many ways," she remarked of her former co-stars in a 2025 chat with Rewind magazine, adding, "I felt like they were family members in many, many ways. But [...] they treated me like an equal, which in retrospect is kind of cool because I was so young when I started on the show." With that kind of paycheck and adults treating her like any other coworker, Murphy must have been more than ready for adulthood when it finally rolled around for her.