Ralph Macchio reprises his role as Daniel LaRusso in the movie Karate Kid: Legends, which premiered on May 29, 2025. In the sixth installment of the Karate Kid franchise, Macchio’s character joins forces with Jackie Chan’s Mr. Han — from the 2010 remake — to help mentor a young kung fu prodigy.
Macchio has had significant roles in major movies such as My Cousin Vinny and The Outsiders, but he is best known for playing a martial arts student in 1984’s The Karate Kid and its two sequels later in the 1980s. It’s a role he reprised more than 30 years later on the small screen for the Cobra Kai TV series, and that has revived his career and popularity among Karate Kid fans.
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Here’s how much Ralph Macchio is worth now and how he has built his wealth.
Ralph Macchio’s career has been in an upswing with the revival of his character Daniel Larusso in the “Karate Kid” franchise through the “Cobra Kai” TV series and the “Karate Kid: Legends” movie.
What is Ralph Macchio’s net worth in 2025?
Macchio isn’t as wealthy as his Legends co-star Jackie Chan, but his revival as Daniel LaRusso in the Karate Kid franchise for Cobra Kai has boosted his net worth. Macchio probably has a net worth of around $10 million or more, largely based on his recent earnings and property.
Related: Jackie Chan’s net worth: The ‘Karate Kid: Legends’ star’s wealth & income
How does Ralph Macchio make his money?
Macchio’s acting career has been on and off over the past few decades since the end of his last starring role as Daniel LaRusso in Karate Kid Part III in 1989. The Cobra Kai series, which ran from 2018 to 2025, has provided him with a steady income in recent years. Macchio reportedly earned $100,000 an episode for the first two seasons it aired on YouTube’s subscription services.
After that 20-episode run, Cobra Kai was picked up by Netflix (NFLX), and Macchio reportedly started making $200,000 an episode for the third season. Based on those pay figures, Macchio likely earned at least $11 million on the 65-episode series.
Macchio and co-star William Zabka, who played his nemesis in the original Karate Kid film, served as co-executive producers on Cobra Kai, further adding to Macchio’s earnings.
Endorsements and speaking engagements are another source of income. Macchio is represented by the MN2S agency, and he is available for commercial work and private bookings. AAE Speakers, another talent agency, lists his speaking fee for a live event at between $30,000 and $50,000.
Ralph Macchio and Pat Morita, left, starred together in The Karate Kid and its two sequels in the 1980s, which were big moneymakers for the franchise.
Columbia Pictures/Getty Images
How much did Ralph Macchio make from his role in “Karate Kid: Legends?”
Macchio’s salary from Legends isn’t known, but he shares credit as an executive producer for the movie. With a budget reportedly around $45 million, Macchio and co-star Chan may have been paid at scale actor rates in exchange for a share of the box-office profits. Legends is forecast to make $25 million to $30 million in its opening weekend.
What are Ralph Macchio’s biggest-ever movies by box-office revenue?
The Karate Kid films have been good to Macchio. The first three films, in which he had the starring role, earned a collective $700 million, adjusted for inflation in 2025 dollars. The first sequel alone, which aired in 1986, took in more than $330 million in 2025-adjusted dollars.
The following are global gross box-office revenues for the five Karate Kid films and selected movies in which Macchio had a role, based on figures compiled by Box Office Mojo, which tracks movie theater receipts.
Ralph Macchio’s major commercial success as an actor has come from “The Karate Kid” franchise.
Box Office Mojo
TitleYear of ReleaseRevenues
The Karate Kid
1984
$90 million ($280 million in 2025 dollars)
The Karate Kid Part II
1986
$115 million ($336 million in 2025 dollars)
The Karate Kid Part III
1989
$38 million ($97 million in 2025 dollars)
The Next Karate Kid
1994
$15 million ($32 million in 2025 dollars)
The Karate Kid
2010
$359 million ($528 million in 2025 dollars)
My Cousin Vinny
1992
$64 million ($146 million in 2025 dollars)
The Outsiders
1983
$25 million ($80 million in 2025 dollars)
More on actors’ net worth:
Kelsey Grammer’s net worth: The ‘Cheers’ star’s wealth at 70Val Kilmer’s net worth: Building a fortune through triumph and tragedyWill Ferrell’s net worth: How much money does the ‘SNL’ star have in 2025?
How does Ralph Macchio spend his money?
Macchio isn’t known to be a lavish spender. According to the YouTube channel House of Celebs, Macchio lives in a three-bedroom, three-bathroom house valued at $4 million in Montauk, New York, which is the easternmost point of Long Island and New York State.
Who is Ralph Macchio?
Ralph George Macchio Jr. was born in Huntington, New York, on November 4, 1961. His early acting roles were onTV shows, such as Eight Is Enough, and before long, he transitioned into acting in feature films.
Macchio’s IMDb profile lists 57 credits for acting roles, including movies, TV shows, and video games. He has also appeared in theatrical productions.
In 2022, Random House published Waxing On: The Karate Kid and Me, which is Macchio’s memoir about his acting career, the Karate Kid franchise, and working with co-stars Pat Morita (who played his mentor Mr. Miyagi), Elisabeth Shue, and William Zabka.
In 2025, Macchio finally received a black belt in karate — more than 40 years after he first played the black belt Daniel LaRusso in the original Karate Kid film.
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