While he certainly isn’t Logan Roy rich, Harvey Specter certainly lives a charmed life, which obviously requires a sizable salary.
Across nine seasons of the USA Network’s hit legal drama Suits, there have been more than a few extremely telling hints about what the renowned “closer” attorney portrayed by Gabriel Macht earns — from his immaculate dress sense and Upper West Side apartment to his exclusive motor club membership and colleagues’ general envy.
We took it upon ourselves to do a little digging and determine the broad strokes of Harvey Specter’s annual take-home as the most prolific lawyer wheelin’ + dealin’ around New York City.
NOTE: All $$$ referenced = USD; not adjusted for inflation
Harvey Specter’s Salary…
“How the hell can you justify making this much money?”
When we first meet Harvey Specter as a newly-promoted senior partner at Pearson Hardman in 2011, he was pocketing between $3 million and $5 million per year (excluding bonuses).
Towards the end, when he was a name partner at Zane Specter Litt Wheeler Williams — which was soon renamed Specter Litt Wheeler Williams before changing once again to Specter Litt Williams — given every iteration of the aforementioned entity was considered a “Top 3” law firm, Harvey Specter would’ve been pocketing at least $10 million per year (also excluding bonuses).
According to the in-series canon, this was largely due to the fact that he was earning contingency compensation instead of drawing from billable hours — meaning he’d only get paid if we won the case — as well as having negotiated a decent percentage of the firm’s revenue.
It also helps when your Harvard education has been paid for by a mentor like Jessica Pearson (Gina Torres); and if you’re an unabashed workaholic who doesn’t really take time off to travel.
… And How He Spends It
New York Upper West Side Penthouse ($10,000 a month / $120,000 annually)
Harvey Specter’s penthouse was the ideal bachelor pad; until he finally came to his senses and shacked up with the ever-loyal Donna Paulsen (Sarah Rafferty), at which point it simply became a damn nice pad.
Located on the Upper West Side, assuming he rents an apartment befitting someone of his calibre, it probably would’ve set him back approximately $10,000 per month (or $120,000 annually).
Homeownership, on the other hand, would be another kettle of fish with variables to account for such as property tax, condo common charges, and so forth.
The real-life shooting location for Harvey Specter’s penthouse — which is actually located in Toronto — sold for just a touch under $5 million last year.
Cars ($250,000+ annually)
The only whip we know Harvey Specter owns is a 1963 Aston Martin. Everything else is accessed through his membership to New York’s Gotham Car Club.
Throughout the series, he’s driven plenty of flashy automobiles, including a Mercedes S-Class, 1972 Ferrari Daytona 365 GTS/4, 1961 Jaguar E Type, 1967 Ford Mustang Fastback, 2004 Aston Martin DB9, 2004 Bentley Continental, and a 2011 Tesla Roadster Sport; as well as being driven in several Lexus LS460s and Lincoln Town Car.
While the Gotham Car Club depicted in Suits is fictional, both Gotham Dream Cars and Classic Car Club Manhattan actually exist. The former currently requires a $49,000 joining fee (which includes $70,000 in rental credit) for its top-end membership with additional costs depending on what you want to take for a spin.
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Private Club Memberships ($50,000 annually)
Aside from the Gotham Car Club, Harvey Specter would undoubtedly be a member of several members-only hubs in New York City, such as The Union Club where he can enjoy a few cigars (Soho House for when he’s feeling more common), and whatever luxury gym he chooses for rig maintenance.
Dining & Drinking ($50,000 annually)
As a client favourite, it’s unclear how much of Harvey Specter’s dining can be expensed back to the firm. We’ll play it safe here and include your not-so-average “grocery” budget in the context of a notoriously expensive city with the figure outlined above. Bottles of Macallan 18-year-old, after all, ain’t exactly cheap; and while it may seem that way, he doesn’t solely subsist on hot dogs.
Record Collection ($5,000 annually)
Harvey Specter’s other major vice aside from cars, whisky, and winning is vinyl.
As a serious collector of records, and a certifiable music aficionado, he only purchases original prints — be they from Charles Bradley, Freddie King, or Lee Fields — which you certainly won’t find in a JB Hi-Fi bargain bin.
For a taste of what the big fella listens to, give this Harvey Specter-inspired playlist a go.
Other Costs
The following need to be considered with an asterisk, considering some are one-offs while others might yield gains instead of sunken costs:
- Watches
In line with his reputation and sharp sartorial sense, Harvey Specter would have quite an impressive watch collection — the most prominent of which (and sole inclusion throughout the series because the suits apparently looked better without wrist candy) being a Patek Philippe 5004P Platinum Perpetual Calendar Split Second Chronograph; valued at around half a million alone. - Clothing
Harvey Specter alternated between roughly 10 different tailored three-piece suits throughout the series, predominantly made by Tom Ford, which comes to about $50,000 in total; then there are the derbies and brogue oxfords from the likes of Salvatore Ferragamo, Berluti, and Brioni which easily adds another $10,000; plus the more casual component of his wardrobe. - Poker
As a master at “playing the man” who’s seemingly allergic to taking Ls, there’s a good chance Harvey Specter actually makes money from his hobby gambling; the same could probably be said about his hypothetical investment portfolio and whatever art he accrues (what can we say, the man has taste).
Could you afford the Harvey Specter lifestyle?
Taking all of the above into account and applying the JAY-Z rule (“If you can buy it twice, you can’t afford it”), as well as factoring in the need to save for his and Donna’s nest egg, at the very minimum, you’d need to make $1,000,000 after taxes to live like Harvey Specter.
To paraphrase the man himself, life is this [level hand]. Aspire towards this [raises hand slightly]. Or at the very least, work until your net worth resembles that of Louis Litt (Rick Hoffman).
