Portrayed by Kaley Cuoco across 12 seasons of The Big Bang Theory, the character of Penny went through many ups and downs in terms of her career and earnings. Throughout the entirety of the show, Penny picked up different jobs in hopes of overcoming her financial problems.

She worked a significant amount of time at the Cheesecake Factory as a waitress. Sheldon, Leonard, Raj, and Howard often went there to visit (and make fun of) her. So... how much did she really earn working at the Cheesecake Factory?

How Much Did Penny Earn as a Waitress in The Big Bang Theory?

At the start of the season, we are introduced to Penny, who wants to become an actress. Although her acting career doesn't take flight, Penny takes up odd jobs (including a pharmaceutical sales representative) to pay her bills and have financial stability.

She worked a significant amount of time at the Cheesecake Factory as a waitress. Sheldon, Leonard, Raj, and Howard often went there to visit (and make fun of) her. So... how much did she really earn working at the Cheesecake Factory?

At the start of the season, we are introduced to Penny, who wants to become an actress. Although her acting career doesn't take flight, Penny takes up odd jobs (including a pharmaceutical sales representative) to pay her bills and have financial stability.

Most of the time, she is seen working at The Cheesecake Factory, where she meets Bernadette and introduces him to Howard and the rest of the gang. Living across the hall, Penny has a home similar to Leonard and Sheldon’s. Naturally, fans (and I) were curious about Penny’s earnings from The Big Bang Theory.

According to an article on ScreenRant, Penny was likely to have earned anywhere from $27,000 to $33,000 per year from her job at The Cheesecake Factory. Considering the hourly minimum wage, plus adding tips, and the number of hours she worked there, it’s an educated guess about Penny’s potential income.

Although she switched careers later on and focused on bigger and better jobs, Penny’s job at The Cheesecake Factory remains a nostalgic factor for fans around the world. So... how was Penny able to afford the apartment where two Caltech scientists lived across the hall?

The Longest Running Joke in TBBT Could Be Explained With Maths!

The thing is, fans thought for years that Penny’s apartment was similar to Sheldon and Leonard’s since the two apartments were right across the hall. This later became a running inside joke amongst fans who always wondered how Penny could afford that big apartment all by herself while being a waitress.

Of course, the truth was actually right in front of their eyes all along. Being a show about physics and science, we thought we would solve this conundrum (if you know, you know) by using maths (I hate it).

I would like to preface this by saying that Penny had a one-bedroom apartment while Leonard and Sheldon shared a two-bedroom apartment. So, no. Penny and Leonard’s apartments were not the same size.

With the show being set in Pasadena, California, the average rent for Penny’s apartment would have been around $1500 (via OCR Register). Multiply that by 12 months and you reach a figure of $18,000. Considering that Penny earns a minimum wage of $27,000, the math pretty much checks out since she lives paycheck-to-paycheck and the remaining cash she spends on clothes, food, and all the other amenities.

Ergo, Penny did not have the same apartment complex as that of Leonard and Sheldon, and according to sources, she would have easily rented out the place while being a waitress at The Cheesecake Factory. Ha! One more way that the show was scientifically accurate.