Sofia Vergara
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Sofia Vergara took the top spot on Forbes' list of Highest-Paid TV Actresses of 2013, for the second year in a row. Vergara's earnings reached $30 million, thanks to her 16-time Emmy-winning ABC sitcom, "Modern Family," and a bilingual portfolio of endorsement deals. The voluptuous Colombian actress easily surpassed Emmy and Golden Globe-winner Mariska Hargitay of NBC's "Law and Order: Special Victims Unit" and Kaley Cuoco, a star of CBS's "The Big Bang Theory," who both tied for second with $11 million.

The Forbes Celebrity 100 list looks at the earnings of American celebrities during a specific time period -- this year June 2012 through June 2013 -- and counts cash only for projects completed and contracts made good during that time. This breakaway list tallies the take-home of the talented women of prime time, and includes not just their work on TV projects, but also the lucrative endorsement and licensing deals that have come as a result.

When it comes to licensing, Sofia Vergara has more than the "Keeping Up With the Kardashians" sisters. Both the Kardashians and Vergara have price-conscious brands in their portfolios and both lines have rapidly expanded from fashion to home goods to shapewear and more. But Vergara's lines sold at Sears Holding Corp's retailer Kmart, have helped the stores continue to aggressively pursue the Hispanic demographic, which has made very lucrative profits and that's why they don't want to let Sofia go.

Vergara's endorsement deals speak to the same set of consumers. She's signed contracts this year with Diet Pepsi, Covergirl, Rooms To Go and thyroid medicine Synthroid, in addition to Spanish-language commercials for a laundry detergent, Comcast and State Farm insurance. Those deals have helped establish the star as one of the most in-demand spokespeople, as marketers hope to capture her high-wattage crossover appeal.

Also on the list, Tina Fey, with estimated earnings of $10 million, the same as Bethenny Frankel, Kourtney, Kim, and Khloe Kardashian, Melissa McCarthy and Ellen Pompeo. Following these ladies, Cobie Smulders with $9 million, and her "How I Met Your Mother" co-star Alyson Hannigan with an estimated $8 million. Amy Poehler, a first-timer on the list, was No. 13. The "Parks & Recreation" star earned $7 million and also signed a book deal.

To calculate the worth of each TV star's bank account, Forbes speaks with managers, agents, and other industry insiders to get an idea of how much each actress is earning in upfront pay, residuals, endorsements and advertising deals.

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