From ancient burial grounds in Cuba to horrific crime scenes in New England, Dr. Temperance Brennan of Fox’s “Bones” uses her expertise and experience in forensic anthropology to make the world a better place. She worships at the altar of facts, working with her fellow “squints” to determine cause of death for FBI Agent Sealy Booth. But how can Brennan afford her spacious apartment in Washington as well as her designer wardrobe?
From Bones to Books
Dr. Brennan works full-time for the Jeffersonian Institute, which is loosely based on the real-life Smithsonian. She spends her days examining remains in the lab or traipsing through crime scenes with Booth, occasionally joining him for interrogations of potential suspects.
It is estimated that the average annual pay for a forensic anthropologist is around $33,000. However, Brennan states that the closest forensic anthropologist other than her lives in Montreal, which suggests that she is highly valued by the Jeffersonian.
Despite her lack of pop culture knowledge, Brennan is the best-selling author of several crime fiction novels, which certainly pads her salary from the Jeffersonian. Although the average salary for an author working 1-4 years is under $40,000, Brennan’s interviews with talk show hosts and numerous fans at book signings indicate that she is not the average writer.
Life in the Capital
Washington has a higher cost of living than most U.S. states, with high property values and expensive restaurants. Brennan lives in a posh apartment not far from the Jeffersonian and frequently mentions her acts of charity with the money she earns. On several occasions, she demonstrates her lack of social tact by mentioning her heightened intelligence and bank account balance.
From all appearances, Brennan is not worried about money and owns secure investments in addition to her liquid capital. She is seen pulling out credit cards numerous times throughout the show, but someone of her affluence probably pays off those exclusive credit cards every month when the statement arrives.
Nevertheless, other than her wardrobe and her residence, Brennan’s tastes do not appear to be extravagant. She mentions several times that she does not watch television, so it is unlikely she pays for cable. She probably paid off her apartment with the first few royalty checks from her book sales, and therefore does not have a mortgage or rent payment to fulfill every month.
She is rarely seen dining out in expensive restaurants, preferring the small diner on the corner where she meets Booth and the squints for drinks and dinner. And although she travels extensively, those trips are most likely covered by whoever has hired her to examine remains.
Hard-Knock Life
Brennan comes from a broken home, which might be the reason for her practicality with money. Her parents, who were bank robbers, abandoned her and her brother, Russ, when she was 15, leaving her a ward of the foster care system. She paid for her education and her living expenses on her own, and therefore learned how to manage money from an early age. There doesn’t seem to be a lot of credit card debt in her past, and certainly none in her future.
