Angelina Jolie is Hollywood`s top earning actress, earning $27 million in the past year to beat her partner Brad Pitt`s ex-wife Jennifer Aniston, who earned $25 million, a Forbes.com study showed.

A majority of Jolie’s earnings came from the share of the profits from action movie “Wanted”. But the movie “Salt” also was very lucrative for her. Pitt and Jolie have six adopted kids. Jennifer Aniston, who was Pitt’s wife earlier, earned mostly from the romantic comedy "Marley and Me" and her forthcoming movie "The Baster”.

"Aniston also still earns money from (reruns of TV series) Friends and she gets a nice paycheck shilling for Glaceau`s SmartWater," Forbes.com said.

Meryl Streep is at No. 3 with $24 million in the kitty, most of which has come from her role in "Mamma Mia,". Sarah Jessica Parker was ranked 4th with $23 million in pay packet after the movie version of television series "Sex and the City."

Cameron Diaz completes the top five, earning $20 million from June 2008 to June 2009.

Forbes.com said it contacted agents, managers, producers, and lawyers to work out what actresses were paid forthright for movies they are currently shooting and what pay they might have earned after movies hit the cinema halls. Wealth earned from perfume and clothing lines was also taken into consideration.

"As is still typical for Hollywood, our actresses earned significantly less than their male counterparts," Forbes.com said, pointing out that the top earning male actor, Harrison Ford, made $65 million.