Shia LaBeouf delivers a better financial return for every dollar he is paid than any other actor in Hollywood, according to a new poll.

For the second year running, LaBeouf topped the Forbes magazine list of stars who offer the most "bang for the buck", earning an estimated $81 (£52) profit for every $1 he is paid. His position is due to the financial success of films such as Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen, which made $836m last year, and 2008's Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, which notched up $787m worldwide in 2008.

Second place went to Anne Hathaway, thanks to the success of Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland, in which she starred as the White Queen. The film made more than $1bn globally, with Hathaway herself worth $64 for every $1 she is paid.

In third place, Daniel Radcliffe made $61 for every $1, largely due to the profitability of the Harry Potter films. Fourth spot, with $33 per $1, went to Robert Downey Jr, who has appeared in the Iron Man films and last year's Sherlock Holmes. Cate Blanchett rounded out the top five thanks to a return of $27 per $1.

Also appearing in the top 10, due to the success of Alice in Wonderland, was Johnny Depp, with a return of $18 per $1 he is paid. Depp is reportedly one of the highest-paid actors in Hollywood.

Forbes calculates its list based on actors' performances in films over the last five years. To qualify, they must have appeared in at least three films during that period. Box office, DVD and TV sales are taken into account, but marketing costs are not, since they are apparently "susceptible to accounting chicanery".

Hollywood now awaits the announcement of a rather more dubious group – the actors who offer the least "bang for their buck". Last year, the unfortunate honour of topping the list went to Will Ferrell, who was paid $1 for every $3.29 his films made.