In a candid interview with Radio Times, Ms Wilson, 36, waded into the argument over unequal gender pay, which has been playing out at the BBC in recent months.
The star said that ever after winning a Golden Globe, she did not think her pay would have parity with those of other male stars, including West.
She said: “I definitely get less money than a male in my situation would. Definitely.
“Certainly when I signed up to that project, I would have got paid less.
“Then they [the producers] might argue, ‘Well, he’s already done a major American TV show [The Wire] so he’s already got a level.’
“But even after a Golden Globe I’m not going to be on parity.
“So he definitely gets more than me.
“I mean, I don’t know what the figure is, but I’m sure he does.”
Asked if she had ever spoken to West, 48, about it, she replied: “Ah, well, I mean, no.
“It’s sort of funny.
“It’s quite hard to bring that up in a way.
“But it needs to be an open discussion and men need to help us out.”
And she added: “I don’t want more money, I just want equal money.
“Which means men have to take less.”
In the US drama The Affair, Ms Wilson, who lives in London, performed with a note-perfect American accent, the role winning her a Golden Globe.
She returns in the fourth season later this year.
But she has also scored significant successes on stage, her impressive portrayals of complex women – from Anna Christie to Hedda Gabler – winning her two Olivier Awards.
Her words on equal pay are likely to add to the debate over the issue.
It was Carrie Gracie’s resignation as the BBC’s China Editor which highlighted the issue of equal pay at the BBC, but it has also now been discussed within the entertainment industry in general.
As the row grew at the BBC last month, six leading male presenters agreed to take pay cuts after revelations over unequal salaries.
The corporation confirmed that Huw Edwards, Nicky Campbell, John Humphrys, Jon Sopel, Nick Robinson and Jeremy Vine had all accepted reduced wages.
