Melissa Rauch was born on June 23, 1980, to Susan and David Rauch, a Jewish family from Marlboro Township, New Jersey.12 She had an early interest in acting and humor, visiting arts camps at a young age and frequently doing stand-up. Rauch's interest in the arts persisted until high school, when she actively participated in school productions. She pursued her passion for acting at Marymount Manhattan College in New York City, where she earned a BFA in 2002.1 During college, Rauch polished her humorous skills by doing stand-up comedy around Manhattan, setting the groundwork for her future career in entertainment.

Melissa Rauch made her breakthrough in 2009, when she got the part of Bernadette Rostenkowski on the hit CBS comedy "The Big Bang Theory."1 This chance came at a critical time in Rauch's career, as she had been struggling financially and depending on unemployment benefits to make ends meet.2 Rauch's performance pleased the producers so much that she became a recurrent guest star and eventually a series regular after being cast for only one episode.1 Her performance as Bernadette gained her critical accolades, including a Critics' Choice Television Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series in 2013.1 Rauch's salary reportedly increased from $75,000 per episode to $500,000 by the show's final season as a result of "The Big Bang Theory"'s success.

Melissa Rauch and her husband Winston Rauch have built a thriving creative relationship alongside their marriage. The pair met as college freshman at Marymount Manhattan College, where they bonded over their mutual love of comedy1. They started working together on creative projects early in their relationship, and their first significant success was the comic stage musical "The Miss Education of Jenna Bush" in 20051. Since then, they have collaborated on a number of projects, including co-writing and producing the 2015 film "The Bronze"1. Their writing technique includes significant outlining before beginning conversation, with both taking turns at scenes and compiling their finest work2. They most recently worked as executive producers on the 2023 revival of "Night Court" for NBC1. Melissa has commended their creative synergy, adding that working with Winston allows her to see him perform what he's supposed to do, which she finds rewarding2.