How much do 'Dancing With the Stars' contestants make? They earn a lot more than you think
If you haven’t heard yet, the 'Dancing With the Stars' Season 33 finale made waves, with Joey Graziadei and Jenna Johnson being titled as the ultimate winners. Hosted by Alfonso Ribeiro and Julianne Hough, the season, which began on September 17, was judged by Derek Hough, Carrie Ann Inaba, and Bruno Tonioli. The show continues to delight viewers with its unique format of pairing celebrities from various fields with professional dancers. While the spotlight and buzz around participating in 'Dancing With the Stars' are well-known, one question remains: How much do the contestants actually get paid?
To understand the mathematics behind the salary of the contestants in 'Dancing With the Stars' one also needs to understand the grit required. While the show had a slew of successful artists, like Zendaya, Mark Cuban, and Kim Kardashian, to name a few, there is a necessity to dedicate significant time for rehearsals and performances, often lasting up to nine weeks. So, in terms of remuneration, 'Dancing with the Stars' contestants receive an initial base salary of $125,000 for their first two weeks of appearances and rehearsals on the show, as reported by Variety.
For weeks three and four, the payout reportedly rises to $10,000 per episode. For weeks five and six, it increases to $20,000 per episode, and for weeks seven and eight, it jumps to $30,000 per episode, as per US Weekly. If contestants make it to the finals, they can earn an additional $50,000 for each of the final two episodes. The tiered pay structure not only motivates participants to stay longer in the competition but also adds to the appeal of being a part of the show.
The pay cheque for professional dancers also shows that veteran dancers reportedly make around $5,200 per week, which sums up to $100,000 per season, as per IB Times. The main responsibilities of dancers include choreographing routines, rehearsing with celebrity contestants for 20 hours a week, and, of course, performing. However, the paycheck for newcomers is significantly low, as they earn about $1,200 per week, per se US Weekly.
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While the salary of the current hosts, Julianne Hough and Alfonso Ribeiro is unavailable, the previous host, Tom Bergeron, earned around $150,000 per week during his tenure, with his final salary estimated between $1.5 to $1.8 million per season, according to Style Caster. The celebrity judges, including Bruno Tonioli, Carrie Ann Inaba, and the late Len Goodman, also took home $1.2 million per season as per The Sun.
In addition, the winners of 'Dancing With the Stars' don't receive a cash prize as they take home the Mirrorball trophy and earn significantly more than other contestants. The maximum take-home pay for a celebrity is $295,000, which includes a large signing bonus, per Variety, Courtney Robertson revealed in a podcast that she received a $150,000 sign-on bonus to appear on the show, as reported by Cosmopolitan. She divulged in the She’s All Bach podcast, that, in addition to a lump sum of $150,000 to join the show, saying “You make another, like, $30,000 or something per week. I mean, wow."
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With such lucrative paychecks, it’s no surprise celebrities work hard to stay on the show. While 'Dancing With the Stars' is already a cultural phenomenon, turning inexperienced celebrities into dancers, the generous financial rewards certainly reflect its status as a premier entertainment program.
