'Dancing with the Stars' Celebs Are Paid Way More Than You Might Think
Stars make $125,000 for the show’s rehearsal period — but the earnings don't stop there.
Updated Nov. 6 2024, 10:47 a.m. ET
There’s a lot to love about ABC’s Dancing with the Stars — the flashy costumes, the incredible choreography, and, of course, hosts Julianne Hough and Alfonso Ribeiro.
Plenty of people dream of becoming a celebrity, but you haven’t truly made it to the top until you’re a celebrity competing on a dancing competition show.
Obviously, the celebs get bragging rights for competing on the show, but that’s not all! We’ve been wondering: How much do Dancing with the Stars contestants get paid?
‘DWTS’ contestants get paid quite a lot of money.
According to Variety, contestants on ABC’s dancing competition show Dancing with the Stars make $125,000 for the show’s rehearsal period and for the first two weeks on the air. But the earnings don't stop there.
If contestants’ dancing chops keep them on the show through week three and beyond, they earn extra money for each episode. The maximum salary a celebrity contestant can earn is reportedly $295,000 — not a bad chunk of change if you ask us.
To put that into perspective, USA gymnast Stephen Nedoroscik, who is competing on Season 33 of DWTS with partner Rylee Arnold, was only paid $15,000 for winning the bronze medal at the Paris Olympics.
Contestants on previous seasons of ‘Dancing with the Stars’ apparently made even more money.
According to a 2010 article from Gawker, the show used to have an even bigger budget when it came to contestant payouts. They still received the $125,000 for rehearsals and for appearing in the first two episodes, then $10,000 for the next two episodes, $20,000 for the two episodes after that, and $30,000 for the next two.
If they appeared in the final two episodes of the season, they got a whopping $50,000 for it, making for a grand total of $345,000. Wowza.
Even though newer seasons have a significantly smaller payout, the Dancing with the Stars salary is nothing to scoff at.
Interestingly enough, ‘DWTS’ winners don’t get any more money than the runners-up.
If you’re following along with the math, that means that every contestant who appears in the final two episodes of Dancing with the Stars takes home the same amount of money. There’s no extra cash prize for the winner. Just a trophy — and bragging rights, naturally.
Still, $295,000 for a few months of work? Even the grueling rehearsal schedule wouldn’t keep us away from a gig that good.
Cheer for your favorites and shout at your television set when the “wrong” celeb is sent home...but don’t feel too bad for them. After all, they’re collecting a pretty sizable paycheck.
Watch Dancing With the Stars Tuesdays at 8 p.m. ET on ABC.
