How Much Do Alligator Hunters Make on 'Swamp People'? It Can Vary a Lot

The stars of the History Channel reality show Swamp People have a simple goal: preserve the way of life in the Atchafalaya Basin, and they're hunting alligators to do it. Over the course of 15 seasons, viewers get to watch the cast live their lives with the swamp while we learn more than we ever thought we could about the Atchafalaya Basin in Louisiana. This is the largest wetland and swamp in the U.S., so there's so much swampland for the cast to explore.

The Swamp People cast probably lives a much simpler life than a lot of the show's viewers, but that doesn't mean they don't get paid. One outlet says that all the cast together, past and present, have a salary of $6 million, although the amount the cast makes on the show varies widely, and not every cast member's salary is public knowledge.

Over the course of the show, stars have come and gone. During Season 15, there are more than a dozen people in the cast, and the amount of money they make from it can vary widely. Troy Landry probably makes the most out of everyone else on the show. He's said to have a net worth of $2 million and makes $30,000 per month from the show. His son Jacob reportedly makes $10,000 per Swamp People episode. Other sources say that the rest of the cast of the show makes $10,000 each per episode.

Troy and Jacob are fan favorites on the show, so it makes sense that they might be paid more money than others. Glenn Guist reportedly had a net worth of $700,000 from the show. Terral Evans is reported to be a millionaire because of the show. Daniel Edgar has been on Swamp People since 2016, and he only makes about $10,000 from each episode, which is a very low number in comparison to other cast members. For some other members of the show like Willie Edwards, it's unclear how much they've made.

Daniel's grandson Dorien Edgar doesn't publicly have a salary available, but if his grandfather's number is any indication, he's not making much. Gerard “Gee” Singleton's salary also isn't available, but he reportedly has a net worth of $300,000. Zak Catchem stars on the show as well, but he also makes money as a YouTuber. He has two channels all about fishing and has over three million subscribers on his main channel Catch Em All Fishing. 

Even though the cast of Swamp People makes a lot of money, not every alligator hunter is on TV. It's reported that they typically work on a freelance basis where they only get paid when they have an alligator to sell. How much an individual can make depends greatly. It's reported that some get paid up to $40 per foot of the reptile unprocessed. Others could rake in as little as $14 per hour of freelance work.

People hunting alligators for sport in Louisiana need to have a license issued from the government. According to Louisiana's state website, a license costs $25 for state residents and $150 for non-residents. There are also registrations for boats, certifications, and other types of permits that all can come with some kind of fee.

Swamp People airs at 8 p.m. EST, Thursdays on History.