Parker Schnabel Strikes Big Earnings With Gold Mining, but What About His Crew’s Cut?

As the star of Discovery Channel’s Gold Rush, it makes sense that Parker Schnabel not only owns his own mining company, Little Flake, but also has access to prime gold mines, including Australia Creek and Dominion Creek — his latest addition.

Parker has built an impressive gold mining career. He started at just 5 years old, according to his Discovery bio, and he’d mined over $13 million worth of gold by the age of 24. But Parker doesn’t dig up all that precious gold alone. His trusted crew are right there with him, tackling the challenging work. So, how much does Parker pay his Gold Rush team? Here’s a closer look at the finances behind the hit show.

The exact amount Parker pays his Gold Rush crew isn’t publicly known, though some sources speculate it might be around $34 per hour. It wouldn't be far-fetched for Parker to reward his Gold Rush crew with a little extra pay depending on how much gold they manage to mine during each season or episode.

Parker certainly has his big wins, though not every mining challenge yields a huge profit. He’s still raking in impressive earnings, though! In one Gold Rush clip shared by a fan page, Parker’s team scored a massive pot of 575.45 ounces in a single week — worth over $1 million.

In another clip posted by Discovery Channel Australia on Facebook, Parker and his crew pulled in a hefty $300,000 in just one week. Another notable achievement Parker can add to his list is the $600,000 his team collected from his Mud Mound Claim, as reported in a Discovery Channel Australia Facebook post shared in March 2024.

Given the team effort involved in each mining job, despite Parker acting as the leader, it's possible that they’re paid an hourly rate plus bonuses for larger finds. Of course, this is just speculation.

With Parker often raking in hundreds of thousands on a weekly basis, it’s no surprise his net worth stands at around $8 million, according to Celebrity Net Worth.

Parker not only profits from the gold he and his crew mine, but he also earns from his appearances on reality TV. In addition to starring in Gold Rush, he’s also appeared on the show’s spinoff, Gold Rush: Parker’s Trail.

Parker's net worth is impressive, but he's certainly worked hard for it. Rick Ness, Parker's co-star, has also done well for himself, with an estimated net worth of $3 million, per Celebrity Net Worth. Although he stepped away from the show, he's making a comeback for Season 15.

Besides his earnings from Gold Rush, Rick also pursues a music career. And Tony Beets, another one of Parker's co-stars known as the "maverick mining legend," boasts an even higher net worth of $15 million, proving his nickname is well-earned.

Watch Gold Rush on Discovery Fridays at 8 p.m. EST.