How much money do celebrities make on Dancing with the Stars?
Though there is no official word on what the cast of the hit show earns, word is that it’s a pretty penny and that’s why we’re taking a look at what we know.
For almost two decades now, ABC’s long-running show has entertained countless fans and neutrals alike as it showcases the dancing talents of various celebrities. From stars of the NFL to the silver screen, we’ve seen it all and then some, but how much do these luminaries earn for their efforts?
Examining the “Dancing with the Stars” pay scale
As mentioned before, there has never been any official comment on how much participants of ABC’s ‘Dancing With the Stars’ are paid to appear on the show, however, various reports have floated a figure of $125,000 which includes a minimum of 20 hours per week of training for a period of several weeks prior to the season’s premier.
Now, as you can probably guess, earnings increase should the celebrity in question receive more votes such that they stay in the competition. For those who make it to the third and fourth weeks, they can expect a bonus of $10,000 per week. Should they go even further i.e., make it to week five, they can reportedly receive a payday of $15,000, while weeks six and seven see them earning $20,000 a week. It doesn’t stop there either as weeks eight and nine garner a paycheck of $30,000 each. That brings us to the semi-finals and finals where they stand to pocket a further $50,000 in prize money for each week, and of course, the Mirror Ball trophy should they win.
What that means, is that in addition to their ‘appearance fee’ stars can make a sizeable amount across the 11-week season, roughly $360,000 in total. Interestingly, a 2019 report did in fact suggest that the amount was cut such that the maximum the final three could earn was $295,000. Regardless of the amount is, it’s still not pocket change.
So, with that, we come to the dancers themselves, who it must be said do not earn as much as the celebrities on the show. Again, while there is no official account of what the professional dancers make on the show, the figure widely circulated is $1,600 per episode. As is the case with their more famous counterparts, the paychecks continue as long as they stay on the show. On the other hand, it should be said that those who have been on the show for several seasons are rumored to be pocketing something in the realm of $5,200 per episode. The reported cap for dancers is said to be $100,000 per season.