Hosts, judges and personalities vital to popular reality shows can earn big bucks. The contestants themselves? They typically don’t make a ton of cash per episode – if anything at all.
Reality contestants and cast members generally earn a small amount for their time and energy, somewhere between a couple hundred and a couple thousand dollars per episode. Some shows offer signing bonuses to participants to offset the costs of putting real life on hold , but offers are somewhat rare.
Paychecks can grow the longer contestants stay on the show or in the competition. And if they win the show it can be lucrative.
The financial opportunities of a reality TV show experience as a contestant, though, go well beyond a cash stipend or major prize. Many contestants take advantage of their fifteen minutes of fame and are able to turn their reality show gig into something bigger and more lucrative.
Here’s a look at 13 ways many successful reality show contestants really make their money.
2) Write a Book
Nicole “Snooki” Polizzi of “Jersey Shore” attends a signing for her book “A Shore Thing” in 2011. Charles Sykes / AP Photo
One of the most popular ways to capitalize on a big, new fanbase is to write a book.
A benefit of breaking into the public eye on reality TV is that, at least to most of the world until that point, their story is relatively unknown. Viewers are smart enough, too, to understand that what they see onscreen is only really a portion of the “real” person, and will often be hungry to learn more.
Nicole “Snooki” Polizzi of “Jersey Shore” dropped her first book, which people went crazy for, at the height of her popularity in 2011. She’s since written a total of five books, including recent ones featuring a total makeover and transformation, which her die-hard fans continue to support.
9) Take Speaking Engagements
Carrie Ann Inaba of “Dancing With the Stars” speaks at the Humane Society of the United States’ To the Rescue! Los Angeles gala in 2018. John Salangsang / AP Photo / Invision for The Humane Society of the United States
Great professional and motivational speakers are always in demand. And people who have the notoriety that can come from a reality TV show experience often find themselves in the lucky position where people will pay to hear their perspective on the experience.
Or, maybe they just created enough of an onscreen personality that people want to hear more about their story in a live and engaging way.
Plenty of specialty agencies hire former and current reality TV show contestants to come speak. Sometimes they volunteer their time. When they get paid, their speaking fees are often pretty good, from the low five figures to the low six figures, according to All American Speakers.
10) Become a Reality Show Judge (or Just Make a Cameo)
Nicole Scherzinger, a judge on “The X Factor,” poses at screening event for the television series in 2011. Scherzinger’s breakthrough came on “Popstars.” Chris Pizzello / AP Photo
Who better to judge or weigh in on how current reality TV contestants are doing than former ones?
Nicole Scherzinger first appeared on a singing competition called “Popstars,” which in many ways helped launch her career. And, outside of singing, she participated on “The X Factor” UK as a judge who got to decide the fate of young new singers.
Kelly Clarkson, who won the first season of “American Idol,” has been a coach on another singing competition show, “The Voice.”
13) Pitch on Social Media
Anyone who’s been paying attention to social media opportunities over the past decade knows there’s serious money in the market.
Assuming a contestant can harness reality TV fame into an active and interested social following, companies will pay big bucks to have pictures with their brands featured on their Instagram page or elsewhere.
Companies love reality TV contestants and participants because they’re seen as usually more “real” or “relatable” than their other entertainment counterparts, so their product placement is even more believable (even though they do need to denote when something is an #ad).
