How Much Money Does Each Contestant Earn On Dancing With The Stars?
Viewers who tune in to Dancing with the Stars often wonder—do the celebrities get paid for competing on the show? The answer…yes!
A new season of DWTS kicks off on Tuesday, September 16. The season’s cast features superstar celebrities such as Robert Irwin, Danielle Fishel, Dylan Efron, Corey Feldman, and Jordan Chiles.
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The celebrities mentioned above and the other competitors will all be paid for their time on DWTS. But how much, exactly?
ABC has never confirmed how much the celebrities earn on DWTS. However, a 2019 report from Variety cites “sources” who said the stars earn $125,000 for rehearsals and the first two weeks the season airs on TV.
The sources Variety cites claimed that once contestants advance past week two, they receive additional paychecks.
That leads us to another question—do celebrities earn more money for winning Dancing with the Stars? The answer…yes!
According to Variety‘s sources, the celebrities on DWTS can earn a maximum of $295,000. It seems reasonable that the maximum payout goes to the season’s winner, but that remains unconfirmed.
Variety cited “reports” that celebrities previously earned as much as $345,000 on DWTS before Season 28 in 2019.
How Much Does Dancing With The Stars Pay Its Professional Dancers?
There’s even less information out there about how much the professional dancers are paid for their work on Dancing with the Stars. Us Weekly cites “multiple reports” that the pros are paid $1,200 per week when they first start working with the show.
The pros can earn more per episode, and their salaries can increase if they stick with the show for several seasons. The outlet claims that longtime pro dancers can earn around $5,000 per episode.
DWTS pro Jenna Johnson-Chmerkovskiy offered some additional insight into the dancers’ salaries while speaking on The Morning After podcast earlier this year (2025).
When asked if they get paid more for winning, she answered “no.”
“Whoever makes it to the finale, you all get paid up until then,” she said. “And you do get a nice bonus. You’re guaranteed until a certain amount of weeks. I think there’s different contracts, so I can’t speak for everybody.”
Jenna would know, as she’s won DWTS twice. Her first victory came during Season 26 with Olympic figure skater Adam Rippon. Then, she won Season 33 with The Bachelor star Joey Graziadei.
“…if you make it all the way to the end, you’re getting paid the whole season, which is amazing,” Jenna said. “And you get a bonus on top of that for making it to the finale. If you win, it’s not like you win a million dollars and split it with your partner. You’re just getting a cute trophy together.“
This year, Jenna is vying for that “cute trophy” with her celebrity partner Corey Feldman, an actor known for his roles in Gremlins and The Goonies. We wish them and the other competitors the best of luck this season!