Dancing With the Stars Season 34 is officially airing on the 2025 TV schedule, meaning it’s time to obsess over who is going to be the next recipient of the Len Goodman Mirrorball Trophy. The DWTS cast is once again filled to the brim with athletes, actors, Olympians, influencers, reality stars, and musicians vying for the trophy on the ballroom floor. Since they’ll be spending a chunk of their time over the next several weeks competing, how much are they actually paid between the rehearsals, live shows, and making it all the way to the end?
How Much Do Dancing With The Stars Contestants Make?
Sources told Variety in 2019 that contestants on the reality dancing competition series make $125,000 for the rehearsal period prior to the season officially starting and the first two weeks on air. If they make it to week three and beyond, contestants are given additional fees each week. However, the maximum amount a contestant can earn is $295,000. It has changed over the years, though, as reports before 2019 revealed contestants made as much as $345,000.
That being said, controversial Season 27 winner Bobby Bones recently admitted on Jason Tartick’s Trading Secretspodcast that the show “pays okay.” He went on to reveal that his pay when he was on was completely different from what was previously reported:
Like first episode, no money, second episode, $10,000. I think it’s like, $10,000, $10,000, $20,000 — it ends up being $50,000 an episode, if you last. So I ended up making like close to $400,000 from that show. So financially, pretty good.
Regardless, the DWTS celebrity contestants have to give up a lot of time to be on the show, and depending on how far they make it, they possibly have to do nothing but DWTS for at most, around 10 weeks. They have to plan their schedules around the show, so it only makes sense that they get paid well. If only it stayed consistent.
How Much Do They Make When They Win?
As for making it all 10 weeks and winning the Mirrorball, that’s a different story. As previously mentioned, additional fees are given to contestants each week depending on how far they make it. However, longtime pro and reigning champ Jenna Johnson revealed on The Morning Afterpodcast that the winning couple only gets the shiny trophy in the end.
So whoever makes it to the finale, you all get paid up until then. And you do get a nice bonus. If you make it all the way to the end, you’re getting paid the whole season, which is amazing, 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.
While the contestants and pros will be making money during their time on the show, they are basically competing for a trophy and bragging rights, and nothing else. At the very least, since the trophy is now renamed the Len Goodman Mirrorball Trophy in honor of the late judge, that is a pretty special reason for wanting to come out on top, even if it’s not exactly cash.
It can be assumed that most people who do DWTS don’t necessarily do it for money, but because they want to prove themselves and think it’s fun. Plus, that trophy does look pretty great. There’s no telling who will be the next recipient of the Len Goodman Mirrorball Trophy, but Season 34 is only just getting started. New episodes of DWTS air on Tuesdays at 8 p.m. ET on ABC and with a Disney+ subscription.
