American Idol has just launched Season 23 of the iconic reality singing competition, and as a new round of fresh faces turn up to compete on the show, it begs the question: Do the contestants on American Idol get paid?
As it turns out, the answer is both yes and no.
Do American Idol Contestants Get Paid?
Not surprisingly, none of the eager hopefuls who turn up to audition for American Idol get paid anything at all. In fact, it’s not unusual for aspiring singers to have to pay out-of-pocket to travel to distant cities multiple times during the auditions.
According to FOX Business, former Vanity Fair reporter Richard Rushfield’s 2011 book American Idol: The Untold Story details how some contestants wind up dropping out of the auditions because they simply can’t afford to continue.
Idol only holds auditions in certain cities every year, and the audition process is three stages — meaning contestants who live far from those cities have to pay their own way to return several times.
Once a contestant is actually chosen, the early rounds of the show also don’t pay anything beyond room and board. Rushfield reports that during seasons where they shoot behind-the-scenes footage, the contestants stay in mansions, but for most seasons, the production puts them up in modest apartments with multiple roommates.
However, once a contestant reaches the Top 24 on the show, they do start to get paid.
How Much Do the Top 24 on American Idol Get Paid?
The Top 24 singers of each season can actually earn a pretty significant income, but there’s a catch: First, they have to join the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (AFTRA), which costs $3,000.
After that, they earn $1,571 for a two-hour show, $1,303 for each one-hour episode and $910 for each half-hour episode.
Those numbers are from 2016, so they may have been adjusted since. Performers on American Idol sign a contract that does not allow them to divulge any information about the financial and business sides of the show.
What Does the Winner of American Idol Earn?
Winning American Idol is no longer the fast ticket to fame and fortune that it once was, but it still comes with a nice payday.
The winner of American Idol gets $125,000 for winning the show and is also signed to recording contract.
The record company gives the winner a $300,000 advance as a recording budget, but the company has to recoup that money through sales before paying out any future earnings.
The winner gets another $100,000 upon turning in a completed album. Once they have recouped the advance, they also earn 15 percent royalties on future sales.
Those numbers are a far cry from what the show paid out in its prime years. When Carrie Underwood won the show in 2005, she received a $1 million recording contract, a Ford Mustang and use of a private jet, according to People.
2025 ‘American Idol’ Stars’ Stunning Salaries Revealed
The new season of American Idol is just about to begin, and the stars of the show will be raking in some pretty impressive salaries. Read on to see what judges Lionel Richie, Luke Bryan and Carrie Underwood will earn in 2025, as well as host Ryan Seacrest.
Gallery Credit: Sterling Whitaker
American Idol Season 23 Stars
Mike Coppola, Getty Images
‘American Idol’ Season 23 Stars
(L-R) Luke Bryan, Lionel Richie, Carrie Underwood and Ryan Seacrest are set to appear on Season 23 of American Idol.
Lionel Richie: $10 Million
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Lionel Richie: $10 Million
According to reports, the veteran pop singer-songwriter is the low man on the American Idol totem pole, earning a salary of $10 million per season of the iconic show.
Luke Bryan: $12 Million
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Luke Bryan: $12 Million
Luke Bryan earns a reported $12 million each season in his role as a judge on American Idol, making him one of the highest-paid judges in the history of the show. That’s $4 million more than the $8 million per year that Keith Urban earned when he judged the show.
Carrie Underwood: $10 Million-$12.5 Million
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Carrie Underwood: $10 Million-$12.5 Million
Carrie Underwood is the newest judge to join American Idol, and various reports have placed her salary between $10 million and $12.5 million.
Ryan Seacrest: $12 Million
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Ryan Seacrest: $12 Million
Ryan Seacrest reportedly negotiated for a salary of $12 million per year when he returned to host American Idol in 2017. It’s unknown if he has renegotiated for a larger salary in subsequent seasons.
