American Idol season 23 is knee deep in competition, and we're thrilled to tune in every week to watch the incredible musical talent.
The hit singing reality series is heating up, with judges Carrie Underwood, Luke Bryan and Lionel Richie continuing to dwindle down the number of artists who will compete in the upcoming live shows. But as new American Idol episodes air week after week, we can't stop gasping at the amount of skill each singer brings to the TV screen on Sunday and Monday nights. Couple that with the fact they have "Artist in Residence" Jelly Roll as a mentor, and we can only imagine which competitor will rise to the top.
As we wait to see who will be crowned the 2025 American Idol champion, we started to wonder: Do American Idol contestants get paid? And if so, how much do they make for their time on the show? Naturally, we had to do some research on this subject — and the answers we found were truly surprising.
Do American Idol contestants get paid?
As it turns out, American Idol contestants do actually get paid. But as with filming pretty much any reality show, there are caveats. When Margie Mays, who competed on seasons 17 and 18, spoke out about this on TikTok in 2020, she explained there are some interesting perks that the show provides in lieu of payment per episode.
"You don’t get paid until you make it to the live rounds," she explained. "I also did a couple of commercials for [American Idol], and that stuff is paid. When they take you to places like Hawaii, obviously they pay for that and there are things like a per diem for eating while you're in Hawaii. But they're not paying you to be a contestant."
That said, Margie shared in another TikTok that American Idol does help out in terms of expenses once a contestant makes it onto the show.
"Yes, they will fly you to Hollywood Week if you have to take a flight," Margie added in a separate TikTok. "They pay for that, they book for that. Awesome. They'll get you from the airport to the hotel. Hotel is paid for. Meals are provided ... They're not paying you money, but they are paying for your expenses."
But that's not all contestants had to say about making money on American Idol. Season 16 champion Maddie Poppe spoke to Business Insider about this exact subject in 2022 — and she spilled the tea on how much American Idol winners really see of the coveted $250,000 monetary prize.
"You do get $250,000 but not really because of taxes," Maddie confirmed at the time. "You get half of it before you complete your record, and then the second half after you complete the record. So, it's just like an advance from the record deal, but I'm pretty sure I have to recoup it."
How much do American Idol contestants make per episode?
So, when the time does come for contestants to be part of the American Idol live shows, how much do they actually make per episode? Well, this depends on the length of the installment.
According to TV Insider, the competitors first have to pay $3,000 for membership with American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (AFTRA). Once they are approved and part of the union, the contestants can earn $1,571 for a two-hour show, $1,303 for a one-hour episode, and $910 for a half-hour episode, per numbers in 2016. Additionally, The Hollywood Reporter stated competitors get a $400 weekly wardrobe allowance that allows them to keep their clothing selections afterwards.
Well, knowing all of this certainly has us looking at the show a little differently!
As the entertainment and news associate editor for Good Housekeeping, Adrianna (she/her) writes about everything TV, movies, music and pop culture. She graduated from Yeshiva University with a B.A. in journalism and a minor in business management. She covers shows like The Rookie, 9-1-1 and Grey's Anatomy, though when she’s not watching the latest show on Netflix, she’s taking martial arts or drinking way too much coffee.
