Behind the sequins and glitter of “Dancing With the Stars” (DWTS) lies a performance-based pay structure that rewards longevity. Both professional dancers and celebrity contestants earn more the further they advance in the competition. In the show, celebrities are paired with pros for weekly dance challenges. Season 34 of DWTS began airing on ABC and Disney+ on Sept. 16.
Secret Salaries
Pro dancer Jenna Johnson, who has been part of DWTS since 2014, shared some insight on her June appearance on “The Morning After” podcast. She explained that payment varies depending on how long dancers remain in the competition.
“You’re guaranteed until a certain amount of weeks,” Johnson said. “I think there’s different contracts though. I can’t speak for everybody.”
She added, “So 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.”
As reported by Cosmopolitan, according to her appearance on the “Trading Secrets” podcast, Kaitlyn Bristowe, a pro dancer who won Season 29 of DWTS, confirmed the performance pay structure during an appearance, saying, “You get a bonus every week that you make it. The final four are in the final episode, they all get paid the same… But your signing bonus, I think you can negotiate a bit, like, to sign to say you’re going on the show.”
The celebrities themselves can also earn substantial sums.
When DWTS introduced President Donald Trump’s former press secretary Sean Spicer in 2019, outlets including Variety reported that stars earned $125,000 for the rehearsal period and their first two weeks on air.
If they advanced past week two, they collected additional weekly fees throughout the season, with the maximum payout reaching $295,000.
As Stylecaster reported, the celebrity contestants earn potential bonuses are follows: weeks three and four bring more than $10,000 per week; week five pays more than $15,000; weeks six and seven offer $20,000 per week; weeks eight and nine provide more than $30,000; and the semifinals and finale add more than $50,000.
Regardless of whether pro dancers win alongside their celebrity partners, Johnson, who has won two seasons, asserts that the competition does not come with a cash grand prize.
“If you win, it’s not like you win $1 million and split it with your partner,” she said. “You’re just getting a cute trophy together.”