Being a full-time cast member of any Real Housewivesfranchise comes with its own set of perks. A Bravo star can assume they will be given at least one girl’s trip paid for, free meals at popular restaurants (as long as the cameras get the sign in the frame), and a pretty decent paycheck.
Whether a housewife is holding a diamond, apple, or peach, each wants to ensure they are paid what they’re worth. So, how much do some of the most popular Bravo personalities make?
Let’s start with the original franchise that started it all back in 2006. Some of the best TV moments have come from the women of Real Housewives of Orange County. With characters like Vicki Gunvalson, Tamra Judge, and Shannon Beador, fans have questioned if their paychecks matched their energy.
Style Caster shared that Vicki was paid $750,000 per season. At the same time, Tamra was said to earn $900,000 per season. Shannon, who joined the group during Season 9, is said to make $583,000 per season. The three amigas are always a good time and make for some great TV moments, and the numbers seem to represent that.
Real Housewives of New York City
Probably the most beloved franchise, Real Housewives of New York City had some heavy hitters and were bound to cost the network a pretty penny.
Ramona Singer, famous for her unapologetic readings of others, was said to have only made $500,000 per season. Luann de Lesseps, who now has her own spin-off, was given $20,000 per scene, as she wasn’t always a main cast member. While Bethenny Frankel, who was the GOAT, walked away with $1 million per season.
The newest season of Real Housewives of Atlanta is currently airing on Bravo. It’s reminding viewers once again why these women are worth every penny. The breakout star of the series, NeNe Leakes, was said to have had a salary of $2.85 million. Sadly, she eventually walked away from the show after claiming Bravo wasn’t paying her enough.
Kim Zolciak, who has been in the news for her (maybe) divorce from Kroy Biermann, earned $1.8 million per season, which we assume was spent on wine and wigs. Kandi Burruss, who is still on the show and a clear fan favorite, hustles for every dime, earning herself $2.3 million per season.
The OG is said to bring in $1.116 million per season. Melissa, who joined during Season 3, is only said to earn $750,000 per season. The muscle of New Jersey, Dolores Catania, earns $60,000 per episode after only being paid $30,000 per episode for her first season.
Real Housewives of Beverly Hills
The ladies of the 90210 are all about their luxury wears, with fans wondering how they can afford such an ostentatious lifestyle. Kyle Richards, the OG of Real Housewives of Beverly Hills, allegedly makes $500,000 per season, which seems a bit low compared to some other Bravo personalities.
Erika Jayne, who filmed the drama of her divorce for the last season, also earns $500,000 per season. Dorit Kemsley, who never misses a chance to wear a designer outfit, only rakes in $100,000 per season.
Real Housewives of Potomac
Surprisingly, many of the salaires for the women of Real Housewives of Potomac have remained a secret. However, Monique Samuels revealed on Behind the Velvet Rope that during her first season, she only made $42,000, and after calculating the math, shared it was roughly $3,500 an episode.
At the time, Monique shared, “So, I walked away with nothing my first season. I don’t think I even made money until my third season. It’s literally like pennies.” Here is hoping that the women’s salaries have increased just as much as their high rating series has.
TELL US – DO YOU THINK BRAVO HOUSEWIVES MAKE TOO MUCH?
The OG is said to bring in $1.116 million per season. Melissa, who joined during Season 3, is only said to earn $750,000 per season. The muscle of New Jersey, Dolores Catania, earns $60,000 per episode after only being paid $30,000 per episode for her first season.
NeNe Leakes: By the time season 12 of The Real Housewives of Atlanta rolled around, NeNe was reportedly making $2.85 million per season—making her the highest paid Housewife!
What does Bravo pay? Again, Bravo is pretty hush-hush about a cast member's salary, but a rough idea can always be worked out. Per The Richest, each cast member is reportedly paid somewhere between $10,000 and $20,000 for each episode.
These days, she reportedly earns an estimated $1.1 million per season, making her one of the highest paid Real Housewives in the entire franchise. As as long as she stays on Bravo, and remains wise with her spending (dream bigger, all, it's possible, maybe), this should help her to pay down her debts rather quickly.
How much does Kyle Richards make on RHOBH? Richards has been a fixture on RHOBH since Season 1. Former co-star Meyer claimed that Richards made $136,000 in Season 1, while reports of her recent salary have her making $270,000 per season.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) -Who is the richest housewife in Real Housewives? Some of the richest housewives in the Real Housewives series with incredible net worth include Kathy Hilton (USD 350 million), Kyle Richards (USD 100 million), Lisa Vanderpump (USD 90 million) and Stutton Stracke (USD 50 million).
"So, when the ladies go out to a restaurant, either in duos or a big group, production is picking up the tab,” he explained. “Sometimes restaurants will give them a discount or free desserts or something like that, but production is paying . . .
“People always do ask about the planes and the parties and stuff, and they do think everything is paid by production — even other cast members from other shows ask about that,” Kyle shared during the Iconic Vacations panel on Sunday, October 16, 2022. “We are actually paying for those things ourselves.”
Do Stay-at-Home Parents Earn Money? Some stay-at-home parents work part-time or freelance jobs to earn money but the role of a homemaker is a non-paying job in the traditional sense.
What Is Lala Kent's Vanderpump Rules Salary? According to the Hollywood Reporter, the core cast of Vanderpump Rules was “barely netting $10,000 for their participation in the entire first season,” but they went through negotiations in 2017 and 2018 and started being paid $25,000 per episode. How-ev-er!
Now, when it comes to the crew's Bravo paycheck, Business Insider has reported that they receive a small fee for their participation. Earlier, Below Deck cast members argued that they were severely underpaid. The fee is said to be around $5,000 to $6,000 a month.
While appearing on the reality show, Sonja earned a reported $465,000 per episode, according to Celebrity Net Worth. It's since been announced that she and former RHONY costar Luann de Lesseps are set to star in a spinoff series titled Luann & Sonja: Welcome to Crappie Lake, set to premiere in July 2023.
After her sister-in-law Teresa Giudice, Melissa Gorga is the second longest-running cast member of The Real Housewives of New Jersey, so it's no surprise that she rakes in a hefty amount from those Bravo appearances: according to Screen Rant, Melissa Gorga makes $750,000 per season of RHONJ.
Lisa Vanderpump's net worth is estimated to be around $90 million, according to Celebrity Net Worth. The net worth is combined with her husband Ken Todd. Together they own, SUR Lounge, Pump Restaurant, Tom Tom Restaurant & Bar, Vanderpump co*cktail Garden in Caesars Palace, and Vanderpump à Paris.
While Eva will only be a "part-time Housewife," theJasmineBrand.com reports she will rake it nearly $100,000 per episode. That is some serious coins, but why isn't she a full-time cast member?
How much does Melissa Gorga make as a Housewife? According to Screen Rant, Melissa Gorga makes $750,000 a season. Gorga also appeared on The Real Housewives Ultimate Girls Trip, with Giudice, Kenya Moore, Kyle Richards, Cynthia Bailey and LuAnn de Lesseps.
By our calculations, with seven regular episodes airing that season, the payment comes out to about $1,429 per episode. Any trips, dinners, or parties thrown came out of their own personal pockets, says NeNe, and not Bravo's.
Bethenny Frankel may be one of the most recognizable names to come out of the Real Housewives franchise. Since her first appearance on the show in 2008, Bethenny has created an empire. She is a New York Times bestselling author, a philanthropist, and the founder the lifestyle brand Skinnygirl.
Introduction: My name is Pres. Lawanda Wiegand, I am a inquisitive, helpful, glamorous, cheerful, open, clever, innocent person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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