Survivor contestants put their bodies and minds through the ringer while competing for the show’s $1 million prize. In Touch takes a look into if the castaways are paid for their time on the show and how much money they can make.

Are ‘Survivor’ Contestants Paid?

While the honor of appearing on Survivor is worth its weight in gold, contestants do get paid for how long they remain in the competition.

The first person voted off receives around $3,500, according to CinemaBlend, and the amount increases by the number of weeks the players remain on the show.

Early on in the series, the show began holding live finales and reunions together up through season 39’s Survivor: Island of the Idols. When Survivor entered its new era in 2020, the final tribal council was held during a virtual vote read in season 40 amid the COVID-19 pandemic. It moved to being held on location starting in season 41 to capture the players’ emotion during the final tribal council.

Survivor: Gabon contestant Corinne Kaplan said during a September 2021 appearance on Jason Tartick‘s “Trading Secrets” podcast that up until the change, contestants were paid $10,000 to attend the finale and reunion combination.

“The reason that that ticket is so high is because most people, if they were wronged on the show or whatever, if there wasn’t a big ticket attached to it, you’d be like ‘f–k it, I’m not going,’” she explained.

How Do the ‘Survivor’ Contestants Make Money?

“I think people are always surprised to learn that we do earn money,” Corinne shared on the podcast.

“The same pot of money exists no matter how many players there are,” she explained, adding the amount hadn’t changed since the show’s 2000 premiere. “CBS never accounted for inflation. There’s never any more money in that pot,” Corinne added while not giving the exact sum.

The season 17 alum said the weekly amounts paid out rise with a big boost kicking in for those who make it far enough to become jury members. The jury usually consists of seven to 10 players, depending on the size of the initial cast.

“Then it starts going up by $10K each jury member … $1 million is first place, second place is $100,000, third place is $75,000,” she explained.

During various podcast appearances, Corinne said she made $45,000 on Survivor: Gabon, where she finished in seventh place. However, she only pocketed $20,000 during Survivor: Caramoan — Fans vs. Favorites, when she came in 12th place.

How Much Money Does the Winner of ‘Survivor’ Make?

Since the show’s inception, the $1 million cash prize has been one of the most generous payouts on TV, along with the player’s bragging rights that they were able to outwit, outplay and outlast all of the other season’s contestants.

The fame that comes with a Survivor win or a popular player with a solid finish can translate into other money-making opportunities in future seasons.

“Boston Rob” Mariano first appeared on season 4’s Survivor: Marquesas and was eliminated before the merge. While he didn’t even make the jury, Rob’s strategic play won the hearts of viewers. When he returned for Survivor: All-Stars (season 8), he was the runner-up behind his now-wife, Amber Brkich. Rob went on to appear on Heroes vs. Villains (season 20) and finally got his win when he came back for Survivor: Redemption Island (season 22) and dominated the game.

Rob came back for Winners at War (season 40), and although he was voted out early, the Edge of Extinction twist allowed him to stick around to serve on the jury. His Survivor fame has translated into appearing in other reality show competitions, including season 3 of Peacock’s The Traitors.