How Much Do Celebrities Earn for Appearing on Dancing With the Stars?
According to multiple sources cited by Variety in 2019, celebrities on Dancing With the Stars received $125,000 for the rehearsal period and the first two weeks of competition. Contestants who remained on the show beyond that stage earned additional weekly payments, with sources telling the publication that the maximum payout at the time was $295,000.
But Bobby Bones said his earnings exceeded that figure after he won season 27 alongside professional dancer Sharna Burgess in 2018.
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“That show pays OK,” the radio personality said during a September 2025 appearance on Jason Tartick’s podcast, Trading Secrets. Bones explained that contestants receive no money for the first episode, followed by payments of $10,000, $10,000, $20,000 and $20,000 as they advance. “It ends up being $50,000 an episode if you last,” he said.
Bones also said the initial deal included a base salary of approximately $110,000. “I ended up making close to $400,000 from that show,” he added.
ABC has not publicly verified the reported Dancing With the Stars salaries or Bones’ account of his total earnings.