American Idol, the preeminent singing reality competition series, has naturally evolved over the course of its 23 seasons. First premiering in 2002, it has outlived a brief hiatus, two networks, countless contestants and judges with various professional backgrounds and personalities.
But one of the most intriguing aspects of the show is its monetary machinations, namely what and how contestants are paid. Given that auditioners must take time out of their day-to-day lives (and jobs) to perform for a chance at musical stardom, it’s worth parsing through what they get in return — aside from exposure on national television.
As Season 23 comes to a close and this year's judges Luke Bryan, Lionel Richi and Carrie Underwood get ready to crown a new winner, let's take a look at just what these contestants are getting out of the experience.
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Read on for more information on contestants’ salaries:
Yes and no. Per previous contestant Margie Mays, who competed in Seasons 17 and 18, contestants aren’t paid until they make it to the live rounds, midway through the season. She said in a 2020 TikTok that she was paid to appear in commercials for the show and, later on, received compensation when Idol flew her and others out to Hawaii, during which she also got a per diem.
"But they’re not paying you to be a contestant. That’s the sacrifice you make to try to win,” she said. “So try to make it to the end.”
So, for the Top 24, SAG-AFTRA pays each contestant a performance fee of $1,571 plus meals for two-hour Idol shows, $1,303 for one-hour shows and $910 for half-hour results shows, figures that have likely changed since Fox Business reported them in 2016. Each contestant must also pay to join the union.
Do American Idol contestants have to pay to audition for the show?
In another TikTok, Mays said the show will arrange for travel, hotel stays and meals during Hollywood Week. "But in regards to paying for anything, you don’t need to buy anything during Hollywood Week. They're not paying you money, but they are paying for your expenses,” she said.
Season 7 winner David Cook echoed that sentiment, telling Business Insider in 2022 that people were often shocked to hear that his on-screen audition for judges was indeed his fifth round after multiple initial screenings — all of which he had to put his own money down for, flying between auditions.
"Once you get to Hollywood Week, they put you up in, cover flights and all that, but yeah, for the city auditions segment, you're on your own pocket," he told the publication.
Other contestants like Season 15 runner-up La’Porsha Renae and Season 3 second place finisher Diana DeGarmo also had to traverse long distances to make it to the auditions. The former made a near 30-hour drive to Rhode Island, while the latter flew from Georgia to Hawaii to make it to city auditions before the tour closed ahead of her season.
Accordingly, that means walking away from schooling, work or other life responsibilities to compete on the show. Season 9 runner-up Crystal Bowersox told Insider that producers barred competitors from taking on outside gigs amid filming. "Telling me that I couldn't perform? That was my sole source of income,” she said, adding that she found a way to perform under an alias to avoid disqualification.
As Richard Rushfield, author of American Idol: The Untold Story, told Fox Business previously, "What the TV audience doesn't see is, if you're from San Diego and you audition and make it through in St. Louis, then you have to return to St. Louis a month or two later for the next round, and then again for a third round. Some can't afford to and drop out."
But for some, the gamble pays off. David Archuleta trekked from Salt Lake City to San Diego, while Jordin Sparks flew from Arizona to Seattle; they made $1.4 million and $1.8 million from 2009 to 2010, respectively.
Since 2020, part of the initial screening process has been made virtual via Zoom, social media or other live video elements. However, per the show’s guidelines, and as mentioned, singers who receive a callback must arrange their own travel.
Related: Jennifer Hudson Battled Nervous ‘Jitters’ After Shock ‘American Idol’ Elimination 21 Years Ago (Exclusive)
Ryan Seacrest, Brian Dunkleman & "American Idol" Kelly Clarkson (Photo by Jeffrey Mayer/WireImage)Jeffrey Mayer/Getty Images Photo/WireImage
When it comes to costuming, Mays said in a TikTok that contestants are responsible for dressing themselves, a “stressful” process given the rules concerning TV dress code, such as having patternless clothing.
"However, if you make it to the live rounds, which is usually Top 14 and above, they do dress you. There will be stylists, hair, makeup, the whole shebang 'cause they really want you to go from looking like [an] everyday person to a star and to really transform from the beginning of the show to the end,” she added.
Emmy-winning former costume designer Soyon An told The Hollywood Reporter in 2013 that contestants were allotted a budget of $400 per episode, a pretty paltry figure to coordinate show-stopping pieces.
“The contestants know they will be in front of 300 million people, and they’re creating an image, their brand,” An, who worked with Idol alums like Adam Lambert, Kris Allen, Sparks, Underwood and Clarkson, said. “So if the costume goes over $400, the contestants have to decide whether or not to buy it themselves if they really want to wear it.”
And, she added, the $400 budget per episode doesn’t roll over to the following installment if it’s not used up. “It’s use it or lose it,” she clarified. On the bright side, however, winners and losers on the show get to keep their wardrobes.
Additional costs not often considered by the audience? “They don't provide travel or expenses for families," Rushfield explained. "That's the expense that causes the most trouble for Idols and their families."
Related: ABC Announces Pickup of Five Unscripted Series for 2025-2026 Season, Including 'American Idol'
What do American Idol contestants get for being on the show?
As mentioned, there are certain per diem payments and other compensation once contestants make it through to the semi-finals. Additionally, runners-up get to typically join other finalists in the American Idols Live! national tour, which naturally comes along with a paycheck (roughly $150,000) and further exposure.
With such a long-running series, prizes and perks offered have changed throughout the decades. Justin Guarini, who came in second in the inaugural season after Kelly Clarkson, said they both got a free vacation to Turks and Caicos following the Season 1 finale. Meanwhile, other runners-up mentioned receiving free cars from the show’s sponsor, per Insider. Some second place finishers also garner recording deals with affiliate label Hollywood Records.
Throughout the show, contestants also get perks in terms of living arrangements; in the past, competitors have lived in apartments, hotels and even a mansion in Season 8, which featured a basketball court, bowling alley, movie theater and outdoor/indoor pools. For more recent seasons, however, singers have stayed in paid-for hotel rooms.
Rushfield said, "There have been years where they want to show it on the air so they put them up in mansions in the Hollywood Hills; other years, they've put them up in this apartment complex that's not seen on the air. It's nothing fancy, but it's not squalor. They have roommates all the way through, and when their roommates get cut, they consolidate them to save on the rooms."
What does the American Idol winner get?
Per the 2022 Insider article, Season 16 winner Maddie Poppe said fans often have a misconception around the show’s grand cash prize. "People were asking my parents, 'So are you quitting your jobs?' They asked my sister, 'Oh, so are you quitting your job? Is your sister going to support you now?'"
However, the reality is that winners aren’t “set for life,” but given a launchpad of sorts for the future of their careers. Some winners or runners-up have pivoted that feat into careers on Broadway, on screen and other niches within the music industry.
"You do get $250,000, but not really because of taxes," Poppe recalled. "And you get half of it before you complete your record, and then the second half you get 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." (Indeed, she does; the advance is paid back against future earnings, at which point the artist will receive 15% royalties on future sales.)
And, according to articles circa 2010 in Insiderand The New York Times, the series’ production company 19 Entertainment can take 15% of the artist’s earnings for up to 10 years. However, earlier on in the show’s history, winners could stand to make up to $1 million, partially from performance and appearance fees and merchandising royalties.
According to Rushfield, Disney-owned ABC sees that the Top 4 do Disney World commercials and other spots for Ford, which sponsors the show. “That’s one of the biggest paydays,” he said.
Overall, the higher the finish, the larger the paycheck. Notable high earners are Underwood, who received $13 million from 2009 to 2010. Clarkson got $11.7 million. The former was even offered a private jet after her win, but ultimately turned it down because she could not (yet) afford the taxes on such transportation.
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