Contestants of Dancing With the Stars Report Earnings Structure, Bobby Bones Claims Higher Income
According to a report by Variety in 2019, contestants on ABC’s Dancing With the Stars receive a base payment of $125,000 for the rehearsal period and the initial two weeks of the competition. If they advance beyond this stage, their earnings increase weekly. At that time, sources indicated that the maximum earnings for contestants could reach up to $295,000.
Bobby Bones, the winner of season 27 in 2018 alongside Sharna Burgess, suggested that his earnings exceeded commonly reported figures. In a September 2025 episode of Jason Tartick’s podcast, Trading Secrets, Bones detailed the payout structure, stating, “That show pays OK. Like, first episode, no money. Second episode, $10,000. I think it’s like, $10,000, $10,000, $20,000, $20,000. It ends up being $50,000 an episode if you last.” He confirmed that he received a base salary of approximately $110,000 and concluded, “I ended up making close to $400,000 from that show.”
As of now, ABC has not publicly verified these financial figures.
Special Credits: Image Courtesy of Eonline
