The cast of Vanderpump Rules has offered glimpses into their earnings throughout their time on the hit Bravo series. The topic of salaries has surfaced in various instances since the show’s debut in 2013. Following Raquel Leviss and Tom Sandoval’s affair behind Ariana Madix’s back, which became public in March 2023, Leviss discussed how money influenced her decision not to return for season 11.
Raquel claimed on Bethenny Frankel’s “ReWives” podcast in August 2023, “I asked for equal pay with Tom and Ariana and for them to reimburse me for my treatment expenses. They refused to pay me equally. I feel like when you pay your employees, it really shows how much you value them.” Frankel suggested that the network should have offered Raquel a larger salary due to the resounding success and higher ratings of Scandoval-related episodes.
Frankel, referring to Raquel’s stay in a mental health facility, stated, “As people who are partially produced … Let’s just say that it’s real in a very unreal circumstance. So now you have one of the three characters that can’t even afford to pay for your treatment that you just went through. Because it’s my understanding that you get paid in a year less than my interns get paid.” However, Raquel’s costars quickly criticized Frankel’s statement. Scheana Shay revealed on her “Scheananigans” podcast that same month, “I know for a fact [how much Raquel made] because she thanked me for getting her with the attorney she was with last season. He was able to negotiate her $19,000 an episode. For 19 episodes, that is $361,000.”
Let’s delve into what the Vanderpump Rules cast members have revealed about their earnings over the years.
Salary Secrets: What the Vanderpump Rules Cast Has Said
The Vanderpump Rules cast salaries have been a topic of speculation and discussion among fans. Here’s what some of the cast members have shared about their paychecks:
Laura-Leigh
Laura-Leigh, a former SUR employee, revealed on a January 2025 episode of the “Vanderpump Rules Party” podcast that she only made $500 for Season 1. “They couldn’t release the show without my signature, and I honestly thought — because I was naive — that this will never see the light of day. That’s what I thought,” she said.
She explained that she needed the money to pay her rent and had to fight to get that $500. She also mentioned that the rest of the cast, including Jax Taylor, made around $8,000 for the first season.
Peter Madrigal
Peter Madrigal confirmed on the “Bravo and Blaze” podcast in March 2024 that he would not be appearing in season 11. He stated, “It wasn’t by my choice. I mean — I guess it was by my choice. In a sense. Basically, my choice was to come back to the show for free or not do it.”
Madrigal, who had been paid since the show’s inception, clarified that Bravo didn’t explicitly ask him to work for free, but they didn’t have any payment for him in the budget. He decided not to return, stating, “I’m one of the biggest staples there. I’m still at SUR for the most part.”
Max Boyens
Max Boyens claimed on the “Up and Adam!” podcast in August 2023 that he was paid “little to nothing” for Season 8. “As a new cast member, you don’t make episodic pay. You don’t get paid per episode, it is just a flat rate. It is not a lot at all, it just gets you by,” he said.
He revealed that he received around $4,000, paid in increments, which barely covered rent and groceries.
Brittany Cartwright
Brittany Cartwright shared on her and Jax’s “When Reality Hits” podcast in August 2023 that she didn’t get paid for most of her first season of Vanderpump Rules. “I didn’t get paid my first season of Vanderpump Rules — until the very, very end. I was broke,” she said.
Jax recalled that Brittany was spending a significant amount of money to fly from Kentucky to Los Angeles to see him while he was filming season 4.
Raquel Leviss
Raquel Leviss stated on Bethenny Frankel’s podcast in August 2023 that producers told her that pay is based on performance from the previous season. “One of the things that producers also told me is that you get paid based off of your performance from the season prior,” she said.
This motivated her to perform well in season 10, as she felt it could be her season to stand out.
Ariana Madix
Ariana Madix addressed viewers’ assumptions about her financial success following Scandoval. She clarified on an episode of the “Scheananigans” podcast in August 2023, “I think a lot of people on the internet seem to think that I am rolling in money right now. I have a lot of places that that money has to go. I am not rich. I do not have millions of dollars.”
Despite several partnership deals after her split from Sandoval, she emphasized that she is not as wealthy as some people believe.
Stassi Schroeder
Stassi Schroeder revealed on her “Straight Up with Stassi” podcast in August 2023 that she was making less money than many of her castmates after quitting the show at the end of season 3 and returning in a recurring role for season 4.
“You’re paid by how many years you have been a lead or main cast member. I was making less money than a lot of people on the cast. Because I left,” she explained. She didn’t fight it, stating, “If this is how you guys do it, that’s how you guys do it. I know my worth. It felt petty to me.”
Kristen Doute
Kristen Doute shared on her “Sex, Love, and What Else Matters” podcast in July 2023 that she and her castmates made $5,000 for season 1, with an additional $5,000 if they became a primary cast member.
She later recalled making $15,000 for season 2 of Vanderpump Rules.
Jax Taylor
Jax Taylor mentioned on Kristen’s podcast in July 2023 that he felt rich with the $5,000 he made for season 1, as he was used to living paycheck to paycheck.
He said he was paying $100 a week to live and felt like he could retire.
Dayna Kathan
Dayna Kathan discussed her exit from the show after her brief appearance in season 8. She claimed on the “Scheananigans” podcast in July 2023, “Anyone who starts out in reality TV, people are like, ‘Oh, you make all this money.’ They don’t pay you anything. You get paid nothing starting out because it’s basically like, earn your keep. Like show that you have worth, that you add value to the show, which I kind of get, but they pay you nothing.”
She explained that she couldn’t afford to return for another season without making more money, as she had used up her life savings during COVID.
Lala Kent
Lala Kent recalled on Jason Tartick’s “Trading Secrets” podcast in February 2022 that she relied on her job at Lisa Vanderpump’s SUR restaurant after joining the show.
“When you’re brand new, you definitely need that hostess job. I still was having to fit model. I still was having to be a hostess. Like, what I was making on the show was not covering much,” she shared. She added that her performance on the show, particularly confrontation, influenced her earnings.
Billie Lee
Billie Lee stated that her paychecks for seasons 6 and 7 were insufficient. She told Page Six in June 2020, “They have a system on how they pay their newcomers and it starts out at a low scale. I was struggling to pay my bills, but I couldn’t tell anyone because here I am famous and on a show and as a trans activist, I’m supposed to represent this certain thing.”
Conclusion: The Business of Reality TV
The salaries of the Vanderpump Rules cast members have varied significantly over the years, depending on their tenure, role on the show, and negotiation skills. From earning next to nothing in the early seasons to negotiating hefty per-episode fees, their financial journeys reflect the evolving landscape of reality television and the increasing value placed on compelling storylines and engaging personalities. The revelations about their earnings provide a fascinating glimpse into the business side of reality TV and the financial realities faced by those who choose to share their lives on screen.
