The salaries of the real housewives are all over the place. Some make $7,000 for their first season. Others pull in nearly $3 million. Same franchise, wildly different paychecks.
NeNe Leakes holds the record. She made $2.85 million for her final season of Real Housewives of Atlanta. That’s the highest any Housewife’s been paid.
Bethenny Frankel started on Real Housewives of New York, making $7,250 for her entire first season back in 2008. Less than eight grand for months of filming.
The gap’s insane.
How Much Do the Real Housewives of Orange County Make Per Episode
Vicki Gunvalson was getting $750,000 per season towards the end of her run on Orange County. That comes out to a little over $31,000 per episode in a typical 24-episode season.
But here’s the kicker. Vicki says she made nada for her first season. Nothing. According to Vicki, the very first season of the entire franchise paid its stars zilch.
Heather Dubrow returned to Orange County and is said to earn $300,000 per season. Gina Kirschenheiter began at $63,000 for her inaugural season. That’s the baseline. About 60 grand to make your case.
New cast members on any franchise typically start around $60,000. You’re essentially auditioning. Bring drama and salaries of the real housewives storylines; your next contract goes up. Be boring, and you’re gone.
Beverly Hills Money
Who is the highest paid Housewife of Beverly Hills? Kyle Richards, an OG from season one, allegedly makes around $270,000 per season as of 2024. Some reports said $500,000, but Kyle rolled her eyes at that number on Instagram.
The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills salary per episode works out to about $11,000 if Kyle’s making $270,000 across 24 episodes.
Erika Jayne, meanwhile, reportedly earned $600,000 for season 11 as her divorce drama unfolded. She is likely now earning around $750,000, according to people in the industry.
Denise Richards was making $1 million per season while she was on Beverly Hills. She came in with name recognition from her acting career, which positioned her to bargain for bigger money.
New York’s Big Earners
Ramona Singer received $500,000 per season after she was there for 12 seasons. Bethenny Frankel graduated from $7,250 in her first season to $1 million when she left.
Luann de Lesseps’s payday was different. She was not always a main cast member. She was earning $20,000 per scene when she was on location as a “friend of” the show.
Bethenny also partly built an empire using her Housewives fame. Sold Skinnygirl Cocktails for about $100 million. Her Bravo salary was hardly pocket change compared to her business deals.
Atlanta’s Serious Cash
Atlanta housewives have been the top performers historically. NeNe’s $2.85 million is the franchise high. (Kandi Burruss reportedly gets $2.3 million per season.) Cynthia Bailey was earning $1.8 million before she walked away.
Kim Zolciak first made $1.8 million per season, also. Atlanta pulls monstrous ratings, and that means the stars have far more leverage.
Monique Samuels of Potomac said she made just $42,000 her first season. About $3,500 per episode. She said she didn’t start turning a profit until Season 3 after paying taxes and expenses.
How It Works
Bethenny Frankel broke down how these deals work on Instagram. Some housewives get paid per episode. Others get paid for a certain number of episodes. Some get a flat rate for the season regardless of how many episodes air.
First-timers usually start at $60,000 for the season. From there, it’s all negotiation. If you came in with fame already, like Denise Richards or Garcelle Beauvais, you can negotiate higher.
Each time you renew, you try to get more money. Your leverage depends on how popular you are and whether the show needs you more than you need it.
“Friend of” cast members make around $1,000 per episode. That’s the set rate. You’re the supporting cast. Your pay reflects that.
Why the Huge Gaps
First-year housewives get paid peanuts because Bravo’s testing them. Can they handle being on camera? Do they bring drama? It’s a trial run.
If you survive your first season and get asked back, your salary jumps. Keep delivering ratings, and it keeps going up. Become a franchise pillar like NeNe or Bethenny; you can command millions.
Be boring, or if your storylines don’t land, you’re gone. Or you get demoted to friend status with that $1,000 per episode rate.
Franchise matters too. Atlanta and New York command higher salaries because they pull bigger ratings. Potomac historically paid less because viewership was lower.
Star power matters most. Housewives who generate buzz, go viral on social media, and keep people talking are worth more to Bravo. Controversial housewives whom everyone loves to hate? They’re gold mines.
The Hidden Costs
Making $60,000 for your first season sounds decent until you break down costs. You’re expected to look a certain way on camera. Designer clothes, professional hair and makeup, expensive restaurants when filming, and lavish trips.
Monique Samuels said she made nothing her first season after expenses. Many first-year housewives go into debt trying to maintain the image required, hoping they’ll make it back in future seasons.
Taxes eat a chunk. If you’re making $60,000, roughly 30% goes to taxes. Now you’re at $42,000. Subtract wardrobe, glam, and other costs, and you might break even or lose money.
Only once you’re making six figures per season does the math start working in your favor. Most housewives never get there. They do one or two seasons, then get cut.
The Business Beyond Bravo
The real money for housewives isn’t the salary. It’s what you build with the platform. Bethenny turned her Housewives fame into a $100 million sale of her cocktail company. Kandi has multiple businesses generating income beyond her Bravo paycheck.
Many housewives launch products, write books, do speaking tours, sell on Instagram, and create spinoff shows. The Bravo salary is the base income. The real earnings come from leveraging the fame.
Teresa Giudice’s cookbooks. Ramona’s wine. Kyle’s clothing line. Some housewives treat the show as a marketing vehicle for their actual businesses. The Bravo check is nice but secondary.
What It Actually Means
Bravo is launching a Real Housewives franchise in Rhode Island. Those cast members will start at that same $60,000 baseline. They’ll have to prove themselves before seeing bigger money.
The franchise is worth an estimated $1 billion total. But that value doesn’t distribute evenly. A handful of top-tier housewives make millions. Most make low six figures or less. Many first years lose money.
The salaries of the real housewives will keep varying wildly because Bravo’s figured out a system that works. Pay newbies almost nothing. Pay proven stars whatever it takes to keep them. Let everyone else fight for raises based on ratings and relevance.
It’s brutal. But it’s also reality TV in its purest form. Your paycheck reflects your value to the show. Your value gets measured in ratings, social media buzz, and whether people tune in to watch you specifically.
For every NeNe Leakes making $2.85 million, ten housewives are making $60,000 and wondering if it’s worth it. Most won’t last. The ones who do make it worth their while.
That’s the gamble everyone takes when they sign that first contract.
