Do You Make as Much Money as The Bachelorette? Here’s How Much 'Bachelor' Contestants Make

Since The Bachelor premiered in 2002, it’s become a household name in reality TV. And while fans of the show may worship Becca and Nick and the whole host of Laurens, does it pay to be ‘Bachelor’ famous? 

According to a variety of sources, ‘Bachelor’ leads bring home the bacon, but their contestants aren’t so lucky. 

Since tapings are only about six to nine weeks long, that would equal out to an annual salary of about $577,000 if the show taped all year. Phew. Looks like it's time to ask your boss for a raise.

Emily Maynard, one of the highest-paid Bachelorettes, was rumored to have made $250,000 for her appearance on the show in 2012. That equals a $1,442,500 annual salary. 

It’s likely that today's contestants are paid this much or more, as years have passed since Reality Steve’s report. 

The cast of the show is reportedly not paid, and many contestants have shared that they went into debt to fund their on-screen wardrobes and pre-screening beauty treatments. On top of that, many of them are required to quit their jobs to make an appearance, leaving their financial futures murky (at best). One former ‘Bachelorette’ contestant said he struggled to get a job after appearing in Kaitlyn Bristowe’s season, reporting that  ‘employers see it as a distraction’ that ‘everyone knows who you are.'

Some contestants are able to make a pretty penny with the notorious Instagram ad deals they’re offered after appearing on the show. One contestant told Refinery29 that she charged up to $9,000 for an Instagram post and story — and people were buying in droves. Contestants have also started small businesses, podcasts, and other side hustles to dig themselves out of their expensive soiree in the limelight. 

That's quite the price to pay for love. But hey! They say some things are priceless.