Everything the 'Pump Rules' Cast Has Shared About Their Salaries
Vanderpump Rules cast members have offered glimpses at how much they’ve earned during their respective tenures on the hit Bravo series.
The topic of paychecks has come up in various circumstances over the years since Vanderpump Rules debuted in 2013. Following Raquel Leviss and Tom Sandoval‘s shocking affair behind Ariana Madix’s back — which came to light in March 2023 — the former beauty pageant recalled how money played a role in her not returning for season 11.
“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,” Raquel alleged on Bethenny Frankel‘s “ReWives” podcast in August 2023. “I feel like when you pay your employees, it really shows how much you value them.”
Bethenny, for her part, claimed that the network should have offered Raquel a bigger paycheck because of the resounding success — including higher ratings — of Scandoval-related episodes.
“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,” the Real Housewives of New York City alum said while referring to Raquel’s stay in a mental health facility. “Because it’s my understanding that you get paid in a year less than my interns get paid.”
Raquel’s costars, however, were quick to slam Bethenny’s take. “I know for a fact [how much Raquel made] because she thanked me for getting her with the attorney she was with last season,” Scheana Shay shared on her “Scheananigans” podcast that same month. “He was able to negotiate her $19,000 an episode. For 19 episodes, that is $361,000.”
Scroll down for everything the Vanderpump Rules cast has said about their earnings over the years:
"They paid me little to nothing. 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," Max claimed on the "Up and Adam!" podcast in August 2023. "It was $4,000 [or] something. It was around $4,000 and they also pay it to you in increments." He added: "They give you half the check to make sure you stick around and film and then they give you the final check toward the end. It is not all up front. It is basically your rent and some groceries and then another check for rent and groceries." Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images
"I didn't get paid my first season of Vanderpump Rules — until the very, very end. I was broke," Brittany, who started appearing as a guest on season 4 when she met Jax Taylor, shared on her and Jax’s "When Reality Hits" podcast in August 2023. "It took a lot out of me." Jax subsequently recalled Brittany's excessive spending before she made the move to Los Angeles. "It was costing her. This is the beginning of the show and it was costing her $800 to $900," he said about Brittany flying in to see him while filming season 4. "She was in Kentucky [working at a bar and Hooters] and $800 is a lot of money [to spend on airfare]." Getty Images
"One of the things that producers also told me is that you get paid based off of your performance from the season prior," Raquel claimed on Bethenny’s podcast in August 2023. "So that already set me up to want to perform well going into season 10. I was like, 'OK, this could be my season. I could really stand out and I'm single for the first time. Like, I wanna embrace that.' And I took direction well." Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images for DailyMail.com
The Something About Her cofounder cleared the air after viewers questioned her financial success from Scandoval. "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," Ariana, who received several partnership deals following her split from Sandoval, revealed on an episode of the "Scheananigans" podcast in August 2023. "I am not rich. I do not have millions of dollars." Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images for DailyMail.com
After the OG Vanderpump Rules star quit the show at the end of season 3, she returned in a recurring role for season 4, which ended up costing her. (Stassi was later fired by Bravo after season 8 alongside Kristen Doute.) “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," Stassi explained on her "Straight Up with Stassi" podcast in August 2023. “I was a year behind people. I never cared to fight it. If this is how you guys do it, that’s how you guys do it. I know my worth. It felt petty to me.” Leon Bennett/Getty Images for Janie's Fund
"We had very little in our bank account," Kristen said about her season 1 paycheck on her "Sex, Love, and What Else Matters" podcast in July 2023. "It was $5,000 and if we became a primary, we got an additional $5,000." Three months later, Kristen recalled making $15,000 for season 2 of Vanderpump Rules. Tibrina Hobson/Getty Images
"I had nothing at that time so whatever we got ... [I felt like] I was rich. $5,000? I was paying $100 a week to live so I [thought] I could retire. When we were filming, I felt like, 'This is awesome,'" Jax noted while appearing on Kristen's podcast in July 2023. "I have been hustling my whole life and living paycheck to paycheck to paycheck. I would do a lot of jobs but by the time I got my paycheck I was so behind on my credit card bills." Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images for Paramount Pictures
Following her quick stint on the show in season 8, Dayna discussed what led to her exit. “Anyone who starts out in reality TV, people are like, 'Oh, you make all this money.' They don’t pay you anything,” she claimed on the "Scheananigans" podcast in July 2023. “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.” Dayna continued: “So they basically wanted me to come back again, not making anything. And I’m like, 'Look, I’m not being a diva. I burned through my entire life savings during COVID and I’ve been unemployed trying to find work for a year. I can’t just keep doing this.'” Rodin Eckenroth/Getty Images
During an appearance on Jason Tartick's “Trading Secrets” podcast in February 2022, Lala recalled relying on her job at Lisa Vanderpump's SUR restaurant after originally 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 at the time. Lala went on to say that she received benefits based on her performance on the show, adding, “My show rewards me for confrontation and speaking up. I don’t want to say that I like confrontation, but I will say that I’m great at it. It’s not something where I leave feeling amazing after it happens, but I know what I signed up for and I’m being paid for my thoughts.” JC Olivera/Getty Images
According to Billie, her paycheck for seasons 6 and 7 left a lot to be desired. “They have a system on how they pay their newcomers and it starts out at a low scale,” she explained to Page Six in June 2020. “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.” Rodin Eckenroth/Getty Images
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