Live, from Hollywood— it's Dancing With the Stars!

Season 35 kicked off on September 15, and fans can't stop talking about the talent hitting the dance floor, from Giada De Laurentiis to Tyler Cameron. And if you're anything like me, you're wondering: Do the celebrities get paid to be on Dancing With the Stars?

How much do celebrities get paid on Dancing With the Stars?

According to several outlets, including a 2019 report from Variety, celebrities reportedly make a starting salary of $125,000 on Dancing With the Stars. Of course, that number has likely changed since then.

A Parade article notes that the longer the celebrity stays on the show, the more money they make. For example:

  • If a celebrity makes it to weeks 3 and 4 on Dancing With the Stars, they reportedly get a $10,000 bonus per week.
  • If a celebrity continues into week 5, they earn a $15,000 bonus per week.
  • If the star reaches weeks 6 and 7, they can expect a $20,000 bonus per week.
  • If the star continues into weeks 8 and 9, they get a $30,000 bonus per week.
  • If the celebrity makes it to the season finale, they win a $50,000 bonus.

So, all in all, how much can a celebrity make on Dancing With the Stars? If they can dance their way to the end of the season, which is a total of 11 weeks, they can reportedly make a whopping $360,000.

But as every Dancing With the Stars fan knows, for every celebrity, there is an incredible pro helping them along the way. So, with that in mind...

Do the pros get paid on Dancing With the Stars?

While no clear reports indicate how much the pros make, Jenna Johnson-Chmerkovskiy shared some insight into how they're paid.

On The Morning After podcast in June 2025, Jenna revealed the pros don't get a bonus for dancing their way through the season on DWTS. But if they do win, ABC will give the pro what she called a "nice" bonus.

"Whoever makes it to the finale, you all get paid up until then," she shared at the time. "And you do get a nice bonus. You’re guaranteed until a certain amount of weeks. I think there are different contracts, so I can’t speak for everybody."

That said, Jenna clarified that while the pros do get a base salary ahead of the season, the actual number changes depending on how far they go with their celebrity partner.

"If you make it all the way to the end, you’re getting paid the whole season, which is amazing," she added. "And you get a bonus on top of that for making it to the finale. If you win, it’s not like you win a million dollars and split it with your partner. You’re just getting a cute trophy together."

Consider us totally intrigued!