The Challenge has evolved in many ways over the years, including when it comes to the final prize pot. Anyone who’s able to complete the final challenge usually walks away with some money, with some winners taking home pretty hefty paydays.
For example, Ashley Mitchell took home $1,000,000 after she won The Challenge: Final Reckoning and stole her rival partner Hunter Barfield’s portion of the winnings. Johnny “Bananas” Devenanzio and Jennifer West both won $500,000 on The Challenge: Total Madness, and Turabi “Turbo” Camkiran banked $750,000 as the sole winner of The Challenge: War of the Worlds.
But what about the cast members who don’t win or earn money from the final challenge? Are the stars who are eliminated before the final still compensated for the weeks they spend away from home while competing on the show?
Scroll down for everything we know about what the cast is paid, including recent insight from Jordan Wiseley, who shared the surprising way the compensation for each cast member is decided.
Do contestants get paid to be on The Challenge?
Yes, contestants make money just to show up. Tori Deal once addressed the salary speculation on the Official Challenge Podcast. “Don’t know if we can really answer it, but we’ll give you this much. I promise you, we don’t go on the show for free,” she confirmed. “My ass is not going on a 40-foot platform, hanging over a helicopter, eating cabbage for no reason, OK? You’re gonna pay me. And the more shows we do, the more we get paid.”
How do The Challenge contestants get paid?
When Wiseley appeared on the Flightless Bird podcast in December 2025, he revealed that there “is no negotiating pay” for contestants. Popularity does not matter. Instead, the cast is paid based on how many previous seasons they’ve appeared on.
“Challenge one is rookie pay. It’s $1,000 a week, three weeks guaranteed,” Wiseley said. “But it’s 1099, so figure that out. Maybe you can write something off later. Season 2, 3, 4, you’re getting $3,000 a week. Still three weeks, guaranteed, though, so even if you go home first, $9,000.”
The salary increases as contestants appear on the show for more seasons. “So it does not matter if I’ve won a s**t ton and we all know that my face will be used for marketing,” Wiseley added. “This person who has been around for 20 years, not won a single one, not even been to a final, they’re not going to use them as marketing, they’re going to go home before the middle of the season, but they’ve racked up enough going homes that they now get paid double what I get paid to show up. Some people triple what I get paid … who have never won.”
Us Weekly previously reported that rookies are paid $1,000 a week, while returning players who aren’t “top vets” make between $3,000 and $5,000 a week for the time they last on the show. The “elite” longtime players can make $80,000 just for arriving to day one of filming, the site reported!
A Reddit user who claimed to work on Fresh Meat II in 2010 alleged that rookies were making $500/week they were on the show, while vets were raking in $1,000 per week they lasted. The more well-known players at the time were allegedly guaranteed to be paid for the entire season, regardless of how long they lasted. For example, the Reddit commenter claimed that Cara Maria Sorbello, a rookie at the time, and Darell Taylor, a longtime player and former champion, walked away with $500 and $12,000, respectively, after being the first pair to go home (this would track with Wiseley’s explanation).
The same commenter said they did not believe anyone was getting paid $80,000 just to show up, even all these years later, but it’s been quite some time since Fresh Meat II, so things may have changed since then!
At the end of the day, the majority of the cast’s income likely comes from sponsorships and appearances made while not filming the competition show. Plus, for a select few, winning multiple seasons has probably helped!
Who has made the most money on The Challenge?
Based on total cash winnings from the show, and not taking the base appearance fee ito account, Wiseley is the most successful contestant. He’s won a total of $1,536,000 during his years as a contestant. He’s won five total seasons and has the winnings to show for it.
Johnny Bananas is not far behind thanks to his seven championships, resulting in a $1,277,720 prize pot, while CT Tamburello has raked in $1,124,750 during his decades as a competitor.
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