How Much Do American Idol Contestants Get Paid?

After crowning Abi Carter the winner of American Idol Season 22 and bidding Katy Perry adieu, fans are excited to see another season kick off in March on the 2025 TV schedule . Season 4 winner Carrie Underwood is returning as a judge alongside Luke Bryan and Lionel Richie to help shine a spotlight on undiscovered talent. Dozens of contestants will put their lives and jobs on hold for this opportunity, and that begs the question: Do American Idol contestants get paid to appear on the ABC singing competition?

The short answer is yes, contestants who make it to a certain point in the season are paid for their time. There are reportedly other perks along the way but also some expenses. Let⁘s break it all down.

Most of what is known about how much American Idol artists make on the show comes from the 2011 book American Idol : The Untold Story by Richard Rushfield, who covered the show as an entertainment web editor for the LA Times. Rushfield reports (via Fox Business ) that American Idol begins paying its contestants once they reach the Top 24.

However, in order to earn a performance fee, they must first join the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists, which costs $1,600. After that they⁘re paid by episode, with the length of the episode determining how much they earn. As of 2016, musicians earned $1,571 for two-hour shows, $1,303 for one-hour shows and $910 for half-hour episodes.

With this source material coming out over a decade ago, it seems likely that these numbers may have changed ⁘ especially since the show has moved from Fox to ABC since then ⁘ but contestants⁘ contracts may keep them from divulging such financial details publicly.

The longer you last on the show, the better the benefits, apparently, as Richard Rushfield also said that once the artists reach the Top 12, they⁘re given a stipend of $450 per week. That apparently means clothes for many of the singers, and the author wrote:

It sounds like having friends and family attend tapings to support the contestants could prove a bit tricky for those who live far away from Los Angeles. American Idol allegedly does not pay for travel or hotel accommodations for its contestants⁘ loved ones.

Reference: Found here