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How much do The Bachelor contestants get paid (if anything)?

By champagneandshade

THE BACHELOR - "2602" - Clayton moves forward in his journey to find love with the 22 incredible women who remain. After moving into the Bachelor Mansion for the first time since the pandemic began, these eligible singles are ready to kick off a week of dates! On the season's first group date, celebrity guest Hilary Duff enlists the help of the ladies to throw a dream Beverly Hills birthday party, but when one woman is more interested in spending time with Clayton than the kids, the others have strong feelings to share. Later, one lucky lady flies high with Clayton on the first one-on-one date featuring a surprise musical performance by Amanda Jordan; and Ziwe stops by the second group date to help Clayton spot potential red flags among his bachelorettes. After the dates have all ended, a major storm brews heading into the cocktail party when a shocking secret about a woman who already has a rose is revealed. Will Clayton be forced to do something that no other Bachelor has ever done before? Find out on "The Bachelor," airing MONDAY, JAN. 10 (8:00-10:01 p.m. EST), on ABC. (ABC/John Fleenor)CLAYTON ECHARD
THE BACHELOR - "2602" - Clayton moves forward in his journey to find love with the 22 incredible women who remain. After moving into the Bachelor Mansion for the first time since the pandemic began, these eligible singles are ready to kick off a week of dates! On the season's first group date, celebrity guest Hilary Duff enlists the help of the ladies to throw a dream Beverly Hills birthday party, but when one woman is more interested in spending time with Clayton than the kids, the others have strong feelings to share. Later, one lucky lady flies high with Clayton on the first one-on-one date featuring a surprise musical performance by Amanda Jordan; and Ziwe stops by the second group date to help Clayton spot potential red flags among his bachelorettes. After the dates have all ended, a major storm brews heading into the cocktail party when a shocking secret about a woman who already has a rose is revealed. Will Clayton be forced to do something that no other Bachelor has ever done before? Find out on "The Bachelor," airing MONDAY, JAN. 10 (8:00-10:01 p.m. EST), on ABC. (ABC/John Fleenor)CLAYTON ECHARD /
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Your favorite Bachelor contestants probably aren’t in it for the paycheck, according to Life & Style. Most cast members on the ABC reality franchise are unpaid, says the publication, and that means that more of them than you’d think might be on the show for “the right reasons.”

That said, if your favorite contestant doesn’t leave The Bachelor with a wedding ring, she’ll at least have a big platform to capitalize on. Nowadays, leveraging that fame for some extra cash barely requires getting off the couch.

Alums like Lauren Bushnell can find success posting content for brands like Revolve, SmartSweets, or Zero Fuss Hair Care. According to Refinery29, Bachelor mega-stars can earn up to $1 million in a year for sponsored Instagram content.

Still, any earnings have to offset what contestants spend on things like wardrobe and beauty. That’s right—contestants pay for their own glow-ups, and as you’d expect, the women wind up with way steeper bills than their male counterparts.

Jaclyn Swartz told Refinery29 that she spent around $5,000 to look her best for season 2 of Bachelor in Paradise. “I invested in lash extensions, a personal trainer five days a week for the eight weeks leading up to the show, dermaplaning…and a fresh head of blonde,” she dished. “I also waxed, brought way more makeup, and embraced makeup trends like contouring.”

At the same time, leading men and ladies are paid around $100,000 for their season, according to Life & Style. Though Bachelorette Meredith Phillips said she made $10,000 from the show back in 2004, times have definitely changed. It’s rumored that season 8 star Emily Maynard was paid a whopping $250,000 (and her stylist revealed that she had a $350,000 clothing budget!).

Former Bachelor Ben Higgins explained to BuzzFeed, “They really just match whatever you’d be making in the real world during the months that it tapes. And then you have the experience that kind of pays for the rest.”

In short, most contestants will quit their jobs and spend a bunch on clothes, fitness, hair, and makeup—and not see a single penny in return. As Ben puts it, “You don’t do The Bachelor to make money, I will say that.”

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This article originally appeared on Floor8 and is written by Lillian Marx. FanSided Staff contributed to this report.

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