Considering how dancing is a strenuous activity and the amount of time and effort it takes to rehearse a single performance alone, “Dancing with the Stars” contestants get compensated for their hard work putting on a show. According to a 2019 Variety article, contestants make $125,000 for the rehearsal period prior to the season premiere and the first two weeks the show goes on air. With Season 30 having 15 contestants, the network has to shell out $1.87 million just to convince people to sign on.
It doesn’t end there, of course. The contestants’ earning potential grows even higher the longer they stay on DWTS. If they manage to reach week three and beyond, they take home more money. It’s unclear how much the additional pay is today, but a Gawker post from 2010 states that it’s $10,000 each for the next two episodes, $20,000 for another two episodes, $30,000 for weeks 7 and 8, and then $50,000 if they reach the final episodes.