You'll Be Surprised at How Much 'Vanderpump Rules' Cast Members Make Per Episode

With the catfights, cocktails, and West Hollywood drama, working on the set of Vanderpump Rules can seem like something of a pipe dream if you don't have the personality for reality TV. And even if you do, you aren't guaranteed to be raking in big bucks if you manage to snag a role in an unscripted show.

While some Vanderpump Rules cast members do get compensated fairly well for their time on the show, some newcomers have suggested the pay is pitiful.

So, how much do the Vanderpump Rules cast members make per episode? Well, it depends on which cast member. Some aren't paid per episode, but instead, are paid by season. Here's everything we know about how much former and current cast members make.

Ariana Madix joined Vanderpump Rules in Season 2, and has become a staple on the show. Per Celebrity Net Worth, Ariana collects around $500,000 for each season she appears on the show. If divided by 19 episodes, that's equivalent to a little over $26,000 per episode. That, coupled with what she collects from appearances and endorsement deals, has helped her grow her net worth to $2 million as of 2024.

Tom Sandoval used to be the least paid reality star on Vanderpump Rules, but in 2016, he got his agent and lawyer involved, and his net worth has sky rocketed to a cute $4 million since then, per Celebrity New Worth. Basically, Tom earned $38,000 for the first two seasons of the show, according to documents that TMZ dug up.

In other words, he was making about $1,400 per episode! But going the legal route seems to have helped Tom. Now, he's making a reported $25,000 per episode, according to The Hollywood Reporter. Between his role on the show and the infamous #Scandoval, we aren't surprised!

Although Raquel Leviss certainly helped raise the ratings for Vanderpump Rules due to her affair with Tom, she ultimately left the show before Season 11 aired after her request to be paid "equal pay with Tom and Ariana" was denied. The reality TV star revealed this during an interview on Bethenny Frankel's ReWives podcast, per US Weekly.

Before leaving the show, Raquel was collecting a reported $19,000 per episode, Scheana Shay revealed on Scheananigans in August 2023.

As of 2024, Scheana Shay has a reported net worth of $500,000, per Celebrity Net Worth. That's quite an improvement from the $150,000 she was estimated to be worth in 2020. But that isn't all thanks to Vanderpump Rules. Scheana made a pretty penny after she divorced Mike Shay in 2017. She has also taken on a few acting gigs, released a pop single called "What I Like," and hosted a Vegas show called "Sex Tips," too.

On Vanderpump Rules, sources speculate Scheana now makes about $25,000 per episode, a bump up from the $10,000 she reportedly made on earlier seasons of the show. But remember that she made her Bravo debut way before Vanderpump Rules, on Real Housewives of Beverly Hills, when she was having an affair with Brandi Glanville's ex-husband Eddit Cibrian.

It probably never gets old to be a reality star, does it?

Lala Kent might be a newish face as a main cast member on Vanderpump Rules, but don't worry, she's doing just fine. How fine is anyone's bet, as her net worth is a bit contested. Some people think it might be around $50,000, while others think it's as high as $2 million.

Given the fact that Lala owns a skincare and cosmetic line, and also collects a reported $25,000 per episode (though some believe it might be a bit lower), we're guessing her net worth is closer to the latter of the two.

The second half of Tom Tom, Tom Schwartz, who was once worth much less than Tom Sandoval, now has an impressive net worth of $4 million, Celebrity Net Worth reports. It isn't clear how much he makes per episode, but some suggest he's collecting around $15,000.

Tom's ex-wife Katie Maloney has done quite well for herself with a net worth of $1.5 million. Per her Instagram bio, Katie considers herself an entrepreneur, having launched a lipstick line called Pucker & Pout. It's unknown how much Katie is making per episode.

Jax convinced Brittany Cartwright to upend her life in Vegas to move to Los Angeles and be together. Romantic! Soon after she arrived in California, Brittany became a key player at SUR.

Although Riot Housewives mentions that most cast members on Vanderpump Rules earn between $10,000 and $50,000 per episode, the source doesn't give an exact figure for Brittany's rate. However, her net worth, which stands at $1 million as of 2024, has soared since she moved to the West Coast.

In addition to being a regular cast member on Vanderpump Rules, and later leaving in 2020, Brittany and Jax also had a spin-off show in 2017, Vanderpump Rules: Jax and Brittany Take Kentucky. They now have a podcast, When Reality Hits with Jax and Brittany. During a 2023 episode, Brittany revealed that she didn't get paid during her first season of Vanderpump Rules until the "very end." They also tried to tease a possible wedding spin-off, but Bravo said no.

The planning that went into Jax Taylor and Brittany's wedding certainly helped put the couple on the map in the series. While Jax was bartending at SUR, he was also embarking on an entrepreneurial project, Just Add X, a drink mix, which had a soft launch in 2019, that unlike its name suggests, doesn't involve any X.

Most of Jax's estimated net worth of $4 million comes from his Bravo paycheck, paid appearances, and sponsored social media posts. Must be nice! Jax made $25,000 per episode of Vanderpump Rules, making him one of the highest paid cast members, probably because his confrontational behavior got him plenty of time in front of the camera.

Stassi Schroeder is an original cast member of Vanderpump Rules, but she left the show after Season 2. In addition to appearing on Vanderpump Rules, Stassi also hosted a podcast called Straight Up With Stassi. She has appeared on several other reality shows like Summer House, The Real Housewives of Beverly Hill, The Amazing Race, and Hollywood Medium.

But wait, that's not all! Stassi released a book called Next Level Basic, which was released in April 2019. She also happens to know a thing or two about #influencing and frequently posts sponsored content on social media. As of 2024, Stassi has a net worth of $2 million.

She was apparently bringing in about $15,000 per episode as well.

It should come as a surprise to absolutely no one that matriarch and HBIC extraordinaire Lisa Vanderpump is the wealthiest member of Vanderpump Rules with a net worth of $90 million. I mean, she's in the name! Before branching out into her own endeavor, Lisa was a mainstay on The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills, and is the richest of that lot too! Not bad for someone who practically owns all of West Hollywood!

Together, with her husband Ken Todd, Lisa owns SUR, Villa Blanca, and Pump. She also owns Vanderpump Dogs, a pet accessories company, groomer, and adoption agency. Oh, and when she isn't busy with all of those projects, she also operates a rosé line.

Lisa earns a reported $50,000 per episode on Vanderpump Rules. Honestly, what can't she do?

Watch Vanderpump Rules Tuesdays at 9 p.m. on Bravo.