What Does the Winner of ‘Dancing With the Stars’ Get, Exactly?

Dancing With the Stars is wrapping up season 35 and someone is about to walk away with a glittery mirrorball trophy and a bunch of money. Actually several someones are going to walk away with a bunch of money, because Dancing With the Stars shares the love between multiple contestants when it comes to winnings. If you have questions, we have answers, so let’s get to it.Is There a Cash Prize?Nope. The winner of Dancing With the Stars doesn’t get extra money for winning—they just get the Mirrorball Trophy. However, they do get financially compensated for their time on the show—within an established payment structure.How Much Does the Winning Celeb Take Home?The cast makes money for each week they remain on the show. According to Variety, everyone takes home $125,000 for the rehearsal period, as well as the first two weeks DWTS airs—meaning, even if you’re voted off you still get paid. The remaining celebs then get bonuses each week they continue.A while back, there were reports (via Variety) that contestants got an additional $10,000 for weeks three and four, an additional $20,000 for weeks five and six, an additional $30,000 for weeks seven and eight, and then another $50,000 for weeks nine and ten.This means that all the final celebs who make it to the Dancing With the Stars finale earn $295,000, regardless of whether or not they win.Eric McCandless//Getty ImagesHow Much Does the Winning Pro Take Home?Pros earn a per-episode salary. We have a full breakdown this week, but according to Us Weekly the highest-paid dancers (aka the pros who have been around for the longest) make around $5,000 an episode.But there’s no extra baked-in “prize” for the pros if they secure a win, though there is a bonus. Jenna Johnson explained how it works to The Morning After podcast, saying “Whoever makes it to the finale, you all get paid up until then. And you do get a nice bonus. If you win, it’s not like you get a million dollars. You’re just getting a cute trophy together.”Jenna also confirmed that pros who are voted out earlier are “guaranteed until a certain amount of weeks” pay. Which is something Brandon Armstrong’s wife, Brylee, confirmed on TikTok last year, saying “Brandon is still very much a pro on the show. Just because his partner was eliminated doesn’t mean that he just gets the boot and he’s gotta pack his bags and go all the way back to Utah.” Brylee added that “Dancing with the Stars takes care of their people, so no need to worry.”Oh, and before we go...