ABC/Rick Rowell
"Bachelor" season 21 star Nick Viall with Sarah, a contestant.
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"The Bachelor" and "Bachelorette" stars are typically paid $100,000.
The contestants make no money.
The real money happens after the show when they make appearances.
They can also make money from social media brand endorsements.
"The Bachelor" is one of America's favorite pastimes , but how much do the contestants get paid to date, cry on TV, and travel around the world?
Turns out, nothing. Unless you're the star.
Contestants on "The Bachelor" and "The Bachelorette" leave their jobs to come on the show in the hopes of finding love, fame, or some combination of both. They can also spend thousands on a wardrobe, but they make zero money for appearing on the show.
Meanwhile, the stars of the franchise typically make around $100,000, according to famous "Bachelor" spoiler and blogger Reality Steve (aka Stephen Carbone). The highest-paid "Bachelorette" star was Emily Maynard, who was rumored to be paid $250,000, while the lowest-paid star was reportedly "Bachelorette" Ashley Herbert, who Us Weekly wrote only made $30,000 (though Reality Steve disagreed and said Herbert made at least $100,000).
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"Bachelorette" star Emily Maynard with her winner Jef Holm (the pair later broke up).
Those figures are pretty standard across the "Bachelor" stars too, so we can assume current "Bachelor" Nick Viall is likely making six figures for two months of "work."
Then the real money comes after the show when stars and their winner can begin making appearances together on talk shows and reality shows.
If you're asked to go on "Dancing with the Stars," like many past alums have done, you can make some serious cash. "Bachelor" season 17 star Sean Lowe made $125,000 just to appear on the show. Then, according to TMZ, Lowe's contract stipulated that he would receive $10,000 for weeks three and four; $20,000 for weeks five, six, and seven; and $30,000 for weeks eight and nine.
Lowe was voted off in week 8, but if he had made it to weeks 10 and 11, he would have made $50,000 per episode. In total, his take home was around $235,000.
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"Bachelor" star Sean Lowe with his wife Catherine.
Lowe and his wife Catherine also appeared on "Marriage Boot Camp," a reality show where contestants are counseled in their relationships. Lowe admitted on his blog that money was a huge factor in doing the show. "Bachelor" season 20 star Ben Higgins and his fiancée Lauren Bushnell - who also had their own short-lived reality show called "Ben and Lauren: Happily Ever After?" - are rumored to appear on "Marriage Boot Camp," too.
That's not even to mention having your wedding on TV, which can net a couple an additional six figure paycheck, according to E! Online. Another bonus? The show and network will help pay for your big day.
Aside from shows and appearances, many "Bachelor" alums make a living from Instagram endorsements. Take Jade and Tanner Tolbert, a couple who met on the spin-off series "Bachelor in Paradise" and now make a large portion of their income from social media endorsements from brands like Hallmark to Hellofresh.com, according to Us Weekly.
Speaking of "Bachelor in Paradise," contestants who didn't find love on the "Bachelor" or the "Bachelorette" have another shot - and they'll be paid well for it. According to one Reality Steve post, "some [contestants] get paid per day they are there, some get paid per episode they're on, and some get paid a flat rate (usually alumni)." In season one, Reality Steve alleged someone could make anywhere from "$7,000-$15,000 total."
And then there are the past "Bachelor" and "Bachelorette" alums who have written books. That list includes "Bachelor" Sean Lowe, "Bachelorette" Andi Dorfman, "Bachelor" contestant Courtney Robertson, "Bachelorette" Emily Maynard, and more.
So yes, the contestants on "The Bachelor" are starting on the bottom rung of the ladder and make no money from their appearances. But if they can become big enough characters on the show, they can start cashing in on other reality shows, Instagram endorsements, and all the perks of C-level fame.
Maybe if they're lucky, they'll even become the next "Bachelor" or "Bachelorette" themselves.