Who Makes the Most on ‘Vanderpump Rules’: A Look at the Highest Paid Cast Members

Since premiering on Bravo in 2013, Vanderpump Rules is one of the most popular reality shows on television. Focusing on the lives of the staff of Lisa Vanderpump’s establishments, SUR and TomTom, the show has retained high ratings alongside a massive fanbase that is still continuing to grow. As the storylines evolve with each scandal, and cast members come and go, it raises the question of how much money the stars of Vanderpump Rules make.

While the amount that the cast has made has changed over the years. Are you curious to know what each Vanderpump Rules star makes per episode? Read on to find out!

Ariana Madix

Joining in Season 2, Ariana Madix began as a recurring character on the series until becoming a regular in later seasons. Madix is known to make around $600,000 per season. The latter amount would mean that Madix receives roughly $25,000 per episode.

Madix addressed the questions regarding her finances in an episode of the “Scheananigans” podcast in August 2023. The reality star received several partnership deals after her breakup with Tom Sandoval.

“I think a lot of people on the internet seem to think that I am rolling in money right now. I have a lot of places that money has to go,” said Madix at the time.

She continued, “I am not rich. I do not have millions of dollars.”

As of 2024, Madix has an estimated net worth of $2 million.

Katie Maloney

Katie Maloney has been on Vanderpump Rules since its first season. A former waitress at SUR restaurant, she also ventured into the food industry. Together with Ariana Madix, she co-founded the Something About Her sandwich shop (which as of April 2024 has still yet to open), and she now has an estimated net worth of $1.5 million.

Tom Sandoval

Since joining in the first season, Tom Sandoval has appeared in more than 200 episodes of Vanderpump Rules. At the time, Sandoval received $38,000 for those two seasons, only making $1,400 per episode. This would make Sandoval the least-paid cast member on Vanderpump Rules.

By 2016, Sandoval’s paycheck per episode increased after his legal team intervened. Sandoval would end up receiving $15,000 per episode, which later went up to $25,000 per episode. In 2024, Sandoval’s net worth is estimated at $4 million.

Scheana Shay

One of the core cast members of Vanderpump Rules, Scheana Shay, has also appeared in more than 200 episodes of the show since its first season. At the time of her joining, it was unknown how much she was making per episode. She already had some experience working with Bravo, so her salary now is estimated between $10,000 to $25,000 per episode.

As of 2024, Shay’s net worth is at estimated at $3 million, according to Celebrity Net Worth.

Raquel Leviss

When she first joined Vanderpump Rules, Raquel Leviss did not receive a significant amount. However, her paycheck increased when castmate Scheana Shay introduced Leviss to a lawyer who renegotiated her salary. Levis would end up receiving $19,000 per episode.

“I asked for equal pay with Tom and Ariana and for them to reimburse me for my treatment expenses. They refused to pay me equally,” Leviss revealed in an episode of Bethenny Frankel’s “ReWives” podcast in August 2023. “I feel like when you pay your employees, it really shows how much you value them.”

“One of the things that producers also told me is that you get paid based on your performance from the season prior,” said the reality star. “So that already set me up to want to perform well going into Season 10. I was like, ‘Ok, this could be my season. I could really stand out, and I’m single for the first time. Like, I wanna embrace that.’ And I took direction well.”

By Season 10 of Vanderpump Rules, Leviss made around $361,000. As of 2024, Leviss has an estimated net worth of $500,000. Her net worth is a combination of her Vanderpump Rules salary, as well as her brand deals, social media deals, and her time on the pageantry circuit.

Tom Schwartz

Tom Schwartz joined Vanderpump Rules in 2013 during its first season. Schwartz has appeared in more than 190 episodes of the show and makes $25,000 per episode, making him one of the highest-paid cast members. By 2024, Schwartz has an estimated net worth of $4 million.

Schwartz co-founded TomTom in West Hollywood with castmate Tom Sandoval and opened Schwartz & Sandy’s with Sandavol as well.

Lala Kent

Another highly paid Vanderpump Rules cast member is Lala Kent. Kent’s estimated net worth is $2 million, and it isn’t just from her salary on the show. Kent also published her own book, “Give Them Lala,” and has her own beauty brand, Give Them Lala Beauty.

James Kennedy

DJ and music producer James Kennedy is said to be making between $10,000 and $15,000 per episode on Vanderpump Rules. Combined with his music career, Kennedy has an estimated net worth of $4 million.

Stassi Schroeder

Born Nastassia Bianca Schroeder Clark, Stassi Schroeder is one of the original cast members of Vanderpump Rules. For several seasons, her on-and-off relationship with Jax Taylor served as one of the main storylines. Schroeder left the show at the end of Season 2 but would return as a cast member in Season 4.

However, Schroeder would inevitably leave the show when Bravo dismissed her and Kristen Doute after Season 8.

“You’re paid by how many years you have been a lead or main cast member. I was making less money than a lot of people on the cast. Because I left,” Schroeder revealed in an episode of her “Straight Up with Stassi” podcast in August 2023. “I was a year behind people. I never cared to fight it. If this is how you guys do it, that’s how you guys do it. I know my worth. It felt petty to me.”

Schroeder reportedly received $15,000 per episode. However, core stars are also known to make $25,000 per episode. Because Schroeder is one of the original cast members, she would most likely make the latter amount. As of 2024, Schroeder has a net worth of $2 million.

Kristen Doute

Kristen Doute was on Vanderpump Rules since the series’ first season. At the end of her time on the show, it was estimated that she was making $15,000 per episode. As of 2023, Doute has a net worth of $1 million.

“We had very little in our bank account,” Doute revealed about her Season 1 paycheck in a July 2023 episode of her “Sex, Love, and What Else Matters” podcast. “It was $5,000, and if we became a primary, we got an additional $5,000.”

Brittany Cartwright

Joining the cast in Season 4, Brittany Cartwright was a guest star when she first started dating Jax Taylor. Cartwright did not get a salary during her first few appearances, only at the end of Season 4 that she was paid.

“I didn’t get paid my first season of Vanderpump Rules – until the very, very end. I was broke,” Cartwright revealed in an episode of her “When Reality Hits” podcast with Jax Taylor in August 2023. “It took a lot out of me.”

Taylor also recalled how much Cartwright had to spend before moving to Los Angeles. “It was costing her. This is the beginning of the show and it was costing her $800 to $900,” said Taylor, Recalling Cartwright’s flying in from Kentucky while Season 4 was being filmed.

Following Season 4, Cartwright received $10,000 per episode, and as of today, she has appeared in 98 episodes. Cartwright’s net worth as of 2024 is estimated at $1 million.

Jax Taylor

Another long-time cast member of Vanderpump Rules is Jax Taylor. When he first appeared on the show, Taylor was reportedly making $5,000 per episode, which was significant for him. Taylor would later renegotiate his salary and would also make $25,000 per episode.

“I had nothing at that time. So whatever we got … I was rich,” Taylor recalled on Doute’s podcast in July 2023. “I was paying $100 a week to live, so I thought I could retire. When we were filming, I felt like, ‘This is awesome.’ I have been hustling my whole life and living paycheck to paycheck to paycheck. I would do a lot of jobs, but by the time I got my paycheck, I was so behind on my credit card bills.”

Taylor appeared in 166 episodes of Vanderpump Rules before leaving to start his own podcast. As of 2024, Taylor has a net worth of $4 million. He and wife Brittany Cartwright and OG cast member Kristen Doute now appearing on the Bravo spinoff series, The Valley.

Lisa Vanderpump

Last, but certainly not least, Lisa Vanderpump herself makes $50,000 per episode. Vanderpump also serves as the show’s executive producer and creator, being a reality television star herself, she owns the SUR restaurant, TomTom, and a number of other bars and restaurants across the world. Naturally, she is the highest-paid cast member of Vanderpump Rules, and as of 2024, she has an estimated net worth of $90 million.