The Real Housewives Biggest Earners

1. Bethenny Frankel, RHONY - $1 million per season

Image source YahooThe icon that is Bethany Frankel raked it in by being immensely popular on the show.  The success of 'Skinnygirl' brought her millions as did the $1 million dollar pay cheque she received each season through New York.  She went on to develop further shows for Bravo and also a stint as a game show host!

2. Vicki Gunvalson, RHOC - $750,000 per season

Image source Bravo TVVicki Gunvalson credits herself as the 'Housewife' who started it all when she first appeared in Orange County.  She holds the record for being on the most seasons after Tamra Judge and even returned as a 'friend' on Season 14.  She earned a whopping $750,000 per season.

3. Tamra Judge, RHOC - $900,000 per season

Image source Bravo TVThe lady who DOES hold the record for appearing in the most seasons, attained just before she was fired after Season 14, Tamra Judge has tried to keep tight lipped about her earnings.  An insider reported she received $900,000 per season and she joked that another zero should be added to reveal the true amount.

4. Shannon Beador, RHOC - $583,338 per season

Image source Brvo TV

Shannon Beador joined the show in Season 9 and is still a current member.  She was always coy when asked about how much Orange County were paying her but it came out in court documents when she was going through her divorce from David.  The papers showed she was taking home $583,338 per season - it's good to know exactly!

5. Meghan King Edmonds, RHOC - $300,000 per season

Image source Bravo TV

Meghan King Edmonds must have been a bit miffed as she was earning a pittance compared to the other 'Housewives', only managing to scrape $300,000 per season.  She did have other things on her mind though - her divorce from MLB player Jim Edmonds.

6. Nene Leakes, RHOA - $2.85 million per season

Image soure Bravo TVOne of the major cast members of Atlanta, Nene Leakes was the reason most viewers tuned in.  She was known to comment that the show would lose its ratings if she left.  Even a salary of $2.85 million per season didn't stop her departing to concentrate on other projects.

7. Kim Zolciack, RHOA - $1.8 million per season

Image source ABC News

Kim Zlciack (aka Wig) was one of the original cast members.  She was also the only white female to be featured in the series.  After her marriage to Kroy Biermann she left to star in her own series on Bravo and even her salary of $1.8 million per season didn't stop her moving on.

8. Ramona Singer, RHONY - $500,000 per season

Image source Wiki FandomRamona Singer was one of the 5 women who started RHONY.  A feisty character you either loved or hated, she tried to get a pay rise for what she brought to the show.  At $500,000 per season the producers were having none of it and despite her threats to leave, she's still there now.

9. Kelly Bensimon, RHONY - $30,000 per episode

Image source IMDbWhilst Kelly Bensimon was only on screen for 3 seasons she will always be remembered for Season 3's iconic 'Scary Island' episode.  After leaving the reality show she said she felt she had been mentally abused and wished she hadn't been part of it.  She was happy to accept the $30,000 PER EPISODE though.

10. Kandi Burruss, RHOA - $2.3 million per season

Image source Bravo TVAfter Nene left, Kandi was the longest running 'Housewife' on the show.  She was earning good money from her 'Old Lady Gang restaurants and receiving royalties from the Grammy winning  songs she's written (Destiny's Child's 'Bills Bills Bills' and TLC's 'No Scrubs'.  The $2.3 million she received every season on Atlanta was a nice little add on.

11. Luann de Lesseps, RHONY - $20,000 per scene

Image source Page SxCountess Luann left RHWNY after Season 5 but returned in Season 7 and she has a very nice arrangement with the show's producers.  Rather than getting a certain amount each season, Countess Luann gets paid per scene - a hefty $20,000.  If she features in many of the storyline she's laughing all the way to the bank.

12. Sonja Morgan, RHONY - $20,000 per scene

Image source VarietySonja Morgan has been a regular on the show for more than 10 years, first introduced as the cast's sex-loving friend.  She negotiated the same deal as Luann de Lesseps of $20,000 per scene and much prefers this unique contract.  She feels more in control with this arrangement.

13. Phaedra Parks, RHOA - $1.3 million per season

Image source Us Weekly

It didn't end well for Phaedra Parks after it was revealed she made up a very serious rumour about Porsha Williams and Kandi Burruss.  She was sacked from the show even though she denied any wrong-doing and must have missed the $1.3 million salary per season. However she did make plenty of cash from the media coverage after the show, garnering her lots of social attention!

14. Cynthia Bailey, RHOA - $1.8 million per season

Image source TV InsiderCynthia Bailey, a top model in her own right, didn't let the grass grow under her feet and married twice on the show, first to Peter Thomas in Season 3 and to Mile Hill in Season 13.  We love the storylines of this main cast member who earned $1.8 million per season.

15. Kenya Moore, RHOA - $500,000 per season

Image source IMDbYou'll either love her or hate her but Kenya Moore is one of the most famous Housewife villains of all time.  She left after Season 10 after her secret wedding to ex Marc Daly.  Her salary at that time was $1.5 million but when she returned in Season 12, she had to accept a $1 million pay cut, receiving $500,000 per season.

16. Tinsley Mortimer, RHONY - $300,000 per season

Image source Refinery 29Tinsley Mortimer was the typical  New York 'It' girl in the 2000s so when she joined the cast the viewers were already in.  After an engagement to Scott Kluth she left mid way through Season 12 and moved to Chicago.  She gave up her salary of $300,000 per season.

17. Porsha Williams, RHOA - $1.3 million per season

Image source EllePorsha Williams has gone through a bit of a journey to say the least.  When she joined in Season 5 she was married to NFL player Kordell Stewart.  They divorced the following season and Portia went on to have a daughter with her ex Dennis McKinley. Hopefully her season pay cheque of $1.3 million slightly softened the blow of her failed relationships.

18. Teresa Giudice, RHONJ - $1.116 million per season

CAKnowledgeA 'Housewife' from the start, it's safe to say that Teresa Giudice makes the show for lots of different reasons.  She has been to prison after pleading guilty to 40 counts of fraud so filming had to stop whilst she was in jail.  She returned to the reality show and is paid $1.116 million per season.

19. Jacqueline Laurita, RHONJ - $400,000 per season

NJ.comJacqueline Laurita left the show after Season 5 and returned as a 'friend' in Season 6.  She was persuaded to make a bona fide return as a 'Housewife' in Season 7.  It was short lived as her family moved to Las Vegas, helped by the $400,000 salary per season.

20. Dolores Catania, RHONJ - $60,000 per season

Image source PeopleDolores Catania was a childhood friend of Teresa from Paterson, New Jersey.  After joining the show, viewers were on the edge of their seats at the relationship between her and ex hubby Frank Catania.  Her original salary of a mere $30,000 per season was doubled to $60,000.  Not a bad pay rise!

21. Kyle Richards, RHOBH - $500,000 per season

Image source Bravo TVKyle Richards is the last remaining 'Housewife' out of the original cast.  She has been involved in many feuds, mainly with her sister and her best friend.  There were rumbles in camp about her earnings being higher than the others.  At $500,000 per season they may have a point.

22. Melissa Gorga, RHONJ - $750,000 per season

Image source Bravo TV

Teresa and Melissa were sisters-in-law and spent many an episode arguing over their relationship with each other.  Their fallings out made great tv viewing! Melissa earned $750,000 per season, the same amount Teresa made when she was locked up in jail! 

23. Lisa Vanderpump, RHOBH - $500,000 per season

Image source Bravo TVLisa Vanderpump became a household name and we loved the scenes she commanded.  She left the show in 2009 after a fallout with some of the other 'Housewives'.  She had already launched her spin off show 'Vanderpump Rules' which was a massive success.  Lisa earned $500,000 per season and $50,000 as Executive Producer.

24. Cary Deuber, RHOD - $200,000 per season

Image source Page SixCary Deuber was known as being a bit too big for her boots and was constantly asking for a pay rise.  She would joke that she earned less than a 'Birkin' handbag and the producers let her go after series 3.  As she was making $200,000 per season I don't know what all the fuss was about!

25. Kim Richards, RHOBH - $450,000 per season

Image source E!OnlineKim Richards kept us uncomfortably watching her demons with the strong stuff and it came out at the end of Season 1 that she was an alcoholic. She was admitted to rehab and we saw her road to recovery in front of our eyes.  Kim made a staggering $450,000 per season.

26. Yolanda Hadid, RHOBH - $500,000 per season

Image source Entertainment TonightYolanda Hadid is as well known for her appearance on RHOBH as being the mother of Gigi and Bella Hadid.  Her early days on the show saw the rise of her daughters from teenagers to supermodels, earning fortunes n their own right.  Yolanda didn't do too bad as she commission a salary of $500,000 per season.

27. Erika Jayne, RHOBH - $500,000 per season

Image source TwitterErica Jayne (Erica Girardi)  joined the show as the wife of high powered attorney Tom Girardi.  An ex pop star, Erica fitted in well with the other cast members and was and still is a popular 'Housewife'.  She receives a cool $500,000 per season for speaking her mind!

28. Denise Richards, RHOBH - $1 million per season

Image source E!OnlineDenise Richards must have been doing something right as she is the highest paid cast member in the history of RHOBH. Already an established film actress, her time was cut short on the show when the other 'Housewives' realised she was earning so much more than them - a nice round $1 million per season.

29. Lisa Rinna, RHOBH - $450,000 per season

Image source Bravo TVLisa Rinna was already an established soap actress before she joined the show, starring in 'Days of Our Lives' and 'Melrose Place'.  In RHWOBH she was known as the troublemaker and made enemies with some of the other ladies.  They were even more unhappy with her when they found out she was earning $450,000 per season.

30. Eileen Davidson, RHOBH - $750,000 per season

Image source Bravo TVEileen Davidson was a good scoop for the show as she was already an Emmy winning actress for 'Days of our Lives', 'The Young and the Restless' and 'The Bold and the Beautiful'.   These accolades assisted her in securing a high salary of $750,000 per season.