‘Survivor’ star reveals how much actors are paid to be on the show. The amount of money legendary Rob Mariano makes has fans talking about!!!
‘Survivor’ Star Reveals How Much Players Get Paid to be on the Show

Since its very first season in 2000, the winner of “Survivor” has always walked away with a grand prize of $1,000,000. Today, 25 years and 49 seasons later, the long-running reality show’s payout remains the same for those able to outwit, outplay and outlast their competitors. But what about the castaways who don’t win the show? Do they get paid? And, if so, how much?
Well, thanks to three-time “Survivor” player Kelley Wentworth, we now know the answer.
The fan-favorite player, who got her start on the series’ “San Juan del Sur: Blood vs. Water” season in 2014, opened up about the compensation players can expect to walk away with, even if they don’t win the show, in a recent video posted to TikTok.
Kelley Wentworth Explains How Much ‘Survivor’ Players Get Paid
Wentworth, who has become a common source for spilling behind-the-scenes “Survivor” secrets since she joined TikTok in December 2020, has previously shared insider information about the show’s wardrobe department, casting process, and more.
Now, she’s opening up about how CBS compensates eliminated players after “Survivor 49” contestant Rizo Velovic said in an on-screen confessional that, for him, “being in 10th or being in 4th, makes no difference for me. I’m here to win this game.”
While Wentworth agreed all players should go into the game with the Rizo’s mindset if they want to win the million dollar prize, she quantified that, in terms of payout, “there is a massive pay difference between 10th place and 4th place.”
“Every player that goes on ‘Survivor’ does get some sort of compensation,” she explained, adding that the payouts are delivered “on a scale based on your placement.”
“If you’re voted out first, you’re gonna get the lowest amount of money,” Wentworth added, approximating the payout for first boot’s to be around $2500.
From there, the compensation increases. For players who make it the Jury, they can expect to take home at least $20,000 for their time and effort.
Wentworth Reveals How Much Money She Made on ‘Survivor’
“Fourth place on ‘Survivor’ pays about $65,000,” said Wentworth, speaking from experience following her fourth place finish on “Survivor: Cambodia.”
CBSDuring her most recent series appearance on “Survivor: Edge of Extinction,” she finished the competition in 10th place, which she revealed resulted in a payout of “probably between $20,000 to $25,000.”
So, between her 14th place finish on “Survivor: San Juan del Sur” (approx. $3,500), for 4th place finish on “Cambodia” ($65,000), and her 10th place finish on “Edge of Extinction” ($25,000), Wentworth pocketed around $93,500 – before taxes – between her three “Survivor” appearances.
“These numbers are based on Old Era,” she qualified, adding that she’s unaware if the show has altered the way it compensates players for New Era seasons.
While the payout is certainly impressive, it still pales in comparison to the show’s coveted $1 million prize for its winner.








