Part of being a full-time cast member on The Real Housewives franchise is showing off one's vast wealth. The homes they live in, the islands they vacation on, the cars they drive, and the famous people they know — it's a large reason why viewers tune in week after week. The Housewives' lives are so outlandish, it's what makes the franchise the success it is.
And while the women earn an income from other ventures outside the show, Bravo pays some of these women a pretty penny to show their lives and drama on-screen. Some popular faces started off earning a couple of thousand dollars per season, but that has now grown to more zeros as the seasons went on.
Updated on October 24th, 2022, by Lynn Gibbs: One of the biggest questions Bravo fans have is “how much do the Real Housewives make?” While the highest-paid Housewife who’s still on TV isn’t surprising (scroll for more), there are former Housewives who made a pretty penny from their time on the show. Thousands of dollars an episode transpired into hundreds or thousands to millions per season. The highest-paid Real Housewives are worth their hefty paychecks, especially after years of dedication to the series and countless dramatic moments that fans can’t get enough of.
Eileen Davidson
$750,000 Per Season (The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills)
Eileen Davidson was a main Housewife for three seasons (seasons 5-7) before leaving on her own accord. Davidson was a part of some of the best seasons of The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills. She did come back as a guest in seasons 8 and 10, but guests and friends are paid differently than Housewives on the main roster.
As an actress mainly known for her soap opera career, Davidson earns good money working in Hollywood, but she also made $750,000 per season on RHOBH, according to Radar Online. If that's the number Davidson started out with on season 5, that's $2.2 million for three seasons.
Melissa Gorga
$750,000 Per Season (The Real Housewives Of New Jersey)
Melissa Gorga was a guest in season 2 of The Real Housewives of New Jersey but made it to the main roster by season 3. As Teresa Giudice's sister-in-law, Melissa has a solid foundation in the series and doesn't appear to be leaving any time soon. It doesn't hurt that Melissa's husband, Joe, is as entertaining as she is. Along with the other husbands of RHONJ, Joe adds depth to Melissa's storylines.
While Gorga's salary is sure to have changed over the years, Style Caster noted that as of 2022 she takes home $750,000 per season of RHONJ.
Denise Richards
$1 Million Per Season (The Real Housewives Of Beverly Hills)
Denise Richards started her time on RHOBH in season 9, but only lasted two seasons. As a well-known actress and a famous face, Denise signed on for $1 million per season, according to The Tab, making her $2 million for her short time on Bravo.
However, after a bumpy two seasons, Denise had enough of the drama and opted out of her contract. Denise will forever be known for her honest quotes and storyline with Brandi Glanville, but she she and Bravo couldn't work out a deal for a third season.
Teresa Giudice
$1.1 Million Per Season (The Real Housewives Of New Jersey)
Distractify noted that Teresa Giudice earns over $1 million per season on The Real Housewives of New Jersey. She's an OG for the franchise and has one of the rockiest storylines in Real Housewives history. From family dynamics to jail time to a deportation scandal — fans tune into RHONJ strictly to see what's going on with Teresa. There are a handful of things that Teresa will never live down after appearing on the series for over 12 seasons.
Furthermore, she has alliances in the cast that always seems to have her back even when it seems suspicious. In a lot of ways, Teresa earns that $1.1 million per season because she's the backbone of the franchise.
Bethenny Frankel
$1+ Million Per Season (The Real Housewives of New Jersey)
Bethenny Frankel was a part of The Real Housewives of New York from the start. In season 1, Bethenny had no idea what to expect from the franchise or from Bravo and signed on to season 1 for just $7,250, according to Reality Blurb. But as the show progressed and Bethenny became more famous, that dollar amount shot up. Bethenny has had some of the most iconic lines and storylines in RHONY history, making her worth the money she earned.
According to Reality Blurb, in 2018 Bethenny was making around $1 million per season. And that's just from The Real Housewives. Bethenny also makes megabucks from her Skinnygirl line and other projects she works on.
Phaedra Parks
$1.3 Million Per Season (The Real Housewives Of Atlanta)
Phaedra Parks came on The Real Housewives of Atlanta in season 3 but in a lot of ways, she feels like a part of the original cast in season 1. She got along with most of the women and had a strong presence with fans. Aside from her relationship with her ex-husband Apollo, Phaedra's career as a lawyer (and beyond) was extraordinary. She was an entertaining Housewife.
Phaedra also brought the drama on RHOA when her (then) husband was arrested for fraud, which was shown on Bravo. Nevertheless, with all of those things tied into a pretty bow, Phaedra's $1.3 million, according to Cinemaholic, paycheck for season 9 was worth it.
Porsha Williams
$1.3 Million Per Season (The Real Housewives Of Atlanta)
It's hard to believe that Porsha Williams didn't join the series until season 5 because she was such an important part of the franchise. Every Housewife transforms over the years, either for the better or the worse, and Porsha changed for the better. She matured on camera, found herself, and became one of the most likable Housewives.
With Porsha being such a special part of the series, it makes sense that she's got paid the big bucks on Bravo. According to Radar Online, Porsha made $1.3 million for season 12. Sadly, in September 2021, Porsha announced she was leaving the series after nine seasons.
Cynthia Bailey
$1.8 Million Per Season (The Real Housewives Of Atlanta)
Fashion model Cynthia Bailey had a calming presence on RHOA. After joining in season 3, she was a part of the best seasons on RHOA, leading into her final season, season 13. Fans have seen how gracefully she raised her daughter, the rise and fall of her marriage to Peter Thomas, and her friendships with NeNe Leakes and Kenya Moore.
Cynthia's relationship with the women varied but she was a rock in the series. As of season 12, Cynthia got a pay raise of $1.8 million per season, according to Radar Online, but has not been back since.
Kandi Burruss
$2.3 Million Per Season (The Real Housewives Of Atlanta)
Like RHOBH's Denise Richards, Kandi Burruss was already a big name when she signed on to do RHOA in season 2. As an award-winning singer and songwriter, Kandi wasn't just known in Atlanta, she was known worldwide. Luckily for Bravo, the network has been able to keep her on the main roster for 14 seasons.
What makes Kandi a legendary, current Housewife is how honest she is with the cameras about her life (the good and the bad). The List shared that Kandi makes a whopping $2.3 million per season, making her the highest paid current Housewife.
NeNe Leakes
$2.85 Million For Her Final Season (The Real Housewives Of Atlanta)
NeNe Leakes may as well be the most popular Housewife in Real Housewives history. Her one-liners, facial expressions, and comedic effects made fantastic reality TV.
Leakes kicked off the franchise in season 1 before taking a break for seasons 8 and 9, but she ultimately came back for three more seasons before calling it quits before season 13. Because of NeNe's fame and Real Housewives image, she was earning $2.8 million per season, according to The Things, when she was on her final stretch of the franchise.