Some former 'The Bachelor' and 'The Bachelorette' stars have spoken out about how much they were paid to be the show's lead
Several Bachelor Nation stars have offered insight into their salaries throughout the show’s history. Details about what ABC pays their Bachelor and Bachelorette leads made headlines in March 2026 after the network pulled Taylor Frankie Paul’s season off the air days before its scheduled premiere.
Despite the cancellation, it was reported that Taylor received her full payout from the network. TMZ reported at the time that Taylor got paid in the low-to-mid six-figure range. Her salary for the role was based on “services rendered,” according to the report. Even though the episodes didn’t air, Taylor filmed the entire season and completed the bulk of her promotional run. While Taylor never addressed reports about her apparent Bachelorette salary, several other franchise stars have shared numbers. Former Bachelorette star Jason Tartick even told Us exclusively about the importance of salary transparency during a 2021 interview promoting his “Trading Secrets” podcast — which often dives into the payouts from reality TV. “We want to cover every single reality TV show out there to understand the differences — how are these people compensated? How have they been compensated after the show? Did they go back to work? Did they lose their job? How much did it cost to go on the show?” he said at the time. “Maybe you had to seek other expenses, such as therapy or things like that, and what is the cost of that? We want to uncover all that.”How Much Are ‘The Bachelor’ Leads Paid? Colton Underwood was offered $100,000 for his lead role in 2023, Tartick claimed on “Trading Secrets,” noting that he and Blake Horstmann were offered the same.Former Bachelorette lead Kaitlyn Bristowe, who starred in 2015, said she was offered $40,000 from the network. She negotiated her salary to meet that of former Bachelor star Chris Soules’ paycheck. “One of the executive producers said to me, ‘You got an entertainment lawyer, and you're asking for this amount of money? I'm sorry. I thought this is about love for you.’ F*** off!” she said on “Trading Secrets” in April 2023. “It's about love and money, OK? They go hand in hand for me right now.” Years later, Rachel Recchia, who led the show in 2022, said she made somewhere between $110,000 and $120,000 on an episode of “Trading Secrets.”Former Bachelor in Paradise stars have spoken out the most about salaries. Dean Unglert said in April 2021 that he was offered $400 a day to go on the show. He countered with $800 per day before conceding at $600.
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