They bring the drama, angst, and all-around entertainment, but what the Real Housewives actually make salary-wise really varies. Here we’ve rounded out some of the top earners across all of the franchises.

Bravo
1 / 10
10. Erika Girardi, $500K per season
A $500,000 per season salary is certainly nothing to shake a finger at, but for RHOBH star Erika Jayne, it sounds like it may be necessary in terms of maintaining her cushy lifestyle. She recently confirmed that she spends roughly $40,000 per month on hair, makeup and clothing, which helps explain why she always looks so good.
RELATED: Erika Jayne’s early red carpet looks.
RELATED: Erika Jayne’s early red carpet looks.

Bravo
2 / 10
9. Ramona Singer, $500 000 per season
The longtime RHONY cast member has seen many successful pursuits over her career thanks to her own jewelry line, skin care products, and branded wine. However when it comes to the series it’s been reported that she pulls in a cool $500,000 per season. Not too shabby.

Bravo
3 / 10
8. Vicki Gunvalson, $750K per season
When you’ve been at something for a while, odds are you’re raking in some pretty good cash for it, right? That statement is accurate when it comes to original Housewives Vicki Gunvalson and Tamra Judge, who reportedly made a respective $750,000 and $600,000 per season in 2017. So how do those salaries stack up against newer cast member Kelly Dodd? Wildly. Dodd supposedly only made $150,000 for her second season on the show.
RELATED: How Vicki Gunvalson has changed from season 1 to season 13.
RELATED: How Vicki Gunvalson has changed from season 1 to season 13.

Bravo
4 / 10
7. Denise Richards, $1 million per season
How do you attract a famous celebrity with big hair to the RHOBH? With an equally big salary, of course. Reports place Denise at making $1 million per season during her four-season contract with the series, which seems like a nice little payday for the newlywed.
RELATED: All of Denise Richards' famous exes.
RELATED: All of Denise Richards' famous exes.

Bravo
5 / 10
6. Lisa Vanderpump,$1 million per season
The RHOBH original cast member may be the most successful in her other pursuits thanks to her spinoff series and myriad of restaurants. So perhaps it was inherent negotiation skills that landed her a reported $1 million per season contract, considering her costars supposedly make much less than that. Lisa Rinna is said to have made $450,000 for her first season, while Kim Richards reportedly only made $100,000 per season (before taxes!) when she was on the series. As for her sister, Kyle Richards? She fares a little better at a reported $270,000 per season.

Bravo
6 / 10
5. Teresa Guidice, $1 million per season
The table-flipping RHONJ star has become synonymous with her series, which means we’re not surprised by her reported $1 million per season salary. (Here’s hoping she’s learned to pay taxes on it.) Meanwhile, her co-stars aren’t exactly slumming it—Teresa’s sister-in-law, Melissa Gorga, supposedly makes $750,000 per season, as does Jacqueline Laurita.
RELATED: Teresa and Joe Giudice Legal Updates.
RELATED: Teresa and Joe Giudice Legal Updates.

Bravo
7 / 10
4. Luann de Lesseps, $1 million per season
There’s nothing quite like a good old-fashioned salary feud, which RHONY has seen its fair share of. When Bethenny returned with a higher payday, her co-stars—including longtime rival Luann—reportedly went on strike until their salaries were also increased. Now it’s believed that the former Countess is raking in close to $1 million per season.
RELATED: Luann de Lesseps Update: Everything We Know About Her Arrest and Trial.
RELATED: Luann de Lesseps Update: Everything We Know About Her Arrest and Trial.

Bravo
8 / 10
3. Bethenny Frankel, $1.5 million per season
In the first season of RHONY, Bethenny revealed she only pulled in $7,250 for the entire season, which is certainly not enough to live off of. Good thing she worked a clause into her contract that stipulated she got to keep 100 per cent of any side businesses—aka Skinnygirl Cocktails—that she launched while on the show. We’d say she got quite the raise then, when in 2016 it was reported that she made $1.5 million per season for doing the series.

Bravo
9 / 10
2. Kandi Burruss, $2.2 million per season
The most recent, dramatic season of RHOA apparently really pleased the powers that be, because many of the women reportedly received raises. That includes Kandi, whose salary is said to have jumped from $2 million to $2.2 million per season. Meanwhile, her co-star Porsha Williams saw her salary increase from $800,000 to $1.25 million. That’s slightly less than Cynthia Bailey’s $1.75 million payday, but more than the $250,000 that newest cast members Eva Marcille and Shamari DeVoe supposedly pulled in.

Bravo
10 / 10
1. Nene Leakes, $2.75 million per season
Remember when Ryan Murphy became obsessed with NeNe and cast her in some of his TV shows, like Glee and The New Normal? That newfound fame helped her negotiate the first $1 million salary of all the Housewives when she returned to RHOA in season six. Now it’s been reported that she’s doubled that, and is pulling in as much as $2.75 million per season. Yowza.
RELATED: Ranking the Housewives by Net Worth.
RELATED: Ranking the Housewives by Net Worth.
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