American Idol judges earn significantly varying salaries depending on their star power and tenure on the show:
- Carrie Underwood, who joined as a judge in Season 23, reportedly makes between $10 million and $12.5 million per season. This is considered a pay cut compared to her predecessor Katy Perry, who earned around $25 million annually
- Luke Bryan is estimated to earn about $12 million per season, making him one of the highest-paid judges in the show's history
- Lionel Richie reportedly makes slightly less than Bryan, around $10 million per season
- Katy Perry, who was a judge for seven seasons, made approximately $25 million per year, the second-highest salary in the show's history after Simon Cowell
For context, the average salary for an American Idol judge role broadly (not necessarily the celebrity stars) is about $178,000 per year, with a wide range depending on experience and role specifics
. In summary, top celebrity judges on American Idol earn multi-million dollar salaries per season, with current judges like Underwood, Bryan, and Richie making between $10 million and $12 million each, while past judges like Katy Perry earned up to $25 million annually
