It’s no secret that, even with budget cuts, that the celebrities participating on “Dancing With the Stars” can make a killing, but what about the pro dancers that teach them how to become dancers? According to reports, the professional dancers also take home a nice paycheck on the ABC series.

It’s generally unknown what exactly the pros make, but the salary has previously been revealed as being decent enough to occasionally convince pros who have otherwise left the show to come back. When Maks Chmerkovskiy and Peta Murgatroyd both returned for Season 24, it was reported that they did come back because the pay was too good to pass up as they began raising their newborn son, Shai.

“Having a kid is not cheap and doing the show gives them a lot more financial freedom,” a source told People at the time. “Maks had concerns that being a dad would consume his whole life but since Shai arrived, he and Peta both realized they can handle the show and being parents too.”

While Maks is not returning to the show, Peta will be back for Season 28, meaning the pay may have once again been enticing, though what in particular she is making could be different from previous seasons.

“...Contracts are renegotiated each season, and obviously there’s going to be pay increases based on longevity and other factors,” Gossip Cop reported a few years ago.

According to The Reel Rundown, pro salaries could range widely, with more popular veteran ones earning as much as $5,200 a week, with newer additions to the cast making a much lower amount. Overall, if those figures are correct, then pro dancers could make close to $100,000 per season.

Regardless of what exactly they make, the show has undergone a series of budget cuts ahead of Season 28, which included a downgrade in what the celebrities can earn depending on how long they last on the show, but also made some changes necessary when it came to the pros. The show has eliminated the troupe dancers and did not ask veterans Artem Chigvintsev and Sharna Burgess back, choosing to introduce new pros Daniella Karagach and Pasha Pashkov instead.

It’s unclear if finances were the reason for Artem and the Troupe being cut, but it has been reported that Sharna is sitting at least this season out due to constraints, as she was the highest-paid female pro last season, after renegotiating her contract prior to at least Season 27 to be paid more than the other girls.

"Dancing With the Stars" Season 28 premieres tonight at 8 p.m. EDT on ABC.

DWTS PROS
Val Chmerkovskiy, Peta Murgatroyd, Sasha Farber and Witney Carson, as well as other “Dancing With the Stars” pros make some intriguing salaries for their work on the show. ABC/Justin Stephens
RELATED STORIES