How Much Do They Get Paid?

The Amazing Race has been running on CBS for more than two decades with an average of 10 million viewers per season. The show has become a successful franchise after numerous international versions were developed with the same structure. New Zealand TV personality Phil Keogan has been the host ever since its inception.

Elise Doganieri and Bertram van Munster are the brains behind the TV show, which is produced by their production house Earthview Inc., Jerry Bruckheimer Television for CBS Studios, and ABC Signature. The show has won ten Primetime Emmys for Outstanding Reality-Competition Program.

How Much Is The Prize Money For The Amazing Race Winner?

Greg Franklin & John Franklin – The winners of The Amazing Race Season 35 | Credits: CBS

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Derek Xiao & Claire Rehfuss – The winners of The Amazing Race Season 34 | Credits: CBS

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Kim & Penn Holderness – The winners of The Amazing Race Season 33 | Credits: CBS

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Will Jardell & James Wallington – The winners of The Amazing Race Season 32 | Credits: CBS

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Colin Guinn & Christie Woods – The winners of The Amazing Race Season 31 | Credits: CBS

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The Amazing Race has successfully completed 36 seasons and was renewed for a 37th season, which is set to air in spring 2025. Each of the seasons is split into legs where teams of two race each other. The contestants are required to deduce clues, perform physical and mental tasks, and travel on a limited budget to reach the different Pit Stops at the end of a leg.

The first to reach each Pit Stop are rewarded with gifts and other non-monetary prizes, while the last team in each leg is eliminated from the show. Three finalists will usually race each other in the final leg and the first team to arrive at the end will be declared the winner. The winners of the show receive a cash prize of $1,000,000.

Besides the prize money, the winners and all other contestants are provided with $500 for their expenses, including food, lodging, travel guides, or any other incidentals, during the race (via Mic).

This amount covers their travel expenses as well but they are given credit cards to purchase economy-class flight tickets. If the contestants do not use all of this money during a particular leg, it gets rolled over to the next leg.

How Much Do the Losing Contestants Get Paid?

While CBS has not revealed any official data on the cast salary, Men’s Health reported that every contestant on the show gets paid an amount for their appearance. It is reported that the runners-up and the team in third place also receive a cash prize, although it is not anywhere close to the $1 million cash prize for winners.

The runners-up reportedly win a $25,000 cash prize while the third-place contestants get $10,000 between them. The lowest amount is given to the team first eliminated and it is estimated to be $1,500. The second eliminated team is reportedly given $2,500 and each subsequent team’s cash winnings increase by $500.

While all contestants get paid, there have been reports that contestants were losing money on the show. They incur a significant amount in expenses during the run of the show. The Amazing Race Season 21 contestant Mark “Abba” Abbattista shared with The A.V. Club that he lost money on the show.

He shared that the “paid” vacations won by contestants during the run of the show were not fully covered by the show producers. Abbattista shared that only flight charges and accommodation were covered, but the food and other expenses were not covered.

Do Contestants Have To Pay Taxes On Prizes?

According to the IRS, the monetary winnings from the show are taxable under Other Income. However, it is not just the cash prizes that get taxed. According to Mark Abbatista’s account to The A.V. Club, the contestants also had to pay taxes on the monetary value of any trips or non-monetary gifts they were awarded.

For such reasons, many contestants who won these prizes decided to sell them or give them away as gifts to avoid the huge sum incurred on taxes alone. Abbattista shared:

While the winners and the teams that place second and third could afford to save some money after taxes, the other contestants may take home next to nothing. However, they can still make the most out of their experience of traveling the world.

Who Were The Winners Of The Amazing Race Season 36?

The 36th season of The Amazing Race was filmed before the 35th season during the pandemic time. The season took place on two continents and across eight countries. The pandemic forced the producers to arrange chartered flights and proper accommodations for the safety of the contestants at their expense.

Boyfriends Ricky Rotandi and César Aldrete from New York City took the $1 million cash prize home, while military pilots Juan Villa and Shane Bilek finished second place. Former NFL player Rod Gardner and his wife Leticia Gardner were placed third in the competition. Here is a list of the contestants this season and their possible salaries based on Men’s Health data:

The 36th season received mixed reviews from critics, with many finding it to be off the usual pattern of the show. They also found it frustrating that the season refused to admit on the screen that it was shot during COVID-19 as it edited out several shots indicating the same (via Reality Blurred). Film critic Grace Randolph found it so bad and felt that the season should’ve been shelved permanently.

Phil Keoghan’s Salary As The Host Of The Amazing Race

Phil Keoghan has been the host of all seasons of the show and was nominated for an Outstanding Host Emmy in 2009. According to Celebrity Net Worth, Keoghan has a net worth of $16 million. He is also the host of other famous TV shows, including No Opportunity Wasted where he also served as the creator.

However, it is notable that a significant portion of Keoghan’s net worth comes from hosting The Amazing Race. It is reported that he earns a hefty paycheck of $100,000 per episode on the show.

The Amazing Race is available for streaming on Hulu and Paramount+.