Salaries of 12 'American Idol' judges over the years: From Katy Perry to Luke Bryan

12 highest-paid 'American Idol' judges over the years: From Mariah Carey to Simon Cowell

Luke Bryan, Lionel Richie, and Katy Perry—the original judging panel—returned for 'American Idol' Season 22, which debuted on ABC in February 2024. Over the years, several celebrities have returned to serve as 'American Idol' judges; however, some of them received far bigger compensation than others. The amount of money that past and present 'American Idol' judges make proves that, despite the show's waning popularity, the singing competition was never hesitant to pay a high price for exceptional talent. Here are 12 judges who have earned the biggest pay throughout the history of 'Idol'.

12. Harry Connick Jr (Seasons 13 - 15): $3.5 million

Harry Connick Jr served as a final judge on 'American Idol'. According to the Wall Street Journal, the celebrity earned $3.5 million for each of his three seasons on the show. This was a small amount of the $15–17.5 million wage that his co-workers Ryan Seacrest and Jennifer Lopez received, per StyleCaster.

11. Randy Jackson (Seasons 1 - 12): $5 – $6.5 million

Artist and producer Randy Jackson departed 'American Idol' as the final original judge after Season 12 in 2013. At the time, Billboard revealed that Jackson's season salary ranged from $5 to $6.5 million, matching Paula Abdul's earnings ($5 – 8 million) but almost $30 million less than Simon Cowell's.

10. Ellen DeGeneres (Season 9): $5 – 7 million

Comedian Ellen DeGeneres served as an 'Idol' judge for one season, and she has stated in multiple interviews that she detested her experience there. The comedian received between $5 and $7 million for the appearance, per Entertainment Weekly, which is a small amount compared to what she earned hosting her own talk program, 'The Ellen DeGeneres Show'. (Forbes claimed that DeGeneres hosted the daytime show for $77 million annually.)

9. Keith Urban (Seasons 12 - 15): $8 million

Country music artist Keith Urban was the only one who remained after Nicki Minaj and Mariah Carey left 'Idol' Season 13 and went on to judge alongside Lopez and Harry Connick Jr. According to reports, Urban received $8 million on his first season as an 'Idol' judge. However, according to other sources, he only made $3.5 million.

8. Steven Tyler (Seasons 10 - 11): $10 million

In 2012, Tyler left 'American Idol' following his second season, like Lopez, however, he never came back, unlike Lopez. According to a 2012 Forbes article, Tyler received $10 million annually for his 'Idol' judging duty. At the time, it was revealed that Tyler left 'Idol' upon learning that Lopez was reportedly negotiating a $20 million season after receiving no compensation increase.

7. Nicki Minaj (Season 12): $12 million

Nicki Minaj was at the top of her game, featuring hits like 'Anaconda' and 'Super Bass', when she served as an 'Idol' judge for Season 12 in 2013. According to Forbes, Minaj made a healthy $12 million a season, although not earning as much as Carey. Her tenure on 'Idol' was, however, brief. The rapper left the show after one season, alongside Carey, per Reuters.

6. Luke Bryan (Season 16 - Present): $12 million

Luke Bryan is one of the highest-paid judges in the history of the show, reportedly receiving $12 million a season in his position as a judge on 'American Idol.' That being said, Bryan has now served as a judge on 'Idol' for four seasons, earning him a total of $48 million from the program so far. This surpasses Keith Urban's annual remuneration of $8 million from his time as a show judge by $4 million.

5. Ryan Seacrest (Season 1 - Present): $12 million – $15 million

Seacrest is the only remaining member of the original 'American Idol' cast, despite not being a judge. During the middle seasons of 'Idol', Seacrest reportedly made $5 million every season, per The Cheat Sheet. According to The Hollywood Reporter, that amount tripled during the final three seasons of FOX's 'Idol', where the host earned $15 million per season, bringing the total to $45 million over the course of three years.

4. Jennifer Lopez (Seasons 10 - 11, 13 - 15): $17.5 million

Fox pursued pop singer Jennifer Lopez to join the show's judging panel when the original trio of 'American Idol' judges left the show. She left after Season 11 and returned in Season 13 before the FOX series finale of 'Idol' in 2016. It was claimed at the time that the 'Let's Get Loud' singer was paid $12 million for her debut season and paid $15 million for her second season after receiving a $3 million raise. Lopez was reportedly offered a whopping $17.5 million pay each season when she returned in 2013, making her one of 'Idol's highest-paid judges.

3. Mariah Carey (Season 12): $18 million

Mariah Carey's brief tenure on 'Idol' was largely characterized by her conflict with fellow judge Nicki Minaj, who simultaneously joined and quit the show. Reportedly, Carey struck a deal for $18 million to judge on the season, which is half a million more than her rival Lopez, given her standing as one of the most successful singers in music history.

2. Katy Perry (Season 16 - 22): $25 million

Katy Perry became the talk of the town when word leaked that she is paid $25 million a season by ABC to judge 'American Idol'. Perry was one of the three new judges on 'American Idol' when ABC revived the program in 2018. Given Katy's popularity as a musician, this made sense, but she also surpassed celebrities like Mariah Carey and Jennifer Lopez to become the highest-paid female judge in the show's history ever. As a judge on the show, Perry has already made more than $100 million after seven seasons on the panel.

1. Simon Cowell (Seasons 1 - 9): $36 million

By the time Simon Cowell left the show, he was earning up to $36 million a season—the highest salary of any judge in the history of 'American Idol'. Fox reportedly offered Cowell even more money to keep him on the show, but the judge eventually left 'American Idol' after Season 9 to start his own reality show, the American version of 'The X Factor'. The UK edition of 'X Factor' is still on air, while the US version concluded after three seasons.