With Carrie Underwood replacing Katy Perry as one of the American Idol judges, the show seems to be keeping its costs down.
According to a source, the former show winner will receive around the same amount as fellow judges Lionel Richie and Luke Bryan.
That amount is “substantially less” than Katy received while a judge on the show.
After appearing as a guest judge in Season 9, the Teenage Dream singer returned eight years later, in Season 16, to become a full-time judge. Her time on the show involved controversy and backlash, though.
She abruptly left before Season 23, and the show announced Carrie as her replacement. Inside sources have already said the Idol crew is happier to have the Season 4 winner in Katy’s place.
Based on a recent report via The U.S. Sun, some of that happiness with Carrie as a judge could also be due to the salary savings.
Carrie Underwood’s American Idol salary revealed
When Katy Perry was a judge on American Idol, she reportedly made $25 million or more per season. However, an inside source told The U.S. Sun that in “her first year, Carrie is making substantially less than Katy.”
“Carrie’s salary is in the $10-12 million range, so less than half of what Katy was getting,” an insider told the Sun.
The Idol winner signed a one-year contract to work as a judge on the show, and she could receive a pay boost if she chooses to return.
“Depending on Carrie’s performance and how she’s responded to by the viewers, there is room to boost that number up if she were to return next year,” the inside source said.
While she is not obligated to return, it’s believed the team would “want Carrie back, no question” if things keep going the way they have been thus far.
Underwood’s American Idol win led to a superstar career and impressive net worth
Carrie won American Idol in 2005 when she was just 21. Since then, she’s gone on to achieve quite the career, including eight Grammys and becoming the voice behind Sunday Night Football’s theme song for the NFL on NBC.
According to Celebrity Net Worth, Carrie has a net worth of $120 million as of 2024. That comes from her music career, which includes multiple studio albums, hit singles, concert tours, and endorsement deals.
Some of the companies that Carrie has worked with include Target, Dick’s Sporting Goods, Hershey’s, and Nintendo. These endorsements have added tens of millions to her net worth.
In 2017, Forbes reported that Carrie was the most successful American Idol winner in the show’s history, besting other winners, including Kelly Clarkson, Jordin Sparks, and Fantasia Barrino. That appears to remain true in 2025.
Even though Carrie’s salary as a judge at Idol starts at less than her predecessor’s, she’s still doing just fine with her bank account.
American Idol Season 23 premieres Sunday, March 9 at 8/7c on ABC.