American Idol Judges’ Salaries & Who’s the Highest-Paid Ever

It’s been more than 19 years since American Idol premiered and launched judges Simon Cowell, Paula Abdul, and Randy Jackson into superstardom. While the show isn’t the ratings behemoth it used to be, how much American Idol judges’ make (both past and present) prove that the singing competition was never afraid to pay lots of $$$ for top-tier talent. (Our jaws dropped when we learned how much Katy Perry makes.)

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American Idol became a surprise summer success in 2002 after Kelly Clarkson won over the hearts of America. The show went on for 14 more seasons until it was canceled by FOX in 2016. But American Idol wasn’t over. The show was rebooted by ABC in 2018 with judges Katy Perry, Luke Bryan and Lionel Richie. Host Ryan Seacrest also returned to emcee the show that made him a household name. It’s been more than a decade since American Idol has produced a winner of the caliber of Clarkson, Carrie Underwood or Adam Lambert, but that hasn’t stopped viewers from tuning in.

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How much American Idol judges make

Though not as popular as it once was, American Idol still brings in millions of viewers each week to pay for its judges’ massive paychecks. Curious how much American Idol judges have made over the years? Read on for details about their unbelievable salaries.

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