You Won't Believe the Salaries of the 'American Idol' Judges

The new season of American Idol is just days away, and the celebrity judges who helm the show will be laughing all the to the bank.

The longtime judging panel of Luke Bryan, Lionel Richie and Katy Perry are returning for the upcoming Season 22, which is set to premiere on Feb. 18, 2024, on ABC. Perry has already revealed that she plans to leave the show after the new season wraps, but she'll walk away significantly richer.

In fact, according to multiple reports, Perry is one of the highest-paid judges in American Idol history, second only to the original judge, Simon Cowell, who reportedly earned a whopping $36 million per year for his role on the show.

Former country judge Keith Urban earned $8 million each season in his previous on the iconic reality singing competition, but Bryan is earning significantly more than that in 2024, which also makes him one of the highest-paid judges in the show's history. Even so, he's pulling down far less than the $18 million per year that Mariah Carey earned during her run on the show, and less than Jennifer Lopez' $17.5 million per season, too.

Bryan actually earns less than half of Perry's whopping salary, but it's still enough to put him way ahead of iconic judges including Paula Abdul, Randy Jackson, Steven Tyler, Harry Connick Jr. and more.

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Music legend Lionel Richie, meanwhile, actually earns a bit less than Bryan, and significantly less than Perry.

Read on to see what the judges on American Idol stand to earn during the 2024 season:

See the Stunning Salaries of the 'American Idol' Judges

The new season of American Idol is about to launch, and the judging panel of Luke Bryan, Lionel Richie and Katy Perry will be laughing all the way to the bank.

Gallery Credit: Sterling Whitaker

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Filed Under: American Idol