Wow, Reality TV Really Does Pay! Read How Much The Real Housewives Earn

By Jen Heger – Radar Assistant Managing Editor

& Alexis Tereszcuk – Radar Entertainment Editor

Their lives are filled with fancy homes, luxury cars and the finest accoutrements that money can buy, but does it pay to be a Real Housewife? RadarOnline.com has investigated and the verdict is YES, it sure does!

The original ladies, The Real Housewives of Orange County, all enjoy huge salaries — raking in the big bucks for drinking wine, fighting and getting plastic surgery.

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Vicki Gunvalson is the top earner, bringing in a cool $450,000 a season. Hot on her heels is Tamra Barney who commands $350,000, followed by Gretchen Rossi with $300,000, Alexis Bellino is paid $200,000 and at bottom of the list is newcomer, Heather Dubrow at a paltry $30,000.

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The ladies on the newest franchise in the hit Bravo series, The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills are mostly independently wealthy, but they are still earning a pretty penny.

Lisa Vanderpump is not surprisingly the Grand Damme of earners, raking in $250,000 a season, followed by Adrienne Maloof at $200,000, Kyle Richards also at $200,000, Taylor Armstrong at $175,000 and Brandi Glanville at $125,000. Kim Richards and newcomer Yolanda Hadid round out the bottom with $100,000 a piece.

However, there is one Housewife who makes more than all of the other ones, as her show brings in the highest ratings AND she personally delivers over the top drama each and every episode.

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The lady who is the top earner is The Real Housewives of Atlanta star NeNe Leakes who earns an astronomical $750,000 per season and when the show orders new episodes for the season she can earn up to $1million!

It definitely pays to be a Housewife!

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