How much does 60 Days In pay participants?
Introduction
There are a lot of reality television shows that make fans say, “I would never do that.”
At the same time, shows like that have a pretty easy time finding people who would absolutely do that—whether it’s for fame, for exposure, for clout, or for cold, hard cash.
In the case of the A&E network’s hit series, 60 Days In, there are hundreds of people who are lining up to take part in the risky, isolating, downright dangerous show that will take them undercover inside a prison.
Now that the show is also a Netflix Top 10 in the United States, it’s getting more exposure than ever.
And fans are beginning to speculate.
How much does 60 Days In pay? Because it must pay contestants something, right?
We did some digging to find out exactly what the hit A&E and Netflix show has been doing to attract contestants over the years.
Does 60 Days In pay contestants?
It’s easy to sit at home watching 60 Days In and be entertained—but inevitably, we wonder why these contestants would submit themselves to the levels of drama we see on the show.
From the comforts of our home, we all hope these contestants are making decent money to put up with all the undercover prison antics.
Because who can forget the infamous Tater Tots war?
So how much money do contestants get on 60 Days In?
Because—yes—60 Days In does pay its contestants.
But according to former television executives and accountants, it doesn’t pay that much.
How much does 60 Days In pay contestants?
So, how much do “60 Days In” participants get paid?
One former network employee explained it as follows:
The budget for a reality television show is typically up to $375,000 per 60-minute episode.
“Of course, there are exceptions, but let’s consider that 60 Days In is not the exception to the rule.”
From there, the budget needs to cover the crew salaries, production offices, editing and post-production, venue and location costs, transportation, equipment hire, maintenance, insurances, and legal fees.
Once all these costs are factored in, there’s likely to be around $3,000 left in the budget for the episode to pay the cast.
And remember, that covers all cast members—not just the contestants.
The former television worker goes on to say that with a typical season of 60 Days In being 18 episodes, that’s potential earnings of $54,000 for the season.
$54,000 sounds like pretty impressive earnings for less than a full year’s work, right?
But consider that there were 13 cast members in season 6 of 60 Days In, and that $54,000 dwindles to a few cents over $4,153 per cast member.
That’s a staggeringly low $230.76 per cast member, per episode.
As a quick comparison, that means 60 Days In pays more than The Bachelor—which pays nothing, but provides shelter and food to its contestants throughout their time on the show.
60 Days In pays less than RuPaul’s Drag Race, which pays contestants on the show $400 per episode, and prize money for the winner.
Who gets paid the most on 60 Days In?
Straight away, we can take the contestants out of this equation.
In fact, the one raking in the bucks on 60 Days In is actually the jail playing host to the show.
When Sheriff Jamey Noel of the Clark County Jail was interviewed after its season of 60 Days In, he had already earmarked the funds for staff training and the upgrading of some jail equipment.
A little digging revealed that the Jefferson, Indiana, correctional facility is paid $500 per day of filming.
And, despite the show’s name being 60 Days In, filming actually takes place over 120 days of filming at Clark County Jail.
That means Clark County—official name Michael L. Becher Adult Correctional Complex—earns around $60,000 per season from the hit A&E show.
The show also reimburses the facility for the sheriff’s base salary and overtime that he incurs during the show’s filming.
Do 60 Days In contestants get paid if they leave early?
It’s complicated.
There’s a special caveat built into the reality television show’s contestants’ contracts.
If they can’t hack 60 days in jail—and really, who wants to?—they will receive a small sum as compensation for their time.
The amount may also be paid directly to a landlord, bank, financial institution, or family member if it is to help cover the cost of living expenses, rent, or mortgage repayments.
The amount paid out is dependent on how long the contestant sticks with the program.
READ MORE: Who is Mariah Torres’ father?
Does 60 Days In pay enough?
That’s a question only the show’s legion of fans can answer.
Considering some of the highlights of the show—although some would argue that they are definitely low points for humanity—it’s hard to imagine anyone subjecting themselves to this experience at any price.
Here are our favorite discoveries throughout the show’s time on air:
- The discovery of “crack sticks”—a newly invented jail drug which is made by crushing an e-cigarette filter and wrapping it in a piece of toilet paper. The toilet paper has been soaked in coffee for an added buzz.
- A lesson in making “hooch”—homemade prison alcohol made of sugar and fermented fruit. (heads up: the fermentation process is essentially letting the fruit rot.)
- Learning that a fellow inmate is preparing for a violent fight if they put sneakers on. As one convict explained, “You can’t fight in the sandals. They come off easy, and they slip.”
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