How much do 'The Price is Right' models get paid? Surprisingly, it's a lot more than you'd think

The models who present the prizes have also become popular faces on the show and have bagged other projects.

PUBLISHED NOV 17, 2024

Models Manuela Arbelaez, Rachel Reynolds, host Drew Carey, and model Lanisha Cole appear onstage for the premiere of "The Price is Right" (Cover image source: Getty Images | Kevin Winter)

The entertainment industry attracts millions across the globe to make the most of their talent and earn big bucks. Although all contestants in TV game shows may not walk home with a grand prize, the host, the production staff and actors who appear in the background also get paid well. Among them are the models on the show "The Price is Right," who earn a hefty paycheck while showcasing the prizes being offered. The game show gives members of the audience a chance to guess the price of some products and the person with the most accurate estimate takes the prizes home.

Former host Bob Barker, Manuela Arbelaez, Rachel Reynolds and Gwendolyn Osborne speak during a segment of — Former host Bob Barker, Manuela Arbelaez, Rachel Reynolds, and Gwendolyn Osborne speak during a segment of the show | (Image source: Getty Images | @Frederick M. Brown)

According to a Quora user, the models on the game show earn around $100,000 annually. Another user revealed in the comments that the daily rate at which they are paid is $800, and the models reportedly work on the show for six months out of a year. While due diligence hasn't been done yet to verify the numbers, it is a pretty well-known fact that some of the popular models such as Rachel Reynold have a net worth of $4 million. Apart from appearing on the gameshow, the model has been a part of Hollywood projects including "Cellular" and "Lonely Hearts."

Another popular model is Manuela Arbeláez who has been a part of the gameshow since 2008. Her main source of wealth is reportedly her career as a model and according to The U.S Sun, the model has a net worth of $1 million. Therefore, even if the figures cannot be corroborated, the net worth of the models does indicate that they are being compensated well, in addition to the popularity that they've achieved.

With high ratings translating into ad revenues, game shows can afford to pay high salaries to their employees while shelling out millions in prizes for the contestants. Game Shows such as "Jeopardy" and "The Price is Right" make money mostly thanks to the production network that charges the advertisers for ad space on the shows. Some of these game shows are syndicated, which means that most revenue comes from local affiliates who pay for the rights to air them. An added advantage of being a syndicated show is the access to hundreds of local markets with their respective networks paying for the broadcasting rights.

Models Manuela Arbelaez, Rachel Reynolds, host Drew Carey, and model Lanisha Cole appear onstage | (Image Source: Getty Images | Kevin Winter ) — Models Manuela Arbelaez, Rachel Reynolds, host Drew Carey, and model Lanisha Cole appear onstage | (Image Source: Getty Images | Kevin Winter)

This whole system works as TV spots are pretty expensive, which was rightly pointed out by Reddit user u/kbergstr who claimed that a national 30-second ad spot costs between $100,000 and 120,000. The "Price is Right" television game show first aired back on September 4, 1972, on CBS, and Bob Barker hosted the show for the longest time from its first episode until his retirement in June 2007, which is when Drew Carey took over. The "Price Is Right" has been aired for more than 9,000 episodes since its debut and is the longest-running game show in the country. The 53rd season premiered this year in September with a daytime as well as a primetime episode.