Pat Sajak’s ’Wheel of Fortune’ Salary Is So Massive, and He Only Works 4 Days a Month (2024)
Mehera Bonner
·3 min read
Pat Sajak has been hosting Wheel of Fortunefor the past 84 years (okay, more like 40 years), and thanks to parents and grandparents the world over being too lazy to turn off the TV after Jeopardy every night, viewership is still sky-high. And yep, our dude Pat is wildly rich as a result. Here’s what we know about what’s lurking in his bank account—which, by the way, is somewhat debated. The internet simply cannot agree on Pat Sajak’s wealth! Let’s get into it, but first, this GIF. (Sorry in advance.)
How Much Does Pat—Bless Him—Make for Wheel of Fortune?
Back in 2016 (so seven full years ago), Forbes reported that Pat was earning $15 million per season of Wheel of Fortune. This is obviously a lot of money, especially if you consider what this dude’s work/life balance is like. As in, Celebrity Net Worth reports that he only works four days per month. I repeat: FOUR. DAYS. PER. MONTH. That’s 48 days per year, $312,500 per workday, and $52,083 per episode. With respect, how do I...take over for him when he retires?
Just keep in mind that, again, $15 million per year is what Pat was earning in 2016. It’s more than likely that he makes far more now, especially since he and Vanna Whitereportedly signed fancy new contracts in late 2021 that take them through Wheel of Fortune’s 2023–2024 season. That said, apparently, these two have their eye on retirement because Pat semi-recently told Entertainment Tonight, “We’re certainly closer to the end than the beginning. I’d like to leave before people tune in and look at me and say, ‘Ooh, what happened to him?’ I wouldn’t bet on seeing us in, like, 10 years, I would say.”
FYI, when Wheel of Fortune is in production, Pat and Vanna film six shows per day, and Celebrity Net Worthsays the schedule is pretty normal. Like, they arrive at 8:30 a.m. (reasonable!) and shooting begins at noon (also reasonable!). Oh, and a lot of their job seems to consists of this general vibe:
What About Pat’s Real Estate Portfolio?
From what we can tell, Pat owns a home in Maryland, which he bought for $1.275 million in the ’90s. Gonna assume it’s worth a lot more than that now. He also seems to own a place in Encino, which he bought in 1988 for $1.8 million. Gonna assume that one’s also worth way more these days!
His Total Net Worth Is Hotly Debated
According to Celebrity Net Worth, Pat has a total net worth of $70 million. Given taxes, expenses, and general overhead, this sounds about right—especially if he only started making $15 million toward the latter half of his 40-year run as Wheel of Fortune’s host. But other outlets have made unverified claims that Pat is actually sitting on a way bigger fortune, closer to the tune of $250 million. Which could make sense if he’s been earning that $15 million per year this whole damn time.
Pat hasn’t confirmed his salary (makes sense due to things like privacy/it being no one’s business, whoops), so his exact net worth is going to remain a mystery until Forbes gets its act together and gives Wheel of Fortune the cover it deserves! Till then, I leave you with this:
What is Pat Sajak's workload? According to Cosmopolitan, Sajak and White only film Wheel four days a month. That may not seem like much work for $15 million, but those four shoot days a month are probably pretty long. Each season of Wheel is 195 episodes long.
How much does Vanna White make per episode? Wheel of Fortune films six episodes per day for four days each month. That's a whopping 288 episodes in only 48 days of work. When you do the math to break down her estimated $3 million salary, that means Vanna White makes $10,416.67 per episode and $62,500 per work day.
How much will Ryan Seacrest make from Wheel of Fortune? Ryan Seacrest is set to replace Pat Sajak on Wheel Of Fortune and is reported to earn about $28 million per season according to Radar Online. “With this game show, it's such a success and has been for generations,” Seacrest, told People.
On Celebrity Wheel of Fortune, which has featured celebrity contestants like Snoop Dogg and Jack Black, White earns about $55,000 per episode; Sajak makes about $300,000 per episode. The outlet also reported that White hasn't had a pay increase in 18 years, according to three sources.
Pat Sajak's final episode as “Wheel of Fortune” host is on the horizon, so when will Vanna White follow suit? White, who's been on the show since 1982, signed a contract extension to remain on the program through the 2025-2026 season.
TMZ also confirmed that White's salary is $3 million a year — and that she hasn't gotten a single pay increase for the last 18 years. Since 2005, White has received only bonuses, not raises, according to Puck News. Meanwhile, Sajak reportedly makes about $15 million a year — five times the amount as his counterpart.
What is Pat Sajak's workload? According to Cosmopolitan, Sajak and White only film Wheel four days a month. That may not seem like much work for $15 million, but those four shoot days a month are probably pretty long. Each season of Wheel is 195 episodes long.
White, 66, signed a two-year contract extension for the 2025-26 season, Sony Pictures Television announced on Tuesday, September 19. According to TMZ, her new deal includes a “substantial pay increase.” White's previous deal with the game show was for the 2023-24 season, which is longtime host Pat Sajak's final season.
Ryan Seacrest's net worth in 2024 is estimated at a whopping $450 million. This is thanks to his hosting gigs as well as his role as a prolific TV producer.
Throughout his tenure as the host of Jeopardy, which spanned an impressive 36 years, Trebek's net worth remained around $80 million. His salary during his time on the show reached an impressive $20 million.
He is one of the top-paid game show hosts on TV. He earns between $20,000 and $100,000 per episode. Specifically, for Family Feud, he makes at least $10 million each season. Since a season can have up to 200 episodes, this works out to about $50,000 for every 30-minute episode.
According to People, White's annual salary is roughly $3 million — and it has stayed at that amount for the past 18 years. Sajak, meanwhile, reportedly earns around $15 million, according to Entertainment Tonight.
Beginning in early 2024, White will work alongside television personality Ryan Seacrest, who's taking the helm as "Wheel's" new host. White and Sajak have hosted the syndicated game show together for four decades. Sajak started with "Wheel" in 1981, taking over for Chuck Woolery.
Today, he is well-known for hosting the “The Steve Harvey Morning Show” on radio, as well as the popular game shows “Family Feud” and “Celebrity Family Feud.” Steve earns roughly $40 million a year, with $10 million coming from “Family Feud” and another $20 million from his radio hosting duties.
How much does Ryan Seacrest make on his radio show? Ryan Seacrest reportedly makes $15 million per year to host On Air With Ryan Seacrest and American Top 40 With Ryan Seacrest.
Introduction: My name is Kelle Weber, I am a magnificent, enchanting, fair, joyous, light, determined, joyous person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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