Carrie Underwood is returning to American Idol for its new season, and her run on the show is reportedly going to cost producers a pretty penny this time around.
Underwood is returning to the show as a judge, exactly 20 years after winning American Idol launched her superstar career in 2005. But while she probably only got her expenses paid as a contestant, she’ll be earning a massive salary this season.
How Much Money Is Carrie Underwood Making for This Season of American Idol?
According to Life & Style, Underwood is earning somewhere around $12.5 million for the season as a judge.
While that’s a whopping sum of money by nearly any standard, it’s actually only about half of what Underwood’s predecessor, Katy Perry, earned during her run on the show.
Perry’s $25 million annual salary made her the second-highest-paid judge in American Idol history, second only to its most famous judge, Simon Cowell.
“Katy’s enormous salary was an outlier and it was that high because ABC was asking for a lot of her time away from making music and performing, more time than she had ever given something other than her own pop career,” an unnamed source tells Life & Style.
Related: Why the Time Is Right for Carrie Underwood to Join American Idol
Underwood, on the other hand, has “been part of the Idol family since its early days and she has a vested interest in the franchise continuing,” the source says. “And culturally she’s a better fit with the show, the producers and ABC thanks to her middle-America appeal.”
Who Are the Other Judges on American Idol in 2025?
Underwood is joining Luke Bryan and Lionel Richie on the judging panel in 2025. Ryan Seacrest also returns to host.
When Does the New Season of American Idol begin?
American Idol is set to premiere on ABC on Sunday evening (March 9) at 8PM ET.
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
Country ‘American Idol’ Stars Who Disappeared
We cheered for them. We voted for them. We followed them. Then, these seven American Idol stars vanished. Or, at least it seems like it.
What happened to some of country music’s best American Idol contestants over the last 20 years? This list of country American Idol stars who disappeared includes a winner, a runner-up and a third place finisher, plus several early cuts who enjoyed radio success before losing touch with fans.
14 ‘American Idol’ Singers Who Secretly Hooked Up — Or Did They?
Sterling Whitaker is a Senior Writer and Senior Editor for Taste of Country. He focuses on celebrity real estate, as well as coverage of Yellowstone and related shows like 1883 and 1923. He’s interviewed cast members including Cole Hauser, Kelly Reilly, Sam Elliott and Harrison Ford, and Whitaker is also known for his in-depth interviews with country legends including Don Henley, Rodney Crowell, Trace Adkins, Ronnie Milsap, Ricky Skaggs and more.