The cast of The Real Housewives of New Jersey is in the midst of a truly chaotic season 14 (yes, I'm talking about "Trouble in Tulum"), but fear not: Fighting over 😵💫 hair extension photoshoots 😵💫 is well worth it because Bravo throws down for this show.
Turns out the financial limit does not exist when it comes to RHONJ, though the cast has wildly different net worths and salaries thanks to a combination of their personal businesses + debt + how long they've been famous.
Check out a ranking of The Real Housewives of New Jersey cast's net worths below...unless, of course, you're still busy coming down from Danielle screaming "you're sleeping with the f*cking devil" at Bill Aydin, which, understandable.
Real Quick: How Housewives Salaries Work
We have an entire explainer on this right here, but the short version? The more famous you are, the more money you make.
As Bethenny Frankel once explained during one of her many IG story-times, some people make "$25,000 for the first season to seven figures" or even more. It kinda depends on how you negotiate!
“There are deals that people have for per episode,” Bethenny mused. “There are deals that people have for a certain number of episodes. There are deals that people have for the all-you-can-eat buffet, the entire season. You could shoot 9,000 episodes—and the reunion counts as an episode. There are so many different types of deals with Housewives because people are also coming in at different times.”
'Kay, now that we've cleared that up....
The RHONJ Cast Net Worths, Ranked
1. Jennifer Aydin
Net Worth: $11 Million
Jennifer earns a alleged $100,000 per season on RHONJ, but she's hardly relying on Bravo to pay the bills. She is the inventor of the Ultimate Beauty Pillo for plastic surgery recovery, after all!
Jennifer is also married to uber-rich plastic surgeon, Bill Aydin, though back in 2020 she shut down claims that she married for money:
Side note: on "Trouble in Tulum" (which aired on June 23, 2024), Jennifer implied she has more like ~$1 million in the bank vs. being a "multi-millionaire," so who knows what the truth is.
2. Margaret Josephs
Net Worth: $5 million
Margaret's RHONJ salary hasn't been officially revealed, but David Yontef said on his Behind the Velvet Rope podcast (via Collider) that "Margaret Josephs has been there a long time, she's probably at like $800,000." Read into that what you will!
Meanwhile, Margaret's high net worth comes from an unbeatable combo of reality stardom, a lifestyle brand, and a $2 million home. Where, by the way, she keeps custom crystal-encrusted can of tuna that was given to her by Chicken of the Sea upon the release of her masterpiece, Caviar Dreams, Tuna Fish Budget.
3. Dolores Catania
Net Worth: $4-5 million
Dolores is reportedly earning $60,000 per episode of RHONJ—double the rumored $30,000 she was making for her first season. Of course, on top of her Housewives career Dolores dabbles in sponsored content, is an entrepreneur, and ALL-CAPS REMINDER that she's gonna be on THE TRAITORS next season.
4. Melissa Gorga
Net Worth: $3 Million
Back in 2015, Radar Online dropped the iconic headline "Sorry Teresa! Melissa Gorga Getting Teresa Giudice's Old Salary For 'RHONJ' Next Season" and revealed that Melissa was newly making $750,000. However! This was almost 10 years ago, so we have to assume Melissa negotiated herself up to the $1 million mark.
Meanwhile, it remains unclear how much she's taken home for her extremely iconic work as a singer, or her book sales for Love Italian Style: The Secrets of My Hot and Happy Marriage, which belongs in the Library of Congress.
5. Theresa Giudice
Net Worth: $500,000
Theresa confirmed she "only" made $25,000 for the first season of RHONJ back in 2009, but her rate has...gone up. The last time her salary was reported in 2019, Theresa was making $62,000 per episode (or ~$1.1 million per season).
If you're wondering why her net worth isn't even half that, reminder that she went to jail after pleading guilty to *clicks onto the New Jersey district attorney's website* "one count of conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud, one count of bankruptcy fraud by concealment of assets, one count of bankruptcy fraud by false oaths, and one count of bankruptcy fraud by false declarations."
6. Danielle Cabral
Net Worth: $100,000-500,000 (maybe)
Danielle is a Housewives newbie, so her salary and net worth haven't been reported on extensively. That said, tabloid Life & Style claims she has a net worth of $100,000 - $500,000, presumably thanks in part to her brand Boujie Kidz Inc.
7. Rachel Fuda
Net Worth: $400,000
Like Danielle, Rachel literally just joined the cast of RHONJ, so her starting salary hasn't been revealed quite yet. However, Life & Style reports she has a pretty decent net worth outside reality TV thanks to her successful family business, Valet King!
'Kay, back to rewatching the "Trouble in Tulum" fight on repeat, as you were.
