Australia’s most beloved reality cooking competition, MasterChef Australia, is about to begin, and we could not be more excited.
We are very eager to see a group of hopeful cooks put their hearts and souls into incredible dishes… however, we can’t help but wonder how much the contestants are getting paid for their efforts.
It’s common knowledge that the winner of MasterChef walks home with the chance to have their own cookbook published, PLUS an extra $250,000 in their hands.
However, apart from the prize money at the end, there isn’t much else to lure the contestants to partake in the show and the highly stressful tasks they are given…
How much do MasterChef Australia contestants get paid in Australia?
Back in 2013, the Sydney Morning Herald reported that the contestants were given $630 per week – this was only slightly more than the minimum weekly allowance for an entry-level cook at the time.
However, they were also provided with necessities such as food and accommodation.
That being said, the salary has most likely increased since then, based on the fact that the contestants were paid even less in the years before.
According to news.com.au, MasterChef contestants were paid just $500 a week in 2011 – less than half the average weekly wage at the time.
The contestants also seem to keep their weekly allowance relatively under wraps, with only one contestant having spoken out about their wage while filming.
Billy Law from season 3 of MasterChef Australia revealed that despite not noticing the effect of his pay cut during the show, his perspective changed once his time on-screen ended.
“That’s when the reality hits, and it’s then the time to start looking for jobs and to start making money again,” he explained.
Unfortunately, there have been no clear reports in recent years of what the contestants are paid for their time on the show, though it is expected that things have changed since 2013.
However, New Idea reported that Poh Ling Yeow and Hayden Quinn were paid $40,000 when they appeared on the All-Stars season in 2020.
It’s fair to say this isn’t guaranteed for all of the contestants.
