Since The Voice debuted in 2011, there have been more than a dozen coaches, from country crooners like Blake Shelton to pop heartthrobs like Nick Jonas and Adam Levine. Each judge (and contestant) is different, which is why The Voice salaries and how much coaches make per season on the NBC show aren’t the same either.
Related: The Voice Coaches With the Highest & Lowest Net Worths Will Shock You
Of The Voice‘s 19-plus seasons, Shelton was the longest-serving—from its premiere season until season 23—so it’s assumed that he earned the most. Still, that isn’t to say that the other coaches make pennies. Each judge on The Voice—from Alicia Keys to Levine and Gwen Stefani—has had an esteemed career. And while The Voice hasn’t produced any household names (like, say, American Idol), the show has succeeded in bringing on top-tier talent for its coaches.
Season 1 – 16, 27, 29
Salary: $14 million per season
Like Shelton, Levine was also an OG coach on The Voice. He left after season 16, but in 2016, The Wrap reported that he signed the same deal as Shelton to receive $13 million per season ($26 million a year.) However, after Levine quit The Voice, The Hollywood Reporter claimed that his salary was even higher at more than $14 million per season and close to $30 million a year.
Seasons 14 – 21, 23, 29
Salary: $15 million per season
When Clarkson debuted as a Voice coach in season 14, Radar Online reported that the American Idol winner signed a deal to receive $15 million per season (a.k.a. $28 million a year.) It’s unclear if the “Since U Been Gone” singer has received a raise since then (she has won three seasons), but if she has, her paycheck could likely be the highest of any Voice coach.
Seasons 16 – 22, 24, 27, 29
Salary: $13 million per season
It’s also unclear what Legend makes as a coach on The Voice. He signed on in season 16 and is a current coach on season 18. He’s also the first EGOT to be a coach on The Voice, which must earn him something, given that the man has about a bajillion Grammys. According to OK! magazine, he made $13 million per season as a judge.
Season: 26 – 28
Salary: $13 million
Christmas isn’t here yet, but Michael Bublé is defrosting for an autumnal season for season 26 of The Voice. His actual salary isn’t disclosed, but we can estimate that he’ll make the average amount. He revealed he turned down the role to be a coach on The Voice 15-16 times…and the reason? It’s because he didn’t want to judge other people! But when he found out what it actually entailed, he was thrilled. “We are not judges.” the told Entertainment Weekly. Who are we to judge? We are coaches and we hope that we can bring our experience and the love we have for music and the passion into making them better artists and helping them in this journey.”
Season: 23, 24, 28
Salary: $8 million
Horan made his debut on The Voice in March 2023 as a coach on season 23. While his salary hasn’t been confirmed, The Sun reported that he was expected to make around $8 million per season, which is what other Voice coaches made for their first seasons. According to Celebrity Net Worth, Horan is worth $70 million.
Seasons: 26 & 28
Salary: $13 million
Drop it like it’s hot! Snoop Dogg joins The Voice in season 26. We assume that his salary will be around the average amount for a judge on the show. We know that Snoop’s going to give some of that salary back to his mentees, as he’s giving them their own chain with the Death Row Records label on it.
Seasons: 24 – 26, 28
Salary: $13 million
It hasn’t been publicly disclosed how much Reba McEntire makes per season of The Voice, but we can assume it hovers around the $13 million mark because that’s the average salary for hosts. McEntire replaced Shelton after he announced he was leaving after season 23. It matches what Shelton was being paid, too, and while $8 million is commonly the starting salary, McEntire has been a fixture on the show in other capacities.
Season 7, 9, 12, 17, 19, 22-24, 26
Salary: $13 million per season
Stefani became a Voice coach in season 7 and was paid $10 million a season at the time, according to CinemaBlend. However, the No Doubt singer received a $5 raise in season 12 after she and Shelton signed a deal to play up their romance for the cameras, which made her salary $13 million a season. It’s unclear how much Stefani received from The Voice to return as a coach for season 17 (Celebrity Insider reported that she and Shelton received another raise to show their romance onscreen), so it’s likely that she and Shelton earned around the $15 million mark.
Salary: $13 million
As the first duo to appear on The Voice, the two are off to a great start. It hasn’t been disclosed on what Dan + Shay’s salary is, but we can assume that it’s around the $13 million mark for those who are just starting off on the show.
Season 23
Salary: $8 million
Chance the Rapper made his debut on The Voice in March 2023 as a coach on season 23. While Chance the Rapper’s salary hasn’t been confirmed, The Sun reported that he was expected to make $8 million per season, which is the starting salary for most Voice coaches for their first season.
Season 22
Salary: $8 million
Cabello made her debut on The Voice in September 2022 on season 22. While Cabello’s Voice salary hasn’t been confirmed, Money Nation reported in 2016 that first-time Voice judges make around $8 million for their first seasons.
Season 21
Salary: $20 – $25 million per season
Grande announced that she will be a judge on The Voice season 21 in an instagram post in March 2021. “surprise !!! i am beyond thrilled, honored, excited to be joining @kellyclarkson @johnlegend @blakeshelton next season ~ season 21 of @nbcthevoice ! 🤍 @nickjonas we will miss you,” she wrote at the time. According to OK magazine, she will be paid $20 to $25 million for the season, which makes her the highest paid judge ever on The Voice. “Ariana is getting in the $20 to $25 million range to join the show,” a source told OK!, comparing the deal to Kelly Clarkson who “negotiated a whopping $15 million when she joined the show.”
Seasons 18 and 20
Salary: $8 million
Season 18 marked Jonas’ first season as a Voice coach, so there’s little information about how much he was paid for the role. He’s also one of the younger singers to star on The Voice, so he could make a similar salary to Cyrus—$13 million—though that’s unlikely. Given his career, we estimate that he makes around the $8 to $10 million mark. Money Nation also reported in 2016 that first-time Voice judges make around $8 million for their first seasons.
Season 13 and 15
Salary: $8 million
There haven’t been any reports about what Hudson made on The Voice. But given that she’s an Oscar winner and a bonafide pop star, it’s likely that she made around the $8 million mark for her two seasons on the NBC singing competition. Given the salaries of her predecessors, it’s unlikely that she made more or even close to the salaries of OGs like Levine and Shelton, but we don’t estimate that Hudson’s salary was on the lower end either. Money Nation also reported in 2016 that first-time Voice judges make around $8 million for their first seasons.
Seasons 11-12, 14
Salary: $8 million per season
Money Nation reported in 2016 that Keys made $8 million a season, when she signed on as a Voice coach in season 11. The number isn’t as large as what Levine or Shelton made at the time, but it’s around the same as the pay of other non-OG voice coaches, like Pharrell and Usher.
Seasons 11 and 13
Salary: $13 million per season
Cyrus was a Voice coach for seasons 11 and 13. Money Nation reports that the “Malibu” singer made $13 million a season for both seasons, which is a little less than what OGs Levine and Shelton made.
Seasons 7-10
Salary: $8 million per season
Feel Guide reported in 2014 that Pharrell signed a deal for $8 million a season when he debuted as a Voice coach in season 7. It isn’t known whether he received a pay bump for his later seasons, but given his lower salary when he started, it’s unlikely that his pay would’ve matched that of Shelton or Levine.
Season 4 and 6
Salary: $7 million per season
Usher starred on the same two seasons as Shakira, but he made about half her salary. The Hollywood Reporter claimed that the “Yeah” singer made $7 million per season when he signed on in season 4. It’s unclear how much he made to return to The Voice in season 6, but it still likely wouldn’t have been close to any of the other coaches’ salaries.
Season 4 and 6
Salary: $12 million per season
Shakira never won a season on The Voice, but that doesn’t mean she didn’t walk away with an impressive paycheck. The Hollywood Reporter claimed in 2012 that Shakira signed a deal for $12 million a season, which was a lot for a coach on the early seasons of The Voice. It’s unclear if she received a pay raise when she returned for season 6, but if she did, she would’ve likely made around the same $14 million salary as Levine and Shelton.
Seasons 1 – 3, 5
Salary: $2 million – $6.5 million per season
CeeLo was one of the OG coaches of The Voice. He left after season 5, claiming that the show “quickly became a job.” Money Nation reported that the singer made $2 million for his first season, which makes sense given that he was less of a household name as the other coaches. By the time he left, though, CeeLo was able to receive a raise, which made his paychecks $6.5 million a season.
Season 1 – 23
Salary: $13 million per season
It’s unclear how much Shelton made in his first season on The Voice, but in 2016, around the same time as The Voice season 10, The Wrap reported that Shelton signed a deal with NBC to receive $13 million per season. Given that The Voice has two seasons a year, that means that Shelton rakes in an impressive $26 million a year—and maybe more if he’s signed a new deal since 2016. Celebrity Insider reported in 2019 that Shelton and his girlfriend, Gwen Stefan, received “an exceptional bonus to keep the spark alive on-camera” The source also noted that the bump made Shelton and Stefani’s salaries “significantly higher” than those of the other coaches.
Seasons 1 – 3, 5, 8, 10
Salary: $12.5 million – $17 million per season
The Wrap reported in 2014 that Aguilera made $17 million a season as a Voice coach in season 3 (much more than Levine and Shelton). The “Genie in a Bottle” singer quit after that season but returned in season 5, where she took a pay cut, according to The Wrap. For that season and onward, The Wrap reported that she earned $12.5 million a season.
Season: 27
Salary: $13 million
Kelsea Ballerini is the newest judge on The Voice for season 27. The country singer revealed how she got the part. “I feel like you have to bet on yourself and after I filled in for Kelly, I have this group text with all my girlfriends, and I was like, ‘I really want to do this one day,'” Ballerini said on TODAY on Jan. 27.
“So when the producers came to Nashville after Blake (Shelton) left, I didn’t know who else they were talking to, but I had dinner with them and I leaned across the table and I said, ‘Listen I know I’m newer. I’m sure you’re interviewing legends, but I really want this job and I promise I can do it.’ Divine timing, a couple years later, it worked out and here we are.”
