Don't think the "Big Brother" contestants are spending all summer in the house with over a dozen other adults and inconveniences without some compensation. After all, they have to pay bills even though they are away from their home and job. It might look like fun, but it is a big sacrifice to be away from family and friends with no communication from the outside world.

Before going on the show, all contestants were made aware of the payments as well as other rules and regulations.

Who gets paid?

People know the winner of the season gets the Grand Prize of $500,000.

However, they might not know that everyone else gets paid as well. The amount the contestants receive depends on how long they stay in the house. That's one reason they fight so hard not to be eliminated early.

The contestants get paid even when they are sequestered for the jury portion of the show. They don't have competitions or anything to do there, but they are still part of the show and will be compensated for it. In other words, they get paid to relax. Those who were evicted early are not part of the jury and are not compensated for that part of the show.

How much do contestants get?

The biggest prize is the $500,000. However, there are two other major cash prizes. The runner-up prize is $50,000, and there is a prize of $25,000 for the person voted America's Favorite Player.

Up until a few years ago, the stipend was $750 a week. A conversation between Jessica Graf and Cody Nickson on the live feed indicated that the weekly stipend is now $1,000. They were doing the math to figure out many weeks they needed to stay to meet their personal financial goals. Therefore, for 13 weeks the competitors could make up to $13,000.

Those who win the two top prizes do not get the weekly stipends. No one gets paid anything until after the season is over.

After being on the show, some contestants get endorsements and might be asked back for other "Big Brother" events. That means they will get more money.

Goals for money

The contestants were asked what they would do with the grand prize money if they won it.

Many of the answers were the same. Most of them said they would share it with their parents or buy them a house. Some said they would invest part of it. Others said they would pay off student loans, travel and buy a new car.

Of course, the weekly stipends would not be enough to pay for big ticket items. However, it would be enough to catch up on household bills that accumulated while they were away from their jobs.
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