Ryan Seacrest’s ‘Wheel of Fortune’ Salary Is Less Than Pat …

Ryan Seacrest’s Wheel of Fortune salary is nothing to sneeze at.

The new host, who took over after Pat Sajak retired last year, has received mixed reviews from fans of the longtime game show.

Some really like him, others think the show has lost it’s sparkle.

But the truth of the matter is Ryan is in his for the long haul, and when negotiating his salary, he made sure that he’d be making enough to sustain the life he’s come accustomed to.

So, how much are we talking here? Well, depends on who you ask! One report insists Ryan took a pay cut for the “legacy” role; another insists his take home pay is almost DOUBLE that of what Pat was making in his hey day.

No mater how you slide it, it’s no wonder Vanna White put up a stink about her paycheck!

Ryan Seacrest attends the 27th Annual UCLA Jonsson Cancer Center Foundation’s “Taste for a Cure” Event on May 10, 2024. (Photo by Tommaso Boddi/Getty Images for UCLA)

Solving The Puzzle Of Seacrest’s Salary On ‘Wheel of Fortune’

Pat Sajak took his final bow after four decades as the host of Wheel of Fortune in June 2024. While still beloved, at 77 he was ready to spend more time with his family and future grandkids.

Taking his place behind the wheel is Ryan Seacrest, who kicked off the new season on September 9, 2024.

Being such a huge name in the entertainment industry, it was presumed Ryan was raking in quite the paycheck for his nightly performance. However, according to The Sun, Ryan agreed to a lower salary than the one Pat had at his pique for the “prestige.”

“Ryan is being paid less than Pat, at least initially,” the source shared with the outlet. “Ryan and his team did not come into this trying to outdo Pat’s very generous salary…He can grow into Pat’s $20 million-plus yearly salary over the course of multiple renewals of his deal.”

Now, this piece of intel is crucial: despite conflicting reports on Ryan’s salary, it seems confirmed that Pat was pulling $20 million large for his time at the wheel. So, if that money was already in the budget, why on Earth would Ryan accept less?!

“Ryan is doing this job for the prestige and because Wheel is one of the few TV shows that still reaches millions of people every night of the week,” the insider added.

“You can’t put a price tag on something like that, but it’s obviously incredibly valuable to Ryan.”

Is Seacrest’s Salary Enough To Buy All The Vowels?!

Now, Ryan is, without a doubt, a man who knows a thing or two about hosting. He’s led the charged on 23 seasons of American Idol, hosted Rockin’ Eve for over two decades and even enjoyed a brief stint in morning TV alongside Kelly Ripa for Kelly and Ryan.

Not to mention his radio show! Can’t forget that!

When you take into account all of these revenue streams, it seems logical that Ryan would be amiable to a lower paycheck at the outset of his new gig. If he’s in it for the long haul, there will be plenty of time to build up his own fortune with the show.

However, according to Radar Online, Ryan is actually bringing in $28 million annually as the new host.

That number is not only higher than Pat’s, if we eliminated the $5 million Pat made for hosting Celebrity Wheel of Fortune, Ryan’s base salary is nearly double that of Pat’s base salary of $15 million per season.

No matter how you slice it, Ryan is getting a very big piece of the pie.

Vanna White attends the 25th Annual Race To Erase MS Gala at The Beverly Hilton Hotel on April 20, 2018 in Beverly Hills, California. (Photo by Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images for Race To Erase MS)

What About Vanna White?

Now, this is where the story takes a bit of a turn.

When Ryan took as host in the fall of 2024, he was joined by Pat’s longstanding co-host and letter turner, Vanna White. It had been confirmed that Vanna already extended her contract with Sony Pictures Television for another couple of years, through 2025 specifically, before the deal with Ryan was announced.

However, that came at a cost for the show as well. Reports suggested everything from Vanna demanding to be paid equal to Ryan to wanting the hosting job outright. There was even talk of Vanna quitting if her salary demands were not met.

In the end, though her salary remains a mystery, whatever she was offered convinced her to stay on for the transition. Meanwhile, Ryan made strides to find ways to vibe with Vanna even before the show started filming.

He invited her to cohost on American Idol‘s latest season.

“She said she’d watched the show for so many years and I invited her to come and do an introduction of one of the contestants and she did it and it just made me realize how lucky I am to be able to work with her coming up on Wheel,” Ryan told PEOPLE at the Hulu on Disney+ celebration in Los Angeles on Friday, April 5.

And if there is any animosity between the pair, they are hiding it incredibly well on air! Two months in and no issues seem to be in sight!