The ladies from the Teen Mom franchise have been sharing their lives with viewers for over a decade, and along with their reality TV fame also comes financial perks. So how much do they actually make?
In 2009, Teen Mom OG was the first spinoff to come after the moms debuted on 16 and Pregnant. Following OG was Teen Mom 2 in 2011. Both shows are now defunct, but the casts have combined into other spinoffs, including Family Reunion, The Next Chapter, and Girls’ Night In.
Some of the original cast members have either left or were fired by MTV. However, most of the moms still film, including Amber Portwood, Maci Bookout, Catelynn Baltierra, Cheyenne Floyd, Leah Messer, Briana DeJesus, Ashley Jones, and Jade Cline.
Sharing their personal lives with TV audiences has earned the moms a pretty penny over the years. Here’s a look at how much they’ve raked in.
Some of the original cast members, such as Amber, Catelynn, and Maci, are some of the top earners, according to In Touch Weekly. On the lower end, the moms earn anywhere from $1,500 per episode, while the more popular castmates can earn upwards of $3,000 per episode.
Additionally, after three years of success on reality TV, their income can reach a whopping $7,000 to $10,000 per episode, earning nearly as much as the famous Kardashian family does for their reality TV show appearances.
Teen Mom 2 alum Jenelle Evans’ earnings
Although Jenelle Evans is no longer a part of the Teen Mom franchise – other than making a couple of cameo appearances recently – the MTV alum earned close to $500,000 during her time on Teen Mom 2.
In 2015 during a radio appearance on Jared and Katie in the Morning, Jenelle told the hosts, “I would say [I made] a little bit over maybe half [a million]? I’m not really allowed to discuss it.”
Jenelle tried her hand at selling cosmetics with her now-defunct JE Cosmetics line, as well as several collaborations with clothing brands that never took off. Jenelle also launched a podcast, The Jenelle Evans Podcast, which only recorded three episodes before going radio silent.
Teen Mom 2 alum Chelsea Houska’s earnings
Another mom no longer filming for MTV, Chelsea Houska, is possibly one of the richest Teen Mom stars. During her time on Teen Mom 2, she reportedly earned nearly $500,000 per season. Chelsea shared her storyline with viewers from 2011 until her departure in 2020, bolstering her bank account quite a bit.
Chelsea and her husband, Cole DeBoer, are currently filming another reality TV show. Down Home Fab premieres on January 16, 2023, on HGTV and will follow Chelsea and Cole as they help their clients remodel their homes via their home renovation and design business.
Chelsea is also an avid social media influencer who runs and partners with several online businesses, including Aubree Says, Downhome DeBoers, Bella Rae Co., LaurieBelle’s, Itzy Ritzy, and Blinkifly.
Teen Mom star Maci Bookout’s income
Maci, another OG from the Teen Mom franchise, is estimated to have raked in roughly $400,000 per season during her time on Teen Mom OG. In her book Bulletproof, Maci wrote, “Reality TV can make you very famous, but you basically get the s**t end of the deal: Everyone knows your name and talks about you, but there’s no red carpet prestige or glamorous piles of money.”
In addition to the money earned from filming on Teen Mom, Maci also owns and operates her lifestyle brand, Things That Matter, and recently launched a podcast, The Expired Podcast.
How much does Amber Portwood make?
Amber is another OG from the Teen Mom franchise, and 2010 court documents revealed that she earns $280,000 per year filming the show.
Amber took a chance at running an online clothing line, Portwood AF, which has since been pulled. She also ran an online boutique, Forever Haute, which has also gone belly up.
Catelynn Baltierra’s Teen Mom income
Catelynn, another one of Amber and Maci’s original OG castmates, has done well for herself financially too. She and her husband Tyler bought a historic farmhouse in Michigan and reportedly have made enough cash from Teen Mom to buy their family members cars and cosmetic surgeries. In addition, their time on MTV has allowed them to pay for their kids’ college educations in full.
Aside from filming for Teen Mom, Catelynn got her certification and owns and operates her own business, Baltierra Beauty Bar, where she works as an eyebrow microblading artist.
Teen Mom OG alum Farrah Abraham’s earnings
Farrah Abraham, who is no longer associated with Teen Mom and was fired in 2018, reportedly made $30,000 per episode while still part of the Teen Mom OG cast. Her million-dollar net worth, however, doesn’t just come from her MTV fame – she also made a name for herself in the adult entertainment industry as well as her brand and marketing deals, even including selling her poop in jars.
Farrah penned a New York Times best-selling memoir, My Teenage Dream Ended, in 2015, selling more than 500,000 copies. She also made appearances on several other reality TV shows, including Season 2 of Ex on the Beach.
Between filming for MTV and her multitude of side hustles, Farrah has earned herself the title of the richest Teen Mom OG cast member of all time.
Briana DeJesus works full-time outside of Teen Mom
Some of the moms, past and present, have also worked full-time in addition to filming for Teen Mom. Briana DeJesus has worked in the timeshare field as well as an esthetician.
She has also padded her paychecks with her presence on NSFW adult-only websites, as well as sharing clickbait articles on Instagram and Twitter.
Jade Cline of Teen Mom 2 works full-time
Jade Cline, a licensed cosmetologist, owns her own beauty salon, Mane and Marble Hair Studios, in Indianapolis, Indiana. Jade is also an avid clickbait sharer on social media, earning herself some extra bucks on Instagram and Twitter.
Teen Mom 2 alum Kail Lowry earns a living outside of MTV
Teen Mom 2 alum Kail Lowry has capitalized on her MTV fame and runs her own podcasting network, KILLR, and hosts three podcasts: Baby Mamas No Drama, Barely Famous, and Coffee Convos.
Kail is also a New York Times bestseller, offers a line of wallpaper, and is an avid social media influencer, using her Teen Mom 2 fame to help her earn extra cash, with an impressive $1.7 net worth.
How much does Cheyenne Floyd earn from Teen Mom?
In addition to her income from Teen Mom, where she reportedly earned $3,000 per episode on Teen Mom OG, Cheyenne Floyd has dipped her toes into other business ventures.
Cheyenne operates her 5-year-old daughter Ryder’s nail polish line, Nails By Ryder K, as well as hosts a podcast, Think Loud Crew, hosts a cooking show on YouTube alongside her dad, Kyle Floyd, Unfiltered Kitchen, and founded the non-profit organization, Rage Regardless Ry, dedicated to “empowering families affected by metabolic conditions.”
Teen Mom OG alum Mackenzie McKee’s earnings
Mackenzie McKee parlayed her Teen Mom fame into a fitness business, Body By Mac, where she offers online, at-home workouts and nutrition plans.
Mackenzie is also an ambassador for Justice Nutrition and, before her split from Josh McKee, ran a tanning salon in Florida. Despite criticizing her former castmates for sharing clickbait, Mackenzie has returned to doing so herself in recent months.
Leah Messer’s income from Teen Mom
Leah Messer, another veteran cast member from the franchise, was working on obtaining her real estate license in West Virginia at one point, but her earnings from Teen Mom have allowed her to be a stay-at-home mom to her three daughters. Her net worth is estimated at $1 million.
Leah wrote an autobiography, Hope, Grace & Faith, in 2020, also adding to her cash flow. Filming well over 200 episodes of Teen Mom 2 alone, Leah has amassed over $600,000 from her time with the franchise. Her addition to the spinoffs Family Reunion, Girls’ Night In, and The Next Chapter have also padded her paychecks.
Ashley Jones earns money outside of Teen Mom
Ashley Jones is currently in nursing school and is the co-owner of Aries Beauty Salon in Modesto, California. She also boasts over 50K subscribers on her YouTube channel. She also formerly hosted a podcast, I Need Wine, and her net worth is estimated at $300,000.
Season 2 of Teen Mom Family Reunion premieres on Tuesday, January 3 at 8/7c on MTV.