Mike “The Situation” Sorrentino Detailed Eye-Popping Jersey Shore Pay

From 2009 to 2012, Jersey Shore and Mike “The Situation” Sorrentino were everywhere. The reality show dominated TV and the stars became household names, so they were soon earning paychecks to match their popularity. Appearing on Jason Tartick’s Trading Secrets podcast on Jan. 19, Sorrentino opened up about how much money he made during that time and how it has affected his life.

Jersey Shore Paydays

The Jersey Shore cast didn’t start out with massive salaries. At first, Sorrentino recalled on the podcast, he was paid $25 per hour. However, by Season 6, he was making $179,000 per episode, or $2.3 million for the full 13 episodes, Tartick noted. Sorrentino added that there was also a $500,000 ratings bonus that they hit every year.

“The checks were coming in,” Sorrentino said. “They were like $675,000 per check. I had never in my life seen checks like that.”

Plus, there were additional opportunities for the cast once they became household names. He recalled working with Vitamin Water, Reebok, and going on Dancing with the Stars. When Jersey Shore was at its peak, Sorrentino said the cast was making “upwards of $5 million a year.”

“At least from ’09 to ’12, you know, just quickly like that, it was probably like $20-plus million,” he estimated.

The paychecks are still coming, too, thanks to the royalties Sorrentino was able to negotiate. “You get them quarterly,” he said. “Probably every year, it amounts to six figures. Over six figures.”

Sorrentino also joined the Jersey Shore sequel series, Family Vacation, in 2018.

A “Roller Coaster”

Earning so much money was a shock to Sorrentino, who said he was “an ex-stripper, an ex-drug dealer who didn’t have to file his taxes” prior to Jersey Shore. “You are not prepared for superstardom that happens like that,” he said. “You’re just not.”

Recalling that period, he added, “I was trying to hold on for dear life on the roller coaster that was Jersey Shore, the brand deals, Super Bowl appearances.”

Sorrentino battled with substance use issues amid his fame, and there were rumors that his finances were in bad shape by 2014. He noted on Trading Secrets that he realized he’d spent $600,000 on drugs at one point, plus he had extensive legal fees. In October 2018, he was sentenced to eight months in prison after pleading guilty to one count of tax evasion.

“If you don’t file taxes, Uncle Sam will come knocking on your door three years later, teach you about statute of limitations,” he told Tartick. “There’s so many things that you just don’t learn, and I eventually learned the hard way.”

Sorrentino reflected on the highs and lows and said they’ve brought him to a place where he can enjoy his sobriety, health, family, and legacy. “I have things that money can’t buy, and that’s when you’re rich,” he said.