Four “Jersey Shore” stars have gotten huge raises to return for next season.
Breakout stars Nicole “Snooki” Polizzi, Mike “The Situation” Sorrentino, Paul “Pauly D” DelVecchio and Jennni “JWOWW” Farley will each earn about $30,000 per episode next season for MTV’s biggest show since “The Osbournes.”
Deals for the rest of the cast — Ronnie Ortiz-Magro, Vinny GuaDagnino and Sammi Giancola — are for less, sources say. Cast member Angelina Pivarnick will not return for Season 3.
PHOTOS: ‘JERSEY SHORE’ SEASON 2
All returning cast members will get a very big increase over their $10,000-per-episode take for Season 2 (premiering July 29) — and a huge increase over the $5,000-per-episode they earned in Season 1.
“The cast always wanted to come back because it’s such a fun show to do,” says one insider. “They know it’s gotten them to where they are now.”
That’s an understatement. The show’s success now earns Pauly up to $80,000 a week for his DJ work, sources say — while mega-maned Snooki earns up to $20,000 for a personal appearance and The Situation has a profitable line of “pre-workout” vitamins.
“MTV is pleased that the ‘Jersey Shore’ cast are returning to Seaside Heights to continue production on Season 3,” MTV said in a statement last night.
Sources say MTV initially balked at the cast members’ contract demands, fearing they would morph into versions of their former network cousins on “The Hills.” Two of that show’s stars, Heidi Montag and Spencer Pratt, turned into insufferable, obnoxious media hogs after the show became a hit.
“Jersey Shore” averaged 2.7 million viewers last season.