How does Jeopardy pay its winners?

The winner keeps their score and brings it to the next episode, the second-place contestant walks away with $2,000, and the third-place player gets $1,000. The compensation is reportedly intended to pay for the players’ travel and accommodation costs.

Do Jeopardy contestants keep all money?

Same for the second place finisher, except they get $2,000. Meanwhile, the winner takes home all the cash they earned during the game. In a perfect game, getting all the questions right and finding Daily Doubles at the end of the rounds to get the max value, a player could potentially win up to $566,400, a huge prize.

Do Jeopardy contestants get travel money?

More On: jeopardy “Our contestants are asked to fly themselves out to Los Angeles for their first appearance,” Foss said. “If they end up being a returning champion, then we do provide travel for them on their return trips out here.”

How much of their winnings do Jeopardy contestants get to keep?

But before you start spending money you might win, does Amy Schneider have taxes to pay? Of course she does. And it’s a lot too, eating up about half the money if you do the math. All winnings on game shows are ordinary income, taxed up to 37% by the IRS.