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At $10 million per season, the Kardashians are the undisputed top earners on the reality tv show pay scale, but the gap between top and bottom of the scale is very large.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, the Thompson family, stars of TLC’s new reality show Here Comes Honey Boo Boo, earn $2000 to $4000 per episode, or no more than $40,000 for the season.

The real money in reality television is from ancillaries. Again, the Kardashians top the list, with Kim coming in at $18 million per year, and sister Khloe at $11 million, with most of their money coming from endorsement deals, fashion lines, appearance fees, etc.

The cast of MTV’s Jersey Shore have also made use of their 15 minutes of fame, with Pauly D taking the top spot earning $11 million a year for a spinoff series, endorsements, and high-profile DJ gigs.

So how do other reality stars like the cast of the Real Housewives franchise and Teen Moms fare? The discrepancy in salaries is wide, and largely depends on longevity, fame and zip code.

Check out a more comprehensive analysis of reality tv stars’ earnings at Celebuzz.

photo: Ivan Nikolov/WENN