How Bachelor Matt James Really Makes His Money

Matt James' time on The Bachelor, which premieres on Jan. 4, 2021, promises to be a season like no other. Not only that, but as Chris Harrison told Us Weekly, Matt became "a different man" over the course of his season. What's more, Matt apparently had to face some major challenges in order to find love. Sounds like a heck of a season!

Matt was actually totally new to The Bachelor universe before Season 25; he didn't come up the ranks through previous seasons, in usual Bachelor Nation fashion. Matt told ET that the newness of the situation and the vulnerability expected of him was a baptism by fire. "There were a lot of conversations that I had, that I needed to have that I hadn't had and I wasn't planning on having," Matt shared with ET. "But that's where this whole experience took me, and I'm so fortunate for it. I grew up as a man. It allowed me to be vulnerable for these women."

While Matt is a Bachelor rookie, he's not new to fans of the franchise. Why? He just so happens to be BFFs with Tyler Cameron and, thanks to that connection, close to Hannah Brown. Anyone who follows Tyler and Hannah on Instagram has definitely spotted Matt in their posts. Speaking of Instagram, fans also know time on a Bachelor show can provide major exposure, leading to lucrative influencer gigs. And speaking of money, you may be wondering what Matt does for a living. We've got the scoop.

Matt James is more than just a pretty face. As his bio on the ABC website notes, The Bachelor lead attended Wake Forest University in North Carolina. He majored in economics and graduated with a Bachelor's degree.

According to Wake Forest magazine, Matt tried to go pro in the NFL after playing college football but that didn't pan out as planned, so he landed a gig at PNC Bank in Pittsburgh. There, according to Life & Style, he worked as a banking analyst. Matt then left for New York City where he got a job at CBRE, a real estate company. According to the company's website, he works there as an associate.

Being a heartthrob also happens to be paying off for Matt in a major way. All the exposure on the show will surely help grow his social media presence, and it has already worked wonders for him to the tune of sponsored content: Matt got sponsorships from such companies as American Express and Lululemon. How these brands compensated Matt is unclear, but one thing is obvious: it looks like Matt could take the career path of an Instagram influencer should he so choose!