Here's How Much Julianne Hough Is Really Worth

"Dancing With the Stars" launched a lot of performers into fame over the years, but one of the biggest names to come out of the reality show is none other than Julianne Hough. The Utah native joined the dancing competition back in 2007 and since then has taken Hollywood by storm. That's because Hough isn't just a super talented dancer but a full-blown triple threat, who went on to star in several movies and release a country album. If that's not enough, Hough has dabbled into hosting, producing, and even podcasting, all while running multiple businesses.

In 2022, Hough added Broadway star to her resume when she took to The Great White Way to make her debut in the show "POTUS." When it comes to this (literal) stage in her life, Hough told The New York Post, "I was like, 'OK, I want to immerse myself in what's happening in Broadway. ... So I very much put it out there, manifested it, not really knowing what it was going to be — just that I wanted to be here."

You could say Hough has manifested a lot of success throughout her career, considering the impressive amount of money she has in the bank. According to Celebrity Net Worth, the star is worth a whopping $10 million. So how did she make all that and what does she spend it on? Let's break down what Julianne Hough is really worth.

Julianne Hough began working when she was just a kid. According to Cosmopolitan, at just 10 years old, the "Grease Live!" star left Utah to pursue dance at London's Italia Conti Academy of the Arts. Although the move gave her the opportunity to get paid to do what she loved, she didn't necessarily love that they expected a more mature performance style from her. She explained, "I was a tormented little kid who had to put on this sexy facade because that was my job and my life."

It probably didn't help that she often wasn't compensated fairly for her work because of her age. Yet she learned to stand up for herself. "At 11-years-old, I walked up to this scary woman...and said, 'Excuse me, miss. You promised us 250 pounds, and there's only 100 pounds here. I'm not leaving until I see my money,'" she recalled to InStyle (via Insider).

Around the same time, Julianne was also part of a pop group with brother Derek Hough and fellow "Dancing with the Stars" pro Mark Ballas, called 2B1G. The trio not only played gigs but even performed on national TV in the UK.  While that all sounds exciting, Julianne remembers her childhood as much darker. "While I was in London, I was abused, mentally, physically, everything," she said. Julianne eventually returned to the U.S. for high school but by 18 she was back to work as a dancer on ABC's "Show Me the Money."

It's no secret that "Dancing With the Stars" made Julianne Hough a household name after she joined the TV competition back in 2007. Yet, she admitted that she had some reservations, telling Interview, "I thought that being on a reality show would hurt my credibility. But what I've come to realize is that being on that show completely launched my career and gave me a family and a built-in audience."

It also gave her a solid payday. As Parade noted in 2022, various reports show the starting salary for pro dancers is said to fall somewhere around $1,600 an episode. In later seasons, her rate surely was bumped up; according to Parade, it's been said that a "DWTS" vet can rake in over $5,000 an episode. In 2014, when Julianne's role on "DWTS" changed from dancer to judge, she presumedly got another large salary bump considering that judges reportedly make around $1.2 million per season, per Reel Rundown.

Julianne also found other ways to cash in on her popularity from "DWTS" like creating her own live dance show with her brother/fellow "DWTS" dancer, Derek Hough, in 2014. After the siblings dropped the The Move Live On Tour announcement, Julianne gushed on Instagram about the high demand for tickets. It even led to a second tour, "Move Beyond" in 2018, which they promoted on "DWTS," again making money off the show.

Dancing may have made Julianne Hough famous, but the "Dancing With the Stars" performer apparently always had her sights set on making a living as an actor instead. She said in Interview, "I started out dancing on a reality TV show, but always with the intention of making my way over to film." And she did just that, landing her first role in the musical, "Burlesque," in 2010. It wasn't long until she became a leading lady either, since she scored a starring role in "Footloose" that next year. While that part required some dancing, Hough wasn't worried about being typecast. She explained, "I transitioned into the film world by doing certain things that my fans had been used to seeing me do."

By 2013, Hough proved she was bankable as just a movie star thanks to the drama "Safe Haven," which, according to CNN, raked in a decent $30.5 million its opening weekend. Hough was super into her new career too, gushing to Shape (via NY Daily News), "I love the whole process and always tell my agents: 'Put me in the room — I'll audition for anything.'"

In 2017, after making a steady paycheck from "Dancing With the Stars" for about a decade, Hough was ready for a new chapter. She dished to ET, "I wanted to take some time and focus on my acting and kind of get back on that path."

A lot of fans may not remember that Julianne Hough was once a country singer. While that particular career path didn't really take off, it did start out pretty promising in 2007, when she released the single "Will You Dance with Me" to raise money for the American Red Cross. That apparently was enough to impress music executives since later that year she gushed to Extra, "I just signed with Universal Records, so I'm going to be singing!"

Country music proved to be a lucrative move for Hough in 2008 at least, considering that her self-titled album hit number 1 on Billboard's country music chart. It also led to a tour with country star Brad Paisley and even a Christmas EP.  Despite her success though, Hough never put out her second album even though it was completed. She explained to The Boot in 2012, "We released one single from it and it didn't do too well. Then 'Footloose' came about, and everything has been having a lot of momentum with my films."

Hough did eventually return to music briefly in 2019, when she released the single "Transform." When promoting it on Instagram, she also shared her thoughts on her past singing career, writing, "I actually just gave up on my music because I found myself constantly comparing myself to other artists." However, Hough apparently found her true artistic side with "Transform" and was ready to share that part of her with fans.

If being a triple threat wasn't enough to keep Julianne Hough busy, the "Rock of Ages" star also brought in money from an array of side hustles. Hough has scored some major hosting gigs, like NBC's New Year's Eve in 2019 and Disney's "Magical Holiday Celebration" in both 2020 and in 2021. Then in 2022, she co-hosted "The Tony Awards: Act One," telling ET, "[It] is all about the creative artists, who really are why we are able to be out front and center as performers." It seems that presenting at the Tony Awards was extra special for Hough too, because she made her Broadway debut that same year with "POTUS." "I feel like, a whole new energy of this next stage of life, of my career," she gushed.

Hough has also been earning money behind the scenes, as she's worked as a producer since 2015. She not only has 10 producing credits to date but launched her own company called Canary House Productions. 

What's more, Hough dabbles in the podcast world, teaming up with the platform Meet Cute in 2020 to release a scripted podcast series about self love. "Our Mission Statement is about finding stories that are about transformation, identity, diversity, and inclusion," she told People. Hough appeared in another scripted podcast series "Hit Man" that next year, making it clear that even when she's not onscreen she's still working.

Like a lot of celebrities, Julianne Hough has cashed in on her fame by serving as a spokesperson for different brands. In 2022, for example, the "Dirty Grandpa" actor teamed up with BIC to be the face of a self-care themed campaign. The partnership was fitting for Hough, who told Women's Health, "In the past, sometimes I would try to bring my message to the company so that it felt authentic to me and what I believe in with mental health and self-care." 

Self-care has been a theme for some of Hough's other endorsements as well, since she had partnered with the massage gun company Therabody before. She dished on their website, "Therabody products make me feel like I actually am getting younger as I'm getting older." Hough also worked with the supplements brand Thorne, telling Byrdie, "I'm always looking for any kind of wellness thing, supplement, anything that's focused on my health from the inside out."

Outside of wellness, Hough has had deals with other businesses over the years that have included the gum brand Juicy Fruit, the skincare line Proactiv, and the furniture store Rooms To Go. In 2018, Hough even appeared in the biopharmaceutical company AbbVie's "Speak Endo" campaign. That partnership seemingly hit extra close to home for Hough, who suffers from endometriosis. She said in a press release, "I've been speaking out to encourage women to 'get in the know' about endometriosis and raise awareness of this chronic and painful disease."

Julianne Hough doesn't just endorse companies, she runs two of her own. In 2019, the superstar dancer used her love for health and wellness to create the fitness platform, KINRGY. Yet Hough explained it's more than just a workout program, telling Forbes, "KINRGY is a movement-based 45-minute class that helps you surrender your mind to your body so you can connect to yourself and relate to others so we don't divide and separate and then we can really experience the world."

And it's not just that class that Hough provides, but also movement reminders, meditation, and tips for wellness through an app. When it comes to what inspired her business, Hough told Women's Health, "When I think about what I want to create, I want to help people connect back to their truest self."

Hough also partnered with her bestie and fellow actor Nina Dobrev, to launch their own wine brand, Fresh Vine, in 2021. While that seems out of the norm for the holistic Hough, she and Dobrev actually made it to reflect their lifestyle. As the two explained to E! News, they set out to create a line of wines that are low in calories and carbs but still taste good. And while some people say you shouldn't mix business with friendship, Hough and Dobrev don't see it that way. Hough even gushed, "It's the best because you get to share in creating something really powerful that you can share with the world."

Celebrity divorces are known for being pretty costly, yet it doesn't seem like Julianne Hough broke the bank when she divorced Brooks Laich. Hough married the Canadian hockey player in July 2017 after four years together. However, by January 2020, rumors started to surface that their marriage was in trouble and by that May, they officially split. Regarding their decision to go their separate ways, the two said in a joint statement to People, "We share an abundance of love and respect for one another."

Hough and Laich appeared to have actually kept things civil when finalizing their divorce. According to docs obtained by People, they not only had a prenuptial agreement, but also both declined spousal support and agreed to pay for their own lawyers. What's more, there weren't any community properties to deal with, so when it came time to divvy everything up, there was not much drama or debate to be had. 

According to Us Weekly, there did seem to be some question over Hough's engagement ring since she and Laich were court ordered to agree on what to do with it. That probably won't be an issue though, considering that the pair apparently still gets along. Hough even told The New York Post in 2022, "We had the most beautiful separation. We went through things amicably. ... I want nothing but the best for him."

Julianne Hough has apparently had no problem dropping money on good real estate over the years. One of her first major purchases after getting famous was even a 1,829 square-foot condo that she bought in Nashville, Tennessee, back in 2009 when she was pursuing country music. The condo wasn't only in a lavish high-rise building but included a rooftop pool and gym, according to Daily Mail. While Celebrity Net Worth reports that Hough bought the property for $649,000, she was able to make a profit off of it, selling it for $900,000 in 2013.

That same year, there were rumors that Hough's ex-boyfriend Ryan Seacrest bought her a $3 million Los Angeles mansion, but TMZ maintained that wasn't the case. Hough did buy her own home in 2014 though, paying $1.94 million for a 2,101 square foot property in the Hollywood Hills, per Dirt. She later showed off that home in a 2022 issue of Better Homes & Gardens where she shared, "I travel a lot. So to balance it all, I've created a safe, special place where I feel like my true self."

In March 2022, Dirt reported Hough rents out her house for $40,000 a month when she is away from work. That appears to be a good financial move because as of 2022, she's living in New York City while starring on Broadway. She's spending a pretty penny to live there too, since according to a March 2022 The New York Post report, she's renting a $18,000-a-month triplex townhouse.

Julianne Hough apparently isn't afraid to treat herself or her dogs when it comes to making luxury purchases. She told InStyle (via Insider), "I will buy anything for my dogs. ... They get blueberry facials." She, of course, spends on herself too, whether it be on her favorite self-care items or clothes. Yet Hough isn't buying only expensive designer pieces, dishing, "I will spend money on the same T-shirt in four colors."

When it comes to shopping though, Hough is seemingly more into home decor. She even told Better Homes & Gardens, "I'll browse a furniture store over a clothing store any day." She's also apparently more into spending on experiences over just material things, noting that she's a big fan of traveling when she isn't busy working. Although Hough has been all over the world, like Portugal in 2021, she told Off The Mrkt she still had places on her bucket list. "We were just talking about riding camels in the desert. I also want to see the pyramids sometime in my life," she said.

While the "Burlesque" actor is a self-described "free spender," she did say in the aforementioned InStyle interview that she was learning the importance of investing. She explained, "I thought I was doing a good job at trying to save my money, but I think I need to be an adult and try to invest in more things."

Julianne Hough may enjoy splurging on herself but it seems that the KINRGY creator has always made it a point to give back. According to Look to the Stars, Hough has been involved with multiple organizations over the years, including the American Red Cross, Boys & Girls Club of America, Clothes Off Our Back, The Trevor Project, The GiveBack Hollywood Foundation, and the Children's Miracle Network Hospitals.

If that's not enough, Hough worked with the non-profit KaBOOM!, donating $1 to different charities when people uploaded locations to their Playspace Finder. "I have joined with KaBOOM to try and make sure that kids have a place to play and run around every day," she said in a press release. That wasn't the first time Hough spoke out for a cause she was passionate about either. In 2017, for example, she joined the #ThanksTeach campaign which helped raise funds for learning materials. "This campaign is just so important to me because I feel like I had so many incredible teachers growing up that really shaped me to become the person that I am today, " she told People.

That same year, Hough and her then-husband Brooks Laich, also created their own humanitarian undertaking called Love United. Per their Instagram, they then teamed up with Charity Water to bring safe drinking water to those in need. They not only raised money to build water wells in Africa but also asked their wedding guests to donate to their charity in lieu of giving gifts. 

One might say Julianne Hough was always destined to succeed in Hollywood, and one would definitely say she was beyond determined to make it in show business. "There was no other option, I never had a backup plan, and wouldn't take no for an answer," she once told Inc. While the "Holidays with the Houghs" producer was willing to do whatever it took to accomplish her goals, she soon recognized that success has to come from the inside out. "It's about your personal achievements and internal joy and happiness," she said. 

Hough doesn't mind sharing the wealth either and seemingly finds it more important to collaborate with others over making it to the top alone. As she told Pure Wow in 2019, "You can go and do it yourself but it's going to be lots of hard work and you might feel really lonely."

When it comes to work, a nice paycheck seems to be a cherry on top at this point in Hough's career; she just wants to do what she loves and inspire others. And these days, she seems to be doing just that on Broadway. As she said in The New York Post in 2022, "The fact that there's people that want to pay money to come and see our shows, and that we can offer any kind of entertainment and relief and humor — I mean, that's what I feel like I was put on this earth to do, is just to bring joy and entertainment to people."