The 'Survivor' Winner Gets $1 Million, but Second Place Doesn't Go Home Empty-Handed

For more than 20 years and dozens of seasons of television, Survivor has continued to keep people hooked. The long-running reality show competition places contestants on a remote tropical island for several weeks as they attempt to survive the harsh conditions with few provisions. They take part in different game show-like challenges and reality show melodrama as they try to be the last one left on the island and take home the glory. Over the years, the competition has only gotten more heated.

But all that effort and struggle may just be worth it in the end. Not only do the winners of each season earn the coveted title of "Sole Survivor," but there's also a nice cash prize at the end of the competition! After all, no one should have to go through all that island-based anguish just for bragging rights. It should then come as no surprise that everyone has their eyes on the top prize. But is there anything to be won for the runner-up? Here's what to know about second place in Survivor.

Whether you're working in an unfair and unfavorable position at your place of work (employed, freelance, or otherwise) or undergoing the stress of the physical and mental challenges on Survivor, no one should have to go through any of that without getting paid at the end of the day. At least on Survivor, you could actually earn more life-changing money doing ridiculous game-show challenges than at any other gig. Of course, everyone's gunning for the top prize.

The Sole Survivor at the end of each season earns a $1 million cash prize for beating everyone else. For all intents and purposes, that's more than enough money to solve most of our financial problems, so it's little wonder that folks would choose to be on Survivor for more than 40 seasons.

But while the $1 million is easily the most coveted prize on the island, second place doesn't sound so bad either.

According to Cinema Blend, second-place winners on regular Survivor seasons walk away with $100,000. It's a far cry from a cool $1 million, but it's still more money than one might make at your typical 9-to-5. Even third place takes home $85,000, which is still some decent cash.

Reportedly, even the first person to be voted out still gets a $3,500 payout.

Sometimes, the runners-up even prove to be more popular than the actual winners. Charlie Davis, the Season 46 second-place winner, received an outpouring of supportive comments upon becoming the runner-up for 2024.

One fan wrote on an Instagram post, "ROBBED!!! You should've won."

Another commented, "You should have won. You played the best game! You won in my eyes!"

Either way, at least folks can rest easy knowing that runners-up like Charlie can still earn some cash at the end of Survivor.