• Mike "The Situation" Sorrentino revealed everyone's exact salaries and bonuses on Jersey Shore.
  • The cast were making up to $5 million a year after bonuses and brand deals.
  • Mike revealed that he still gets significant royalties, which function like a pension.

Ever wondered how much the cast of Jersey Shore made from MTV back in the day? Personally, it's all I think about, and Mike "The Situation" Sorrentino is here with answers.

Speaking on the Trading Secrets podcast (via Us Weekly), Mike revealed exactly what the Jersey Shore cast was earning, and gave insight into their wild bonuses from MTV.

While the cast made just $25 an hour for Jersey Shore season one, they were earning $179,000 per episode by season six. Plus, as Mike put it, "add in a half a million dollar ratings bonus, as well. We hit the ratings bonus every year. Jersey Shore [was] the biggest show in the country."

The reality star added, "The checks were coming in, they were, like, $675,000 per check. I had never in my life seen checks like that. You’re talking to an ex-stripper, an ex-drug dealer who didn’t have to file his taxes the year before."

And then there's the endorsements. "You start making upwards of $5 million per year with brand deals," Mike explained. "We were making upwards of $5 million a year for a few years straight. So at least from ’09 to ’12, it was probably like $20-plus million, probably."

So, what about royalties? They're definitely a thing. "You get them quarterly," Mike said. "Probably, every year it amounts to over six figures. It is [like a pension], you get it for the rest of your life."

Wow, lots to think about here (like if reality TV is in my future).