Ryan Seacrest ‘is not earning’ as much as Pat Sajak’s $20m-a-year WoF salary – but he signed onto job ‘for the prestige’

RYAN Seacrest's salary details on Wheel of Fortune have been revealed, and he's reportedly content with not making the big money that Pat Sajak did. A studio source told The U.S.

Sun how their paychecks compare as Ryan , 49, debuts as host. The iconic game show 's new era starts tonight as Ryan replaces the host of 41 years. Ryan will fill the big shoes of Pat , 77, with the highly awaited premiere of Season 42.

While fans are eager to see how Ryan does as the host with Vanna White , 67, they may also be curious about his salary. Pat made $18 million annually as host of the main show and, factoring in Celebrity Wheel of Fortune, made more than $20 million. Read more Wheel of Fortune A top-level Sony source has told The U.

S. Sun that Ryan agreed to a significantly lower salary. The U.

S. Sun was told he did so because he longed for the coveted gig and for longevity as the new host. 'BEING PAID LESS' "What is certain is that Ryan is being paid less than Pat, at least initially," the source shared.

"Ryan and his team did not come into this trying to outdo Pat’s very generous salary. Most read in Game shows "Ryan left an amazing job [as co-host of Kelly Ripa’s Live! morning franchise], but he’s not doing this job [WoF] for the money so much as the prestige. "He can grow into Pat’s $20 million-plus yearly salary over the course of multiple renewals of his deal," they explained.

"[But] Ryan is doing this job for the prestige and because Wheel is one of the few TV shows that .