How Much Parker Schnabel Really Pays His Gold Rush Crew

When you watch Discovery's "Gold Rush," you may feel like pursuing a new career path. The reality series follows different teams of miners all setting out to find buried treasure ... literally. They're all modern-day gold diggers, hauling in first-class equipment to dig for riches. 

It's proven to be a lucrative career path for some of the team leaders. Tony Beets is worth in the neighborhood of $15 million, while Parker Schnabel isn't too far behind with $10 million. It makes sense given the scarcity and overall value of gold, but suffice to say, not everyone on the crew is worth that kind of scratch. 

So how much could you expect to make if you were part of Parker Schnabel's crew? As it turns out, the miner has taken to Reddit to explain how much he pays his workers. To be honest, it's not a bad living for those who choose to go down that career path. 

Parker Schnabel has truly risen through the ranks of the gold-digging community to become one of its preeminent leaders, but he still manages to find time to scroll through social media, it would seem. On the "Gold Rush" Subreddit, one user balks at the idea of working for paltry wages when Schnabel himself chimes in to set the record straight on how much he pays his workers. 

He explains that most people start at $28 per hour, but the work itself sounds pretty intense. He mentions that people often work roughly 75 hours each week, so when you factor in overtime, people bring in approximately $2,590 gross pay. He goes on to say, "We usually work about ~25 weeks so gross earnings would be around 65K pre bonus for a starting employee. Which I think works out to around 40k net....which is what I probably meant by saying 40k to drive rock truck for the season. Median wage is probably more in the $34/hr range."

However, workers have a chance to earn even more dough via bonuses. He doesn't say how much of a bonus people usually end up with, but it's described as "significant." Then there are other extenuating factors, such as the fact crew members don't have to pay for housing or food when they're on-site. When you factor everything in, it's not a bad living, but as anyone who's watched "Gold Rush" can attest, it's indeed challenging work.