Wheel of Fortune Icon Vanna White Only Works 34 Days a Year

On a recent appearance on the “Elvis Duran and the Morning Show,” Wheel of Fortune‘s co-host solved a puzzle many wheel watchers have wondered: how much does Vanna White get paid to turn letters?

The answer might get your head spinning. White, who has co-hosted the show since 1982, revealed that for many years, she earned a $3 million annual salary — but take that “annual” part with a grain of salt. The show tapes a year’s worth of episodes over the course of just 34 days.

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But there’s more to this story — a whole lot more. Puck, a Hollywood industry newsletter, reported that Wheel of Fortune co-host Pat Sajak made about five times as much as White and that she hadn’t received a “substantial” pay raise in nearly 18 years. That is, until it came time for her to renew her 2025-2026 contract. Per Fortune, she will be raking in $10 million a year. Spread that out over 34 days, and that’s $294,117.65 per day.

One person who thinks White is worth every penny is Ryan Seacrest, who took over co-hosting duties when Pat Sajak retired.

“She is an institution, an icon,” Seacrest told People magazine. “She’s amazing. She’s everything you think Vanna White will be when you meet her!”