Image Source: YouTube/TLC
Kate Gosselin has recently made the news for renewing her nursing license in North Carolina and starting a more humble life after her television stardom. The reality star was once popular for her TLC show Jon & Kate Plus 8 that followed Kate, her husband Jon, and their eight children. However, the show eventually crumbled amid her divorce, nasty abuse rumors, and other issues with the family. Since then, she’s laid low for the most part. So, what is Kate Gosselin’s net worth today and how is she making money?
Who is Kate Gosselin?
Katie Irene Kreider was born on March 28, 1975, in Pennsylvania to Charlene and Kenton Kreider. Her father was a pastor and she was one of five children. Kate has three sisters and one brother. Following high school, she completed nursing school at The Reading Hospital and Medical Center. Afterward, she kickstarted her career as a labor and delivery nurse in Wyomissing, Pennsylvania.
In October 1997, she met Jon Gosselin and the pair tied the knot on June 12, 1999. The couple immediately started to try and have a baby. Due to polycystic ovary syndrome, Kate had to undergo fertility treatment. On October 8, 2000, she successfully gave birth to twin girls, Cara and Mady. Kate continued fertility treatments to get pregnant again. Then, on May 10, 2004, she gave birth to sextuplets (that’s six kids at once). Sons Aaden Jonathan, Collin Thomas, and Joel Kevin; and daughters Alexis Faith, Hannah Joy, and Leah Hope were 10 weeks early. They had to be placed on ventilators for some time after they were born.
Breaking Into Reality TV
Kate and Jon Gosselin first appeared on reality television after the birth of their sextuplets. They were on NBC’s Home Delivery, which followed the renovations they were making to their Pennsylvania home to accommodate their much larger family. Then, the family was seen on Discovery Health’s Surviving Sextuplets and Twins in 2005, which included a follow-up episode one year later.
Discovery Health decided to pick the family up for an ongoing series called Jon & Kate Plus 8. It aired on Discovery Health for two seasons before moving to TLC where it ran for five seasons. Then, in 2009, TLC announced that the show’s name would be changed to just Kate Plus 8. Jon and Kate were getting divorced and the show would now just follow Kate’s journey as a single mom of eight children. The program went on for another six seasons.
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Following the success of her reality shows, many doors opened for Kate. She appeared on Season 10 of Dancing With The Stars and made it to week 5. The reality star was also announced to be a returning co-host on The View, though that didn’t last long. In 2013, her family appeared on an episode of Celebrity Wife Swap where she swapped places with Kendra Wilkinson.
Eventually, TLC announced a reunion special of Kate Plus 8 and, in 2015, it was announced that the show would be returning to the network. However, its return was short-lived and was canceled again after a season (plus three episodes of a second season).
Kate attempted a spin-off called Kate Plus Date that followed her dating life after divorce. It was kind of a flop. She also appeared on Special Forces: World’s Toughest Test, but she was eliminated during the first episode due to an injury.
What has all this screen time done for Kate Gosselin’s net worth? And how is she making money today?
Kate Gosselin’s Net Worth
At the time of writing this, Kate Gosselin’s net worth is estimated to be about $500,000. It was reported that she earned around $250,000 per episode of the TLC show. Considering how many seasons it aired, you might be surprised to hear that she isn’t worth more money. It’s important to remember that she’s been taking care of several children. Collin and Hannah chose to live with Jon following the divorce, but the rest of the children resided with Kate, placing much of the financial burden on her.
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The TLC show wasn’t the only thing earning her money though. As mentioned above, she appeared on Dancing With The Stars. She made around $160,000 for her time on the competition show. Additionally, she made a few thousand dollars every time she appeared on The View. Not to mention, her TLC spin-offs.
During the peak of her popularity, Kate also published three books. The first, Multiple Blessings, was published in November 2008 and it sold around half a million copies in the first year. Her second book, Eight Little Faces, was released in April 2009, and her third, I Just Want You To Know, was released on April 13, 2010. Each one appeared on the New York Times Bestsellers List.
Unlike many other reality stars, Kate doesn’t use her social media to earn any extra money. In fact, she doesn’t post online all that often. Die-hard fans look forward to the occasional updates about the kids.
Now, she has gotten her nursing license reinstated in North Carolina (moved over from PA). Apparently, she’s working as a nurse in the Southern state. It’s not clear if she returned to L&D nursing or not. The average salary for a nurse in NC is $72,220 per year, or $34.72 per hour, but she could be making more (or less), depending on her location and specialty. She reportedly lives in a $750,000 lakefront home in NC though, so she’s doing well for herself.
Were you surprised by Kate Gosselin’s net worth? Let us know what you think in the comments.
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Amanda Blankenship is the Director of Social Media for District Media. In addition to her duties handling everything social media, she frequently writes for a handful of blogs and loves to share her own personal finance story with others. When she isn’t typing away at her desk, she enjoys spending time with her daughter, husband, and dog. During her free time, you’re likely to find her with her nose in a book, hiking, or playing RPG video games.
