Since their once wholesome days on 19 Kids and Counting, the Duggar clan has certainly seen their fair share of struggles. Surprisingly, the patriarch of the large family, Jim Bob Duggar, hasn’t been left struggling with money. According to Celebrity Net Worth, Jim Bob’s net worth sits at a staggering $3.5 million. Although based on the website’s page code, it appears it was updated before Jim Bob’s failed run for senate and before his eldest son, Josh Duggar, was found guilty by a federal jury on two charges: one count of receiving child pornography and one count of possessing child pornography.
Keep reading to find out how Jim Bob earns his money.
He Was a Reality TV Star
Jim Bob, along with his wife, Michelle Duggar, has appeared in documentaries and reality TV show programs since 2004, starting with 14 Children and Pregnant Again, and appeared on TLC’s 19 Kids and Counting from 2008 to 2015. Following Josh’s cheating scandal, and the revelation that he inappropriately touched five underage girls, including some of his sisters, when he was a teenager, which In Touch learned after securing a police report from 2006, the show was canceled.
Jim Bob then appeared in the show’s spinoff, which did not feature Josh regularly, Counting On from 2015 to 2021. The show was canceled after Josh was arrested and charged with receiving and possessing child pornography in April. According to Cinema Blend, before taxes, Jim Bob was taking in around $1.7 million a year from Counting On.
According to People, Jim Bob was earning an estimated $25,000 to $45,000 per episode. Jill Dillard (née Duggar), one of Jim Bob’s daughters, claims she did not receive compensation for her time on 19 Kids and Counting or Counting On until she quit and got an attorney. Such a family man!
He Is Involved In Real Estate
Jim Bob’s parents owned a real estate brokerage in Springdale, Arkansas, and the father of 19 seemingly followed in their footsteps. In 2014, the TLC alum purchased a 10,186-square-foot mansion for $230,000. After renovations, the family sold the house for $1.53 million in 2020. The Sun reports that Jim Bob has bought other pieces of property and upsold them after renovations. The outlet estimated his “real estate empire” is worth $6.2 million.
He Had a Political Career
Despite losing the Republican primary for Arkansas State Senate three times, the most recent just weeks after his son Josh was found guilty on child pornography charges, Jim Bob did have a political career. Between 1999 and 2002, the reality TV star served in the Arkansas House of Representatives for the sixth District. He was vicechair of the House Corrections and Criminal Law Subcommittee and participated on the committees for Insurance and Commerce and Judiciary. In 1999, members of congress had a salary of $136,700 per year. In 2002, the amount had risen to $150,000. An inflation calculator suggests that $150,000 in 2002 would be worth $231,752 in 2021. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that the average annual salary for a U.S. citizen in 2021 is $52,052.