Highest Paid DJs Revealed: You Won’t Believe How Much Calvin Harris, DeadMau5 & Pauly D Made This Year!

As they spin the hits, your favorite DJs are getting paid thousands of dollars

By Mike Vulpo Aug 17, 2013 12:47 AMTags
Calvin Harris, DJ Pauly D, Deadmau5Getty Images

They create the ultimate mashups and can make or break any party. But do we really know how much those A-list DJs are making while they spin till dawn?

We do now! According to Forbes' just-released list, Calvin Harris is jamming his way to the very top as the highest-paid DJ in the world.

Thanks to a two-year deal at Las Vegas' megaclub Hakkasan and additional songwriting and producing gigs with pop superstars like Rihanna, Harris earned a whopping $46 million in 2013.

So what does Harris think of his success? "The rise of dance music has been astronomical in the last three years," he tells the publication. "I happened to be in the right place at the right time." Talk about being humble!

Harris isn't the only celeb DJ rolling in the dough. Tiësto, David Guetta, Swedish House Mafia and Deadmau5 all made over $20 million each for their gigs around the world.

Then there's Pauly D, previously better known for his blowouts and gym-tan-laundry lifestyle on Jersey Shore.

As he tours with the Backstreet Boys and Jesse McCartney across the country this summer, we figured the DJ was enjoying life away from MTV cameras—but we had no idea how much he was enjoying himself. Forbes calculates his earnings at around $13 million.

Paris Hilton didn't embark on her new career in time to make this list, but there's always next year.

The 32-year-old recently made her deejaying debut at Amnesia Ibiza and, according to Billboard, after she performed for two hours in front of a sold-out crowd (5,000 people+), event organizers asked her to become the resident DJ until the end of August. '

Could Harris and his friends have some competition in the near future?