After officially joining American Idol as a judge, Mariah Carey will receive $18 million with a one-year option for her role on the show, reports Us Weekly. The hefty paycheck will make Carey the highest earning judge on any music competition show, overshadowing Britney Spears' approximately $16 million deal to judge The X Factor. Jennifer Lopez, who recently left Idol along with former judge Steven Tyler, raked in around $12 million for each season.

Though Carey helps fill the vacancies left by Lopez and Tyler, Idol still needs a judge. Last week, Charlie Sheen expressed interest in joining the show's panel.