Besides sharing a twin brother bond in “Little People, Big World,” Zach and Jeremy have garnered attention for being hard-working, engaging and respectful sons of Matthew “Matt” and Amy Roloff, former owners of Roloff Farms. However, things changed since the TV show premiered in 2006; their parents split, started dating other people, and Amy even married her partner on-screen. Similarly, their children are now married, live elsewhere and have children. Jacob and Molly mostly stay away from the spotlight, but the two brothers are still in the public eye via the show or social media. However, most fans don’t know what Jeremy and Zach do to earn a living.
Jeremy and Zach have several income streams
Although Zach is still a show regular, Jeremy left to pursue other interests half a decade ago; both found other business opportunities to support their families. Jeremy earns money from creative production, real estate, photography, and book sales. His wife, Audrey, helps him and fills the family budget via separate income streams from direct sales, commissions, and paid social media promotions.
Zach Roloff makes most of his money from the TLC show salary, and seldom monetizes his significant social media following. Not long ago, he worked on Roloff Farms, was a youth soccer coach, and had a soccer league business. He also tried to become a part-owner of the family farm, but couldn’t match his father’s high price. More importantly, Zach had a brain operation in early 2023, and subsequent recovery stopped him from setting more professional goals.
Jeremy was the first to make viewers question what he plans to do for a living, when he quit “Little People, Big World” in July 2018. He stated that he’d wanted to leave since season 16 and never agreed to do the show; it was something he grew up doing. Although Jeremy initially said he would consider returning, he later compared himself to an aging athlete hurting himself and his team because he won’t quit. He also accused the TV show of fabricating drama.
Jeremy lost his estimated $1,500 to $3,000 salary per episode when he stopped appearing on-screen. Some, such as a Business Insider journalist, estimate he could have amassed as much as $120,000 for his appearances. His wife Audrey, whom he married in September 2014, was featured in many episodes, although undoubtedly received lower compensation. Fans were worried that their daughter, Ember Roloff, was born less than a year before they gave up financial security. While most assumed the pair had saved the money from their TLC salary, dedicated fans of the couple also know they began monetizing their relationship early.
Since 2014, Audrey and Jeremy ran a blog entitled Beating 50 Percent. Its name refers to the US’s 50% and higher divorce rate, and how couples can beat it. Besides running advertisements and banners on the blog about maintaining a happy marriage, Audrey and Jeremy published a marriage journal, and sold it on their website. They clarified their goal to promote covenant marriages that are undividedly devoted, persistently selfless, value-centered, and love-based.
Jeremy and Audrey are also co-authors of “A Love Letter Life,” published in April 2019. They reportedly sold over 100,000 copies of the book before publishing their second, “Creative Love: 10 Ways to Build a Fun and Lasting Love,” in January 2021. Furthermore, they’ve hosted a relationship-oriented podcast, Behind the Scenes, since November 2018. Unfortunately, estimating their earnings from these platforms is challenging because of many factors, such as page views and listener numbers.
According to his LinkedIn profile, Jeremy is also an avid photographer, having studied photography at the Brooks Institute in California. For a time, he listed his profession on LinkedIn as ‘creative producer, camera operator, wedding videographer, and production assistant’, and sold Lightroom presets for easy, customized photo editing.
The two also earn an income from renting a cabin property in Bend, Oregon, which they purchased and renovated, and promote the business by spending holidays there. Moreover, The Sun publication reported that Jeremy had a student pilot license since July 2021. However, he can only carry passengers if he becomes a private pilot, making goods delivery the only option. Audrey promotes products via her Instagram profile and likely gets a fixed payment and a percentage of sales through her promo code. Plus, she has a separate Instagram profile for selling her essential oils.
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Like Jeremy, Zach grew up on the farm, and was in front of TV cameras without seeking attention or accepting the job. He held many positions, but was best known for leading guided tours of the family property, notably Golden Pass Private Tour, at $300 per ticket.
Zach presumably received much less from TLC when he was younger. However, his salary from the production company likely increased after he started dating Tori Patton around 2010. Viewers know the two met during the pumpkin season on the farm, and loved seeing the new couple during brief segments. Unsurprisingly, TLC gave them more airtime when their relationship became serious – Zach proposed in April 2014 and they married in July 2015 before they welcomed three children in 2017, 2019 and 2022.
Thanks to increased interest, Zach went from the presumed $1,500 to $3,000 in the mid-2010s to what Business Insider estimates to be a $7,000-$10,000 payment per episode starting in the early 2020s. According to an experienced reality TV producer, Terrence Michael, earnings depend on the show’s budget and viewership. He revealed that families such as Roloff earn 10% of the episode’s budget, but cast members can renegotiate their contracts.
Zach’s farm obligations stopped in 2021, so he lost some of his monthly income. After his father, who reportedly wanted $4 million, deemed his son’s offer for a section of Roloff Farms too low, Zach and his family moved to Battle Ground, Washington State. They left their Portland, Oregon house valued at $560,000 during the purchase; based on quick research, qualifying for a loan required them to have a $120,000 pre-tax annual income/salary. They have yet to sell their Portland home, and may rent it outfor extra income.
Viewers of the show undoubtedly remember Zach’s love for soccer. He stated the game shaped who he is, and that nearly all life philosophies and passion for teamwork and sacrifice originate from the sport. Besides playing for the US and helping them win the 2013 World Dwarf Games finals against Great Britain, he also played for his country in the inaugural 2018 Copa America Dwarf World Cup.
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During that time, he coached youth competitive soccer teams in hisnative Oregon. He always mentioned his love for the game and the joy of seeing children return and ask for his coaching, but never pointed out whether he received a salary, or volunteered. Also, his fans are still determining if he will continue coaching youth in Washington.
Moreover, Zach hosted many soccer fundraisers with a focus on dwarf athletics. He started a soccer business when he filed for a business license in October 2019 under Oregon’s United States Dwarf Futbol Association. He was optimistic, and shared his professional goals on Instagram, noting the tournaments gave the dwarf community and other disabled individuals a voice. He also emphasized that it kept people physically active, and taught them the trophy-earning mentality.
However, the publication The Sun investigated in February 2023 and discovered that Zach failed to file an annual earnings report for 2022; thus, the state dissolved his business. Yet again, he never discussed the financial situation, and possibly operated it at a loss. Finally, it’s important to note that Zach answered ‘yes’ in 2022 when asked if he would step away from filming. Although vague, his answer reminded viewers that he earned an associate’s degree from Portland Community College, and has yet to use it.
Tori Patton worked as a kindergarten teacher before she married Zach, and gave birth to Jackson in 2017. All three children have achondroplasia, the form of dwarfism Zach has, meaning caring for them is demanding and expensive. She adds to the family budget with rare social media promotional posts on her profiles. Tori also has a photography business on ToriRoloffPhotography.com, and an eponymous photography-focused Instagram page specializing in family portraits. Notably, like her husband, she said in 2022 ‘their time was coming to a close’ and that they would do the show as long as they enjoyed it. Both were supportive when Audrey and Jeremy left, and understood they had other plans.
Both brothers are doing things they enjoy outside of “Little People, Big World.”
Little People, Big World stars Zach and Tori Roloff have revealed the sex of their first child https://t.co/l0kCiQ3Jk9 pic.twitter.com/LZaUDulvVT
— Us Weekly (@usweekly) January 8, 2017
One brother moved on from the show, but the other could, too
All we dug up to this point suggest twin brothers understand TV show fame is fleeting. Therefore, they took precautions for the time TLC stopped signing paychecks. Jeremy demonstrated he could transition to other business endeavors, and Zach is, from what we can see, ready to quit once he or his family no longer finds the show fun to film.
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