The Discovery Channel’s Gold Rush is among America’s most popular reality television shows. One of its primary cast members is miner and fan-favorite Parker Schnabel. He has been on every season of the show since it started in 2010. Because of his fame, he got to star in the spin-off series Gold Rush: Parker’s Trail. As of 2023, Parker Schnabel has a net worth of $10 million.
Early Life
On July 22, 1994, Parker Russell Schnabel was born to Roger and Nancy in Haines, Alaska. His grandfather, John Schnabel, was the owner of the mining corporation Big Nugget. John played a pivotal role in Parker’s decision to become a miner. He also has a brother named Payson who sometimes features in the series.
Parker spent his Summers in the mine with his grandfather and this experience fuelled his passion for discovering gold nuggets. In high school, he was a part of the varsity basketball team. Due to his height, this doesn’t surprise us!
Mining Career
After graduating from high school, his grandfather stepped down from running The Big Nugget Mine and Parker took over daily operations. At 16, he led a crew of miners more than twice his age and demonstrated his talent for finding high-quality gold.
However, he left his initial mining site and skipped college to mine in Yukon, Canada. Parker Schnabel traveled up to the Klondike at the age of 18 and leased land from the famed miner Tony Beets. He used money from his college trust fund to start the operation.
Reality Television
In 2010, the mining prodigy appeared on Gold Rush Alaska on Discovery Channel. He became known for assisting Porcupine Creek miners who were mostly clueless about what to do.
His journey of leaving home for the Yukon was also documented in the show. Parker discovered 1029 oz of gold in his first year of running his own operation. His story and personality are a key part of the show and without him, it would struggle for viewers!
Apart from the first Gold Rush, he also appeared in two spin-off series. From 2012 to 2016, he was in Gold Rush: The Dirt. He also earned his own show titled Gold Rush: Parker’s Trail, which started airing in 2017.
Net Worth and Earnings
Parker Schnabel is estimated to make $25,000 for every episode of Gold Rush. This is more than enough money to compensate for the hassle of dealing with a camera crew. Of course, there are also the profits from mining gold. It’s a tough business to make money in and Parker is a clever operator.
He had already extracted over $13 million worth of gold by 24. Parker pays his crew a salary of $34 per hour and also has a lot of expenses to cover such machinery and fuel. Taking that into account, Parker’s fortune is estimated to be $10 million. This makes him the second richest miner in the series behind Tony Beets.
Personal Life
Schnabel once dated a veterinary nurse named Ashley Youle, but they split up in 2018. The following year, he got into a relationship with assistant producer Sheena Cowell. Currently, Parker is not married and is believed to be single. There were rumors he was dating Australian Tyler Mahoney but they were false.
There were also reports online that Parker lives in a mansion in Alaska. Young Schnabel responded to the claims saying he doesn’t own a house and is technically homeless. It doesn’t make sense for him to buy a property as he travels a lot.
