Vernon Adkison is the charismatic captain and owner of the Wild Ranger dredge on the Discovery Channel reality TV series Bering Sea Gold, which chronicles the high-stakes world of commercial mining in Nome, Alaska.
Vernon Adkison’s net worth is estimated at $2 million as of 2026. His primary income comes from gold dredging and his TV salary.
Who is Vernon Adkison?
Vernon Adkison was born on June 4, 1946, in the United States, where he spent much of his early career in the Merchant Maritime, captaining tugs, freighters, and massive supertanks before transitioning to gold mining in the Bering Sea.
The mining veteran who operates a 65-foot twin gold dredging vessel has been on the show since its debut in 2012. He is known for his bold strategies, family crew, which includes his daughters Elaine Adkison (born in 1990) and Yvonne Adkison (born in 1992), and for his resilience despite low-yield seasons.
What does Vernon Adkison do for a living?
Vernon Adkison’s primary source of income and the foundation of his career is gold mining.
He conducts commercial dredging in some of the most unforgiving maritime conditions on earth, using specialized equipment to dig deep into the seabed, extracting sediments in hopes that gravity will separate gold from the ocean floor.
Vernon has had successful hauls that yielded significant yields. For instance, in 2025, one of the high-stakes yielded almost 18 ounces of gold, worth $36,000, and earlier seasons even brought larger payouts.
Below is a detailed breakdown using the current 2026 data.
What are Vernon Adkison’s TV earnings?
Vernon stars in more than 100 episodes of Bering Sea Gold as a lead captain. Captains earn $65,000 per episode, with 10-15 episodes per season, yielding between $650,000 and $975,000 annually.
Over 14 seasons, gross TV pay exceeds $9 million before tax. Spin-offs, including Dredged Up and reunions, add between $50k and $100k annually. Vernon Adkison’s screen time, high-stakes dives, family drama, and commands premium rates.