'Red Band Society' Star Ciara Bravo -- Sucks My Show Got Axed ... I Was Making Bank!

Anorexia pays ... at least in Hollywood -- where "Red Band Society" star Ciara Bravo raked in more than $250k for her role on the FOX series ... TMZ has learned.

Caira -- who starred as an anorexic patient in the teen medical dramedy -- was 17 when she took the gig ... so she had to file a minor's contract with the court system.

According to the docs, Bravo raked in $20k-per-episode ... and the series ran 13 eps ... which according to our calculator app adds up to $260,000.

Not bad for a show hardly anyone watched.