Achieving success in the fast-paced entertainment industry isn't easy, and these talk show hosts are compensated quite generously for their efforts. You might be surprised to learn how much these celebrity presenters take home each year...
Oprah Winfrey
With a net worth of $3.5 billion, Oprah Winfrey isn't just the highest-paid talk show host on television—she's also the wealthiest woman in showbusiness. This legendary presenter rose from poverty to become one of the most influential celebrities of all time. Winfrey's work on The Oprah Winfrey Show earns nearly $300 million per year.
Aside from her work as a TV personality, Winfrey is a celebrated philanthropist. In total, she has donated over $400 million to charitable causes through the Oprah Winfrey Charitable Foundation (OWCF). OWCF has contributed a significant amount toward grants and donations for organizations that serve children, families, and communities.
Ellen DeGeneres
Ellen DeGeneres is one of the most powerful women in television today. As of 2019, DeGeneres earns a yearly salary of $75 million hosting The Ellen DeGeneres Show," which has been airing since 2003. The star has a net worth of $490 million.
DeGeneres' career took off with Ellen, the classic sitcom that aired from 1994 to 1998. Ellen rose to notoriety after coming out as a lesbian on The Oprah Winfrey Show in 1997. She is a vocal advocate for the LGBTQ+ community and donates a portion of her earnings to charities across the world.
Jay Leno
This comedian, writer, actor, and producer is known for his work on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno Show. Leno is worth $450 million, having made a salary of $15 million yearly while working on the show. He first appeared on The Tonight Show in 1977 as a comedian before taking over from 1992 to 2009.
Leno was briefly replaced with Conan O'Brien at the end of his reign, only to return the following year. Leno remained the face of The Tonight Show from 2010 until 2014 when Jimmy Fallon took his place. Leno, who went on to host Jay Leno's Garage, was then inducted into the Television Hall of Fame.
Dr. Phil
Dr. Phil McGraw, publicly known as Dr. Phil on the Dr. Phil talk show, got his start with successful segments on The Oprah Winfrey Show. Dr. Phil debuted in 2002 and has been renewed until 2023. McGraw has a cumulative net worth of $440 million. He makes $80 million per year hosting the show.
McGraw draws on his experience as a clinical and forensic psychologist in order to offer advice and "life strategies" to people in need of guidance. Both Winfrey and McGraw serve as executive producers on the series. Although his methods have attracted criticism from psychotherapists and laypersons alike, Dr. Phil remains a prominent fixture of network television.
Ryan Seacrest
From radio to television, Ryan Seacrest is one of the most familiar faces in Hollywood. Seacrest has worked on a number of popular shows and red carpet ceremonies, but he is best known for hosting American Idol. The 45-year-old is worth $430 million with a salary of $75 million per year.
Seacrest broke through to television in 1993 when he was selected to host the Radical Outdoor Challenge on ESPN. The Emmy Award-winning entertainer rose to fame as the host of the singing competition American Idol; he has been co-hosting Live with Kelly and Ryan since May of 2017.
Judge Judy
Judy Sheindlin, otherwise known as Judge Judy, has been the face of her long-syndicated court show Judge Judy since 1996. It was announced in March of 2020 that the series' twenty-fifth season would be its last. Sheindlin has a net worth of $420 million and earns $47 million annually.
After earning her law degree in 1965, Sheindlin started off as a family court prosecutor. She later moved to criminal court in the 1980s. Sheindlin is the longest-serving judge in courtroom TV programming history, which earned her a spot in the 2015 Guinness World Records.
David Letterman
With a net worth of $400 million, this retired late-night talk show host earned a salary of $50 million for his work. Letterman presented on the series for 33 years between 1982, when Late Night with David Letterman debuted on NBC, and 2015 when Late Show with David Letterman wrapped on CBS. Letterman surpassed his friend and mentor Johnny Carson as the longest-serving late-night talk show host in American TV history.
Also, a TV and film producer, Letterman's company produced a number of shows and prime-time comedies, such as Everybody Loves Raymond. Conan O'Brien, Letterman's successor on The Late Show, cites Letterman as one of his biggest influences—along with Jimmy Fallon, Jimmy Kimmel, John Oliver, and Seth Meyers. Letterman now hosts My Next Guest Needs No Introduction with David Letterman on Netflix.
Sean Hannity
This conservative political commentator has a net worth of $250 million and earns $40 million each year for radio's The Sean Hannity Show and Hannity on Fox News Channel. By 2018, Hannity was recognized as one of the most-watched and most-listened-to hosts in both cable news and talk radio, largely due to his proximity to Donald Trump.
The 58-year-old is a vocal supporter of Donald Trump and often acts as an unofficial spokesman for the President. Hannity, also a best-selling author, has received a number of awards and honors, including an honorary degree from Liberty University.
Steve Harvey
Steve Harvey has been the host of Family Feud and Celebrity Family Feud since 2010. The six-time Daytime Emmy Award-winner is worth $200 million and earns $45 million per year. Harvey worked as a standup comedian in the early 1980s before getting his big break as the host of It's Showtime at the Apollo.
Before Harvey rose to stardom, he worked a number of odd jobs, such as boxing, carpet cleaning, and insurance sales. Harvey was homeless for three years and slept in his car when not performing gigs that provided a hotel. He performed his final stand-up act in 2012 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.
Conan O'Brien
Conan O'Brien has been the face of several talk shows, including Late Night with Conan O'Brien, The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien, and Conan. The 57-year-old has a net worth of $95 million and makes $12 million per year. After the retirement of David Letterman in 2015, O'Brien became the longest-working active late-night talk show host in America.
After writing stints with Saturday Night Live and The Simpsons, Conan O'Brien took over for Jay Leno on The Tonight Show. However, ratings dropped, and Leno returned several months later. O'Brien then moved on to The Late Show, in which he replaced David Letterman. In 2010, O'Brien went on to host Conan. He has recently announced his departure from TBS to launch a new variety show on HBO Max in 2021.
Tyra Banks
This former model, actress, and television presenter launched her career at the age of 15 when she became the first Black woman to be featured on the covers of GQ and the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue. Banks makes $16 million per year and is worth $90 million. She is best known for creating and hosting the long-running reality TV series America's Next Top Model for twenty-two seasons.
John Oliver
John Oliver has been hosting Last Week Tonight with John Oliver since 2014. The British comedian began his career in standup before writing for The Daily Show, where he won three Primetime Emmy Awards. Oliver earns $8 million per year and has a net worth of $30 million.
Jon Stewart
The former host of The Daily Show took home between $25 and $30 million per year. Stewart, with a net worth of $80 million, presented on the critically-acclaimed program from 1999 until 2015. During Stewart's tenure, The Daily Show received 22 Primetime Emmy Awards. Stewart has maintained a somewhat low profile since his departure.
Trevor Noah
This South African comedian is currently the host of The Daily Show on Comedy Central, succeeding Jon Stewart in 2015. Noah has been called one of the 100 most influential people in the world by Time magazine. Noah reportedly earns $8 million per year with a net worth of $40 million.
Wendy Williams
Since 2008, Wendy Williams has hosted The Wendy Williams Show, where she offers her take on the latest pop-culture headlines. Williams earns $15 million per year from a number of sources, including books and endorsements on her program. She has an estimated net worth of $40 million.
Alex Trebek
Alex Trebek was best known for hosting Jeopardy! for 37 seasons from its revival in 1984 until his death from pancreatic cancer in 2020. Trebek earned $10 million per year and still holds the record for most episodes of a game show ever hosted. He was worth $75 million.
Gordon Ramsay
Gordon Ramsay is a British chef and television personality. His restaurants have been awarded 16 Michelin stars in total. Ramsay is best known for presenting on Hell's Kitchen, The F Word, and Ramsay's Kitchen Nightmares, the latter of which won a BAFTA for best feature at the 2005 British Academy Television Awards. Ramsay earns an annual salary of $60 million and is worth $220 million.
Rachael Ray
Rachael Ray is a celebrity cook and television personality best known for hosting the daily talk and lifestyle program Rachael Ray, as well as the Food Network series 30 Minute Meals. Ray's shows have won three Daytime Emmy Awards. With a net worth of $100 million, Ray takes home $25 million per year.
Stephen Colbert
Stephen Colbert is best known for hosting his satirical political commentary show, The Colbert Report, from 2005 until 2014. The series began as a spin-off of The Daily Show, in which Colbert acted as a correspondent for a number of years while developing his character. In 2015, he began presenting on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert. With a net worth of $45 million, Colbert takes home $15 million per year.
Guy Fieri
This Emmy Award-winning television presenter is best known for hosting a variety of shows on the Food Network, including Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives and Guy's Grocery Games. The 52-year-old makes $8 million each year and is worth $25 million. Aside from his passion for food, Fieri collects classic American cars.
Jimmy Kimmel
Famous for executive producing and hosting Jimmy Kimmel Live, Jimmy Kimmel earns an annual salary of $15 million with a total net worth of $35 million. Prior to launching Jimmy Kimmel Live! in 2003, Kimmel hosted Comedy Central's The Man Show between 1999 and 2004. Kimmel was named as one of Time's "The World's 100 Most Influential People" in 2018.
Chelsea Handler
Between 2007 and 2014, comedian Chelsea Handler hosted the late-night talk show, Chelsea Lately, on the E! network, during which she took home $10 million per year. Her net worth is estimated to be $40 million. In 2016, Handler released a Netflix short-lived documentary series and a talk show titled Chelsea Does and Chelsea, respectively.
Seth Meyers
The host of Late Night with Seth Meyers was once the head writer for Saturday Night Live, rising to popularity for hosting "Weekend Update," the show's news parody segment. Meyers has been hosting Late Night since 2014. The 46-year-old earns about $3 million per year and has a net worth of $12 million.
Bill O'Reilly
71-year-old Bill O'Reilly is one of the highest-paid former TV hosts of all time. Worth $85 million, O'Reilly is best known for hosting The O'Reilly Factor on Fox News from 1996 to 2017. His career took a major blow when the New York Times revealed that O'Reilly had paid off six women to settle a variety of sexual misconduct lawsuits. His employment with Fox News was subsequently terminated.
Pat Sajak
Pat Sajak is best known for hosting Wheel of Fortune since 1975. Sajak has won the Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Game Show Host three times throughout his career. He earns $15 million per year and has a net worth of $70 million.
James Corden
This English comedian makes $9 million per year hosting The Late Late Show with James Corden. Corden has a net worth of $12 million. His most popular segment on the show is Carpool Karaoke, in which Corden invites famous guests to sing along to their songs as he drives them around.
Julie Chen
Julie Chen has been the host of the American version of Big Brother since 2000 and is known as the longest-serving host of any country's version of the show. Chen earns $2.64 million per year and has a net worth of $16 million. She was formerly the co-host and moderator of The Talk for eight seasons, as well as a co-anchor on The Early Show.
Kelly Ripa
Kelly Ripa is best known for playing Hayley Vaughan on All My Children and Faith Fairfield on Hope & Faith. Since 2001, Kelly has been the co-host of the morning talk show Live! with Kelly and Ryan. With a net worth of $120 million, Ripa's salary recently increased from $17 million to $20 million.
Anderson Cooper
Anderson Cooper is the primary anchor of CNN's news broadcast Anderson Cooper 360°. Cooper makes $12 million per year and is worth about $110 million excluding his inheritance. In addition to his work on CNN, Cooper serves as a correspondent on the CBS show 60 Minutes.
Craig Ferguson
This Scottish-American TV presenter is best known for hosting The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson from 2005 to 2014, for which he won a Peabody award. He also won two Daytime Emmy Awards for his work on Celebrity Name Game from 2014 to 2017. Ferguson earned $12.7 million per year with a net worth of $30 million.
Regis Philbin
Before his death in 2020, Regis Philbin was known as "the hardest-working man in show business" and holds the Guinness World Record for the most hours on American television. Philbin was best known for hosting Live! with Regis and Kathie Lee, which became Live! with Regis and Kelly in 2001, and later Live! with Kelly after Philbin departed the show in 2011. He earned $20 million each year and had a net worth of $150 million at the time of his passing.
Rush Limbaugh
This conservative talk radio and television host has been on-air for 30 years with an audience of over 25 million monthly listeners. Limbaugh was recently awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Donald Trump. He has expressed controversial viewpoints on a number of civil issues and denies climate change. Limbaugh is worth $500 million with a salary of $85 million.
Barbara Walters
Now retired from the industry, Barbara Walters' $12 million yearly salary made her one of the highest-paid news anchors in history. Walters' lucrative career hosting programs like Today, The View, 20/20, and the ABC Evening News spanned over six decades. Walters, age 91, has a net worth of $170 million.
Bob Barker
Bob Barker is known for hosting The Price is Right from 1972 to 2007, making it the longest-running daytime game show in American television history. Barker took home $10 million per year with a net worth of $70 million. Barker is currently 97 years old.
Larry King
This famous radio and television host was earning around $30 million per year for his work on the talk show Larry King Live between 1985 and 2010. From 2012 until 2020, he hosted Larry King Now on Hulu and RT America. King has an estimated net worth of $150 million.
Meredith Vieira
Broadcast journalist and television personality Meredith Vieira is best known as the original moderator of The View, co-host of NBC's morning news program Today, and the original host of the syndicated daytime version of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire. Vieira made $11 million per year and is worth $40 million. She currently hosts 25 Words or Less.
Katie Couric
Journalist and author Katie Couric has been a television host at all of the Big Three television networks—ABC, CBS, and NBC. Couric was the Global Anchor of Yahoo! News from 2013 until 2017. She earned $15 million per year while at CBS and is worth $100 million.
Vanna White
Vanna White is best known as the hostess of Wheel of Fortune since 1982. White, 63, has no plans for retirement; her contract has been renewed until 2022. She is paid $10 million per year and has a net worth of $70 million.
Whoopi Goldberg
Whoopi Goldberg is one of sixteen entertainers in history to have won an Emmy Award, Grammy Award, Academy Award, and a Tony Award. In 2007, Goldberg replaced Rosie O'Donnell as moderator and co-host of The View. She earns $5 million per year on the show and her net worth is approximately $45 million.
Joan Rivers
Comedian Joan Rivers was known for many things, one of which was hosting her Emmy Award-winning daytime talk show, The Joan Rivers Show, from 1989 until 1993. Rivers passed away in 2014 during surgery. She made $40 million per year and was worth $150 million.
Nick Cannon
This comedian and host got his start on All That before going on to host The Nick Cannon Show, Wild 'n Out, America's Got Talent, Lip Sync Battle Shorties, and The Masked Singer. Cannon earns a combined salary of $10 million from his work each year. He is estimated to be worth $50 million.
Holly Willoughby
This English television presenter currently earns $600,000 per year co-hosting on ITV's The Morning and Dancing on Ice alongside Phillip Schofield. From 2008 to 2020, Willoughby was also a team captain on ITV2's Celebrity Juice. Willoughby, 39, has a net worth of $10 million.
Tess Daly
Tess Daly is best known for presenting on the BBC One celebrity dancing show Strictly Come Dancing since 2004. She has been married to fellow television presenter Vernon Kay, the host of I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here!, since 2003. Daly earns roughly half a million dollars per year for her work on the show. She and Kay have a combined net worth of $6 million.
Howard Stern
Howard Stern is best known for his radio show, The Howard Stern Show, which has been in syndication since 1986. Stern also presented as the host of The Howard Stern Show television variety show from 1990 to 1993. Stern, 66, earns $80 million per year and is worth $500 million.
Bear Grylls
Bear Grylls is a British adventurer and television presenter best known for his series Man vs. Wild, which aired from 2006 to 2011. Grylls was appointed the youngest-ever Chief Scout of the United Kingdom and Overseas Territories in 2009 at age 35. Grylls earned $30,000 per episode and has an estimated net worth of $20 million as of this year.
Nigella Lawson
This English food writer and television chef is best known for her popular cookbooks. She has also hosted a number of cooking shows, including Nigella Bites, Nigella, and MasterChef Australia. Lawson has an estimated net worth of between $20 million to $35 million.
Ina Garten
Ina Garten is best known for hosting Barefoot Contessa on the Food Network. Garten is also a former staff member of the White House Office of Management and Budget. She earns $50,000 per episode and has a reported net worth of over $30 million.
Kathie Lee Gifford
Kathie Lee Gifford is best known for her 15-year run on Live! with Regis and Kathie Lee, which she co-hosted with Regis Philbin. Gifford has received 11 Daytime Emmy nominations for her work. Gifford also worked on Today as a co-host between 2008 and 2019. She earned $5 million each year for her time on the show and has a net worth of $60 million.
Jerry Springer
Jerry Springer is best known for hosting the tabloid talk show The Jerry Springer Show between 1991 and 2018 when it was canceled after 27 seasons. Springer made $8 million per year and has a net worth of $60 million. Springer currently hosts a courtroom program called Judge Jerry.
Matt Lauer
For approximately thirty years, Matt Lauer co-hosted NBC's Today Show from 1997 until 2017. He was also a contributor for Dateline. In 2016, Lauer reportedly signed a two-year contract with NBC that secured a $20 million annual salary. Lauer is worth approximately $80 million.