Tucker Carlson – $6 million
Tucker Carlson began his career as a print journalist before he was hired by The Weekly Standard in the ’90s. It was also there that he slowly gained recognition as a writer. After an impressive stint of CNN, a few other networks took notice of his talent, like MSNBC. Now, he hosts his own nighttime show called Tucker.
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He earns $6 million, which puts him among the top people in the industry. He’s also reportedly worth $20 million, so he’s pretty much sorted for the next few years, although we doubt he plans on retiring anytime soon.
Mike Rowe – $10 million per year
We’re not surprised to learn Mike Rowe paid $5 to $10 million a year. After all, he’s the voice behind some of the Discovery Channel’s most successful series like Deadliest Catch, Dirty Jobs, and Somebody’s Gotta Do It.
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He was born in Maryland in 1962 and wasn’t involved in the TV industry until the 2000s. Surprisingly, Rowe was an opera singer before that. He now lives in San Francisco and is 58 years old.
Juan Williams, The O’Reilly Factor – $500,000
Juan Williams went through some tough times when he got fired from the radio station that turned him into a premiere journalist. Luckily, he’d already proven his worth as a columnist thanks to the work he did on The New York Times and The Washington Post. Given his political beliefs, Fox welcomed him with welcome arms and a hefty pay.
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The pay is rumoured to be half a million dollars, with the possibility for an increase for this White House correspondent. This is all due to his venturesomeness of TV documentaries and penning best-sellers such as Eyes On The Prize: America’s Civil Rights Years.
Savannah Guthrie – $7 million per year
Savannah Guthrie’s got a very interesting background to share, from her personal life to her career life. Savannah studied journalism and later on went on to pursue more and become a Juris Doctor. Then, she went from being NBC’s White House correspondent to their chief analyst.
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As a presidential debate moderator, she’s pretty much seen most of America’s high profile judicial proceedings. We expect her to take on more projects in the coming years, so all we can do is wait and see what she does next.
Oprah Winfrey – $37 million per year
Oprah Winfrey gained lots of attention because of her uber-famous talk show The Oprah Winfrey Show. She’s done interviews with some of the world’s most famous personalities. The show may have long ended, but those shows still get tons of views.
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Of course, she owes her hefty pay and her success in being a host. $37 million as a host sounds huge, no? But then again, some of that money comes from being an actress and a producer. There really is no limit to her talents!
Dr. Phil – $79 million per year
Phil McGraw gained fame and success thanks to his show Dr Phil. It was also because of this that he became a household name in America. Plus, with the internet these days, he’s also become a pop culture icon. In fact, a huge chunk of his yearly wage comes from the show alone!
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Apart from that, Dr Phil also gets some of his money from numerous TV shows like Daily Mail TV and The Bull. Well, we now understand why Forbes included him in the list of highest-paid anchors.
Gordon Ramsay – $60 million per year
Although people who know Gordon Ramsay will never claim he’s a good guy, we simply cannot deny that he’s among the cream of the crop. Thanks to his famous cooking-themed shows, not only is Ramsey a world-renowned chef, but he’s also quite a star on the small screen.
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Therefore, it’s not really surprising that he’s paid as much as $60 million a year. With assets amounting to $220 million and an annual wage that big, he can definitely afford almost every luxury item on earth.
Steve Harvey – $40 million per year
You may know Steve Harvey from the show of the same name, The Steve Harvey Morning Show, or you may know him from that famous mix-up of winners during Miss Universe. Nevertheless, he earns a whopping $40 million every year. With pay like that, no wonder he’s always smiling!
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Like other celebrities, Steve came from very humble beginnings. There were years where he had no home and had to do odd jobs just to stretch things out. However, that never stopped Steve from trying. Now, his hard work has finally paid off.
Judge Mathis – $5 million per year
Not all real-life judges are successful when they transition from the court to the television, and yet, Judge Greg Mathis managed to do that. He used to serve in the Superior Court of 36th District in Michigan before he started serving as one in his own reality show Judge Mathis.
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His show has gained a massive following, which is why he takes home about $5 million a year. Aside from hosting, he’s also expanded his portfolio and tried out writing books and doing speeches. That’s not a bad idea at all, don’t you think?
Ryan Seacrest – $71.5 million per year
Ryan Seacrest is one of the richest TV personalities. His wealth of $410 million is telling about his talent and hard work. He is the host of the famous singing competition American Idol and also has his own morning radio program called On Air with Ryan Seacrest.
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His massive wage comes from different sources. He owns a production company, a men’s clothing and skincare line, and is even the executive producer of the famous show Keeping Up With The Kardashians. It seems like Ryan really has fulfilled all his dreams.
Judge Judy – $47 million per year
Did you know Judge Judy Sheindlin actually hold the Guinness World Book for being the television judge with the longest career, as host of her namesake show Judge Judy? This famous show is responsible for bringing in the big bucks, and in 2018, she was named the highest-paid TV host.
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Some of her cash also comes from producing a non-conventional court show called Hot Bench. Then, to add to her wealth, she sold her exclusive rights to the show’s library for a whopping $100 million. It’s safe to say Judge Judy is a self-made investor.
Lara Spencer – $3 million per year
Lara Spencer has become a household name because she’s been a co-host of ABC News’ Good Morning America. Although she announced in 2018 that she would focus on more production roles, she still appears in the show a lot.
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Her talent and charm are some of her secrets to success. She’s interviewed some of Hollywood’s greats, like Tom Cruise, Julia Roberts, and Angelina Jolie. With a yearly pay like that, it’s no wonder she can afford a lavish life.
Andy Cohen – $2 million per year
Andy Cohen’s story is familiar to many: he went from using a hairbrush as his make-believe microphone to working in one of the biggest TV networks in the United States. After completing his formal education, he interned at CBS and stayed there for a decade, slowly rising from the ranks.
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Eventually, Cohen became a producer for The Early Show and the CBS This Morning show. His most valuable achievement is probably his role in the rebranding of the network. As a reward for all his hard work, he gets paid $2 million a year.
Chelsea Handler – $10 million per year
Chelsea Handler is a comedian who is renowned for her earthy comedy style. She rose to the ranks through her show The Chelsea Handler Show on E!. She was also included in the Time Magazine 100 Most Influential People list. She’s made a name for herself in comedy, so it’s no wonder she gets paid $10 million a year.
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Handler is actually a very talented person, having penned six books that all hit the top of the New York Best Seller list. She also had a documentary series called Chelsea Does that received critical acclaim. She’s said to be worth $40 million, so it’s no wonder she lives in the fancy neighbourhood of Bel-Air.
Ginger Zee – $500,000 per year
Ginger Zee graduated as a meteorologist, so it’s no surprise that she seems completely at home when talking about issues involving the weather. She’s ABC’s chief meteorologist, and she’s indeed worked her way from the ground up to achieve this success.
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It seems her hard work is starting to pay off. She receives about half a million dollars as her yearly wage, although this figure is rumoured to be higher. She’s also been involved in popular reality shows, which just proves how talented she is.
Chris Matthews – $5 million per year
For more than two decades, TV host Chris Matthews is famous for being a hard-hitting reporter. His show Hardball had a huge following for a long time, so it makes sense that he takes home $5 million yearly.
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Chris may have departed from the show already, but that doesn’t mean the money is stopping! He is still very much in demand as a presenter, so it’s safe to assume he won’t ever have to worry about his finances in the future.
Chris Wallace – $7 million per year
As Mike Wallace and his son, Chris Wallace, have shown to the world, the love for journalism and TV runs deep in their family. Chris followed in his father’s footsteps, and now he takes home about $7 million a year!
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It does seem like this is the perfect career for him. His track record in broadcasting is immaculate, which is probably why he’s been the moderator for presidential debates twice now. We wouldn’t be surprised if he starts getting paid more in the coming years.
Scott Pelley – $7 million per year
Scott Pelley has had quite a colourful career in journalism, as he went from hosting local news segments to being one of the most respectable journalists to the CBS channel’s national and international stages.
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He’s been in the industry for more than 30 years, which means he’s now racking in a lot of cash. He reportedly earns $7 million a year, and he certainly deserves every single penny. It’s safe to say his pay will increase if he stays and continues to bring news to his fans.
Anderson Cooper – $12 million per year
Here’s Anderson Cooper’s story: He was born in a wealthy family, had an artist and a writer for parents, studied journalism. Then, when he applied for a job, he got rejected. This pushed Cooper to study Vietnamese. Little did he know, this would launch his career as a reporter for Vietnamese Life and Culture.
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He is an avid politics fan and now he’s one of the primary broadcasters Americans see on their screens nightly. The show has a high viewership count worldwide, which means his yearly wage of $12 million is something he definitely deserves.
Pat Sajak – $15 million per year
It’s hard to imagine Wheel Of Fortune without seeing Pat Sajak on it. After all, he’s been the host for more than 7,000 episodes of what seems to be one of the longest-running game shows in the world!
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At some point in his career, the show’s producers made it especially difficult for him to leave by increasing his yearly pay to $15 million. It’s been more than 30 years since he began, but it seems like he doesn’t plan on retiring anytime soon.
Shepard Smith – $10 million per year
Shepard Smith is known to be one of the best broadcasters on Fox News so his high pay doesn’t come off as a surprise to anyone. His $10 million yearly pay means he’s among the top wealthy news hosts of today.
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Shepard’s got tons of experience as a broadcast journalist. He’s the host of The News with Shepard Smith. Looking at the work he’s done, it’s safe to say his accumulated riches will last for many generations.
Don Lemon – About $10 million per year
If there’s one journalist who’s not afraid of airing his sometimes controversial opinions, it’s highly-respected journalist Don Lemon. He tells it as it is and doesn’t beat around the bush, which means he now earns an estimated $10 million per year.
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Aside from his brave outlook and boldness, he’s also got a great work ethic. Therefore, we expect his wealth and payroll to still grow in the coming years. Don Lemon is living proof that telling it as it is can earn you the money you deserve!
Ali Velshi – $5 million per year
Ali Velshi is a famous Canadian news anchor and TV persona. He’s most famous for his work on NBC News as a senior business and economics correspondent. He’s also hosted a couple of shows on the network like Your Money and World Business Today.
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Although he’s already in his fifties, it seems like he has no plans of slowing down anytime soon. Well, if we earned that much money, who’d want to slow down, too? Especially if we love what we’re doing. Velshi’s years and years of work certainly earned him the pay he deserves.
Stephen Colbert – $15 million per year
Stephen Colbert is one of those reporters who know how to manage the thin line between hard-hitting journalism and humour; not a lot can do that. This is probably why he takes home $15 million yearly.
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He’s reported to be worth $75 million. He’s been on The Colbert Report and The Daily Show. Currently, we still see him on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert. His contract is said to last until 2023, so we can definitely still see him in the coming years.
Michael Strahan – $17 million per year
It’s amazing to see Michael Strahan go from a New York Giants NFL player to a media mogul. He started his career as a football analyst in the Sunday NFL Rundown on Fox. However, that wasn’t the only thing he did. He also co-hosts Good Morning America!
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He’s so charismatic and is great with words. Because people loved this so much, he was awarded two Daytime Emmys alongside Kelly Ripa. Given his extensive work, it’s no wonder he earns $17 million a year, right?
Kelly Ripa – $22 million per year
Kelly Ripa is most famous for playing Hayley Vaughan on the ABC show All My Children. Her involvement with the show helped launch her career in the ’90s. After almost 12 years on it, she was chosen to play Kathie Lee Gifford on the famous show Live! with Regis and Kathie Lee.
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She’s been on the show for more than 20 years and gets paid about $22 million a year. Over the many years, she’s worked with some of the most famous people in the industry, like Regis Philbin and Ryan Seacrest.