The 20 Highest Paid News Anchors In The World
We see reporters' faces every day. From home TVs to screens in airports and waiting rooms, TV anchors tell us what's happening around the world. It's a hard job to land, for sure. But most of us don't think about how an anchor got their position or how much they make.
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, an average news reporter makes around $65,000. Popular anchors, though, make much more--up to $25 million a year. You might feel flabberghasted knowing how much your everyday reporters are making. Here are the highest-paid reporters from Fox, CBS, NBC, and more.
Fox And NBC Legal Reporter Megyn Kelly
In 1995, Megyn Kelly kickstarted her career as a defense attorney. She wouldn't begin reporting until 2003 when ABC's affiliate WJLA-TV assigned her to recount court cases. In 2004, she began working for Fox; in 2017, she moved to NBC, and since 2021 she has been hosting a talk show and podcast on SiriusXM. She earns around $23 million annually.
During her employment with Fox, Kelly directed her own legal segment, Kelly's Court, during Weekend Live. She later hosted for America Live with Megyn Kelly. She later switched to NBC for a "triple role": daytime as Megyn Kelly Today, weekly with Sunday Night with Megyn Kelly, and nightly on The Kelly File. Her SiriusXM show is called The Megyn Kelly Show.
CNN News Anchor Anderson Cooper
As the primary anchor of CNN, Anderson Cooper headlines Anderson Cooper 360° and is a correspondent on CBS News, 60 Minutes. He used to entertain his own daytime talk show, Anderson Live, where he gained most of his fame. Cooper makes around $12 million every year and has a net worth of about $50 million.
Cooper worked for a small news agency, Channel One, as a fact-checker before anchoring on ABC and CNN. Unlike other TV hosts, Cooper landed a career in news without a journalism education. In the late 1980s, he majored in political science at Yale University.
Shepard Smith, One Of Fox's First Reporters
Shepard Smith has had quite a long reporting career. He first joined television when he broadcasted for local Florida stations in 1986. In 1996, when Fox News first began, Smith became one of their first reporters. His presence at many major events, such as Princess Diana's funeral and the aftermath of Katrina, landed him as a significant anchor who earns $10 million annually.
Smith started out hosting The Fox Report with Shepard Smith and Studio B, both of which were replaced by Shepard Smith Reporting in 2013. He is currently the chief general news anchor for CNBC, and has been with CNBC since 2020.
Brian Williams: The Anchor With Over A Decade Of Experience
Brian Williams has spent fifteen years anchoring for both NBC and MSNBC. In that time, he became most famous for his reporting on NBC Nightly News. Soon after joining, Williams won the Peabody Award, DuPont-Columbia University Award, and George Polk Award for his coverage on Hurricane Katrina. He made around $6 million every year.
In 2015, NBC demoted Williams from a Nightly News host after he supposedly misrepresented events of the Iraq War. He then moved over to MSNBC, where he hosts The 11th Hour with Brian Williams every night. In November 2021, he announced that at the end of his contract, he would be leaving NBC and MSNBC. He won four Doctor of Human Letters, along with one Doctor of Journalism and Doctor of Laws.
Martha MacCallum Climbed Up NBC To Fox News
Since the early 1990s, Martha MacCallum has climbed the reporting ladder up to a $2 million salary. She first reported for Wall Street Journal Television as a business news correspondent. Later, she joined NBC/CNBC, where she contributed to Today, The News with Brian Williams, and Morning Call. MacCallum also created CNBC's series "Inside the Business" for Business Center.
In 2004, MacCallum started working for Fox News. There, she covered the 2004 election, and later in 2008, 2012, and 2016 presidential elections. Since 2017, she has been hosting The Story with Martha MacCallum, likely conducive to her multi-million dollar pay.
Erin Burnett, One Of CNN's Highest-Paid Anchors
Erin Burnett is the current news anchor of CNN's Erin Burnett OutFront and the previous host of Squawk on the Street and Street Signs. While her career began as a financial analyst for CNN, Burnett now runs her own shows and documentaries. Every year, she makes about $6 million.
Her fellow reporter, Joe Scarborough, called Burnett "The International Superstar" for reporting live overseas. She has filmed reports and documentaries from Libya, Nigeria, Jordan, India, Russia, China, Egypt, Iran, Lebanon, Palestine, Turkey, Pakistan, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Israel, and Tunisia.
Sean Hannity Signed a $100 Million Dollar Contract
With over 13.5 million listeners tuning in each week to The Sean Hannity Show, things are looking good for the conservative political commentator. According to Forbes, Hannity became one of the most-watched hosts on cable television, due in part to his close relationship with the previous president of the United States.
All of those listeners and viewers translate into good pay. In 2008, Hannity reportedly signed a five-year contract with Citadel Communications for $100 million.
TV, Radio, And Podcast Host Rachel Maddow
Along with being the first openly lesbian news anchor in the U.S., Rachel Maddow hosts and commentates on The Rachel Maddow Show on MSNBC and radio. She carries degrees from Stanford and Oxford University and focuses her conversations on liberal politics. Maddow rakes $30 million a year.
Maddow began her reporting career in radio through WRNX in 1999. She later became a panelist on the MSNBC show Tucker, and then a liberal commentator. From there, Maddow launched her show, radio program, and podcast. Since 2009, she has won 22 awards.
Lester Holt, The First Solo African-American Anchor
Lester Holt spent 19 years with CBS as an anchor, reporter, and international correspondent. Since 2000, he has anchored for Today, Weekend Today, and NBC Nightly News. After Brian Williams got demoted in 2015, Holt became the solo anchor of NBC Nightly News, making him the first African-American to do so. He receives a $10 million annual salary.
Holt has reported from several troubled international locations, including Somalia, Iraq, and Haiti. In September 2016, he moderated the first presidential debate, where he was praised for credibility in fact-checking both opponents.
