The world of broadcast journalism is a highly competitive one. With only a few positions to vie for at the top, journalists have to fight tooth and nail for lucrative contracts and coveted anchor posts. It’s a battle of charisma and credentials when it comes to scoring a TV spot!
That’s especially true in the case of these highest-paid female anchors in the United States. Find out how they rose through the ranks and the jaw-dropping salaries they receive for keeping viewers tuning in to the news day in and day out.
Kelly Ripa – $120 Million
Kelly Ripa started as an actress in the soap opera “All My Children.” But she really hit her stride—and made a fortune worth $120 million— as a host. People now know her best as the other half of the hit syndicated talk show “Live With Kelly And Ryan,” which is produced by ABC’s WABC-TV digital channel.
Ripa has been working on the program since the early ’00s and even got to host it solo in 2011. That said, she’s definitely earned the $22 million a year she receives for entertaining Americans with lifestyle segments and celebrity interviews every morning. She even received a Daytime Emmy nomination in 2020 for her work!
Charissa Thompson – $3 Million
With over a decade of experience in sportscasting, it’s no shock that Charissa Thompson has emerged as one of Fox Sports’ most familiar faces. She joined the network in 2013 and went on to join the program “Fox Sports Live” as a host. According to SportsBio, she earns $700K a year for the position.
While she hasn’t disclosed details of her contract with Fox, her $3 million fortune does align with her reported annual income. Thompson, who works as an interior designer for her own company on the side, appeared as a host and studio analyst for programs like “NFL On Fox,” “Fox NFL Kickoff,” and “Fox And Friends” in 2021.
Chelsea Handler – $35 Million
Chelsea Handler is a veteran at hosting comedy talk shows. She once presented the late-night program “Chelsea Lately,” so it’s no surprise that Netflix paid her a handsome sum to create and host the talk show “Chelsea” from 2016 to 2017.
According to CheatSheet, that stint earned her an impressive $10 million a year from the streaming TV and movie service. This helped her build her $35 million fortune. Handler, who sold two projects to HBO Max and Peacock in 2020, also worked on documentaries including “Hello Privilege. It’s Me Chelsea” for her Netflix deal.
Nancy O’Dell – $16 Million
For the longest time, Nancy O’Dell was one of TV audiences’ go-to sources for the latest celebrity news. She co-hosted the CBS-produced syndicated program “Entertainment Tonight” until her departure in 2019. Online sources like Glamour Biz estimate that she brought home $4 million a year during her time on the show.
Since then, O’Dell, who is worth $16 million, has pursued other endeavors. She was announced as a special contributor for People magazine’s “People (The TV Show!)” in 2020. The program saw O’Dell venture into interviewing Hollywood’s brightest stars for her own segment.
Savannah Guthrie – $30 Million
Savannah Guthrie has long been a fixture of NBC’s programming. She joined the network as a correspondent in 2007 after getting her start reporting on high-profile celebrity legal proceedings for Court TV (now TruTV). In 2011, she was promoted to co-anchor the news and talk show “Today.”
Guthrie, who has a fortune worth $30 million, reportedly earns $8 million a year for her post as well as her other hosting duties for NBC. She’s a staple of the network’s holiday programming, covering events like Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade and the Christmas festivities at Rockefeller Center. In 2021, she covered the Tokyo Olympics on location.
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