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Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →In Forbes’s 2025 estimate of pretax television earnings, Jimmy Fallon and Jimmy Kimmel tied for the highest reported earnings among the late-night hosts named, at $16 million each. Stephen Colbert followed at $15 million. These are estimates of television earnings—not verified base salaries—and they do not establish who is the highest-paid active host in 2026.
Who ranked highest in Forbes’s 2025 estimates?
Forbes estimated what television work earned these hosts in 2025. Its figures are pretax estimates, not confirmed contract amounts or audited payroll records.
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| Host | 2025 estimated pretax TV earnings | What to know |
|---|---|---|
| Jimmy Fallon | $16 million | Forbes estimate for television work. |
| Jimmy Kimmel | $16 million | Forbes estimate for television work; tied with Fallon. |
| Stephen Colbert | $15 million | Forbes estimate for television work during the 2025 period. |
Forbes built its estimates using interviews with agents, lawyers, managers, executives and other industry experts. It considered compensation arrangements that can include traditional salaries, production deals and licensing agreements, and did not deduct representation fees. The figures therefore describe estimated earnings from television work, not a host’s take-home pay or net worth. Forbes’s 2025 estimates and methodology
Are these the highest-paid hosts on air now?
Not necessarily. The Forbes figures refer to 2025 earnings, and the available estimates do not provide a like-for-like 2026 ranking of hosts still on air. Colbert’s estimate is historical in this context: the Associated Press reported that CBS’s The Late Show ended in May 2026 after the network announced its cancellation in July 2025. Associated Press report on the show’s cancellation and end date
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Why salary rankings can disagree
Late-night compensation is privately negotiated, and published estimates may count different things. A reported salary is not automatically comparable with an estimate that includes production or licensing income; nor should annual earnings be confused with net worth.
For example, Hindustan Times reported that Seth Meyers earned about $12 million per year from Late Night and writing projects. That is a secondary estimate with a broader stated scope than Forbes’s television-work figures, so it should not be inserted into the same ranking as if both sources measured the same compensation. Hindustan Times report on late-night hosts’ reported earnings and net worth
Other salary compilations include historical contract claims, but they do not replace a current, consistently measured comparison. Celebrity Net Worth’s late-night salary and contract compilation
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What the figures do—and do not—show
- They show: Forbes’s 2025 estimates placed Fallon and Kimmel level at $16 million in pretax television earnings, with Colbert at $15 million.
- They do not show: a verified salary schedule, after-tax income, net worth, or a definitive ranking for active hosts in 2026.
The Associated Press described broader economic pressure on late-night television, including lower ratings and advertising and challenges monetizing online highlights. It also reported NBC cost changes affecting The Tonight Show and Late Night. That context does not establish that any particular host’s compensation caused a program decision.
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