No—not in Forbes’s 2025 comparison. Forbes estimated Stephen Colbert’s TV earnings at $15 million, while Jimmy Fallon and Jimmy Kimmel were each estimated at $16 million. Those figures are informed estimates of pretax earnings from TV work, not confirmed annual salaries. Colbert’s The Late Show ended on May 21, 2026, so the comparison is historical rather than a measure of current late-night pay.
How much did Stephen Colbert make?
Forbes estimated Colbert’s 2025 TV earnings at $15 million. That is the clearest comparable public figure in the available reporting, but it does not reveal his contract’s private terms or a verified base salary. Forbes’s 2025 list describes its estimates as total earnings paid by media companies to talent.
| # | Preview | Product | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
|
Does This Taste Funny?: Recipes Our Family Loves | $15.29 | Buy on Amazon |
| 2 |
|
I Am America (And So Can You!) | $11.32 | Buy on Amazon |
| 3 |
|
Stephen Colbert's Midnight Confessions | $9.80 | Buy on Amazon |
| 4 |
|
America Again: Re-becoming the Greatness We Never Weren't | $9.03 | Buy on Amazon |
Forbes says it developed the estimates through interviews with agents, lawyers, managers, executives and other industry experts. The figures are pretax and relate specifically to TV work, before representation fees. Because deals can include traditional salaries as well as production deals or licensing agreements, an estimated earnings total is broader than a disclosed paycheck.
Was Colbert the highest-paid late-night host?
Not among the three hosts compared in Forbes’s 2025 figures. Fallon and Kimmel were each estimated at $16 million, placing them $1 million above Colbert. The comparison uses the same publisher, year and stated measure, but it is not an audited ranking of every late-night host.
Recommended Free Tools
#1 Best Overall
| Host | Estimated 2025 TV earnings |
| Jimmy Fallon | $16 million (Forbes estimate) |
| Jimmy Kimmel | $16 million (Forbes estimate) |
| Stephen Colbert | $15 million (Forbes estimate) |
These numbers should not be confused with net worth, which estimates accumulated assets, or with a confirmed annual base salary. The Forbes comparison offers a useful same-year snapshot of estimated TV-related compensation; it does not establish precisely how much any host received under a particular contract.
Why the salary claim needs a date
The Late Show with Stephen Colbert concluded with its final episode on May 21, 2026, after 11 years with Colbert as host, according to CBS News. That makes “king of late night” misleading if it is meant to describe the current host landscape: Colbert is no longer hosting the program, and the cited pay comparison refers to estimated earnings in 2025.
Rank #2
CBS announced that the franchise would end and described the decision as financial. In July 2025, then-Paramount Global president and chief executive officer George Cheeks told The Associated Press: “This is purely a financial decision against a challenging backdrop in late night. It is not related in any way to the show’s performance, content or other matters happening at Paramount.” The statement is the network’s stated rationale, not proof that Colbert’s compensation caused the cancellation. AP also reported public skepticism about the explanation; competing interpretations of the decision should not be presented as settled fact.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What late-night advertising figures do—and do not—show
There is industry context for the financial pressure Cheeks cited. The Associated Press reported Guidelines estimates of broadcast-network advertising revenue for late-night programs of $439 million in 2018 and $220 million in 2024. Those figures describe the sector, not The Late Show specifically, and they do not establish the show’s revenue, costs or the reason it ended.
Quick wins for a faster PC:
Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →Rank #3
Colbert summed up the close of the run in the finale: “We were lucky enough to be here for the last 11 years.” The farewell marked the end of his CBS hosting tenure, not a public disclosure of his contract.
Quick Recap
Rank #4
- America Again, Re-Becoming The Greatness We Never Weren't
- Stephen Colbert
- Comedy
- Comedians
- Late Night Talk Shows and Talk Show Hosts
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
