The small-screen stars earning big bucks: best-paid TV personalities around the world

Top small-screen earners by nation

The biggest names in TV can earn staggering sums. But pay varies hugely from country to country.

In smaller nations, the top personality may pull in the equivalent of a few hundred thousand dollars a year. On the flip side, the leading figures in the world's largest media markets rake in many millions.

From household-name presenters and drama heavyweights to one very famous NFL legend, click or scroll on to discover the highest-paid TV star in 11 countries.

All dollar values in US dollars

Ireland: Patrick Kielty

Patrick Kielty, host of RTÉ's iconic Late Late Show, is currently Ireland's highest-paid TV star, earning $300,000 a year based on the latest published figures covering 2024. Former Late Late Show host Ryan Tubridy once set the benchmark, earning $630,000 in 2019. RTÉ has since introduced a cap on pay and the country's biggest broadcasting salaries now belong to commercial radio.

Claire Byrne is now believed to be Ireland's top-earning broadcaster, reportedly making $770,000 a year at Newstalk.

Australia: Scott Cam

Tradesperson-turned-TV favorite Scott Cam rules the roost Down Under, earning about $1.7 million a year as host of the hit renovation show The Block.

Cam has replaced fellow Nine Network star Karl Stefanovic. The Today Show anchor previously topped Australia's TV rich list, but his reported salary has been cut from around $2.2 million to $1.4 million amid declining ratings for the long-running morning show.

Egypt: Amr Adib

Talk-show host Amr Adib is the highest-paid TV star in the Arab world. He's said to earn $2.5 million a year presenting the nightly current-affairs programme Al-Hekaya on MBC Masr.

Egypt's TV industry also sees huge paydays during the annual Ramadan drama season, when the region's biggest series debut. For 2026, actress Mai Omar is reportedly the highest-paid performer, pulling in just under $1 million for her starring role in the drama Ghasel w Makwa. That said, legendary thespian Adel Imam has long been regarded as Egypt's top-earning actor on both the big and small screens.

France: Jean‑Luc Reichmann

Game show king Jean-Luc Reichmann is widely considered France's highest-paid TV presenter thanks to the enduring success of TF1's daytime quiz show Les douze coups de midi, which he's presented since 2010.

Media estimates suggest Reichmann earns around $1.5 million a year from hosting duties alone, with his total annual income, which includes acting and production work, reportedly reaching about $3.5 million.

Canada: Howie Mandel

TV star salaries are tricky to pin down in Canada. But based on his stellar career, Howie Mandel is almost certainly the nation's top small-screen earner.

The comedian and presenter is a long-time judge on America's Got Talent, reportedly making about $70,000 per episode, and repeats the role on Canada's Got Talent. He's hosted both the US and Canadian versions of Deal or No Deal, and is now fronting the Canadian edition of The Price is Right.

Needless to say, all this top-paying work has made Mandel very rich indeed, with his net worth estimated at $60 million.

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Germany: Günther Jauch

Veteran presenter Günther Jauch tops Germany's TV pay league. The long-time host of RTL's wer wird millionär?, the German version of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?, reportedly earns about $145,000 per episode. With 30 episodes filmed in 2025, that brings his annual earnings from the quiz show to almost $4.4 million.

Jauch's income extends well beyond presenting. His production company i&u TV produces both wer wird millionär? and stern tv, the current-affairs programme he's fronted for decades. Jaunch also owns a sprawling vineyard.

All in all, his various media and business ventures are said to make him as much as $35 million a year.

UK: Ant and Dec

Britain's TV pay crown belongs to double-act presenters Anthony McPartlin and Declan Donnelly, aka Ant and Dec, who are hired as a package. The pair front some of ITV's biggest shows, including I’m a Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here!, Britain’s Got Talent and the quiz Limitless Win.

Last year, the duo agreed a new $40 million three-year deal to remain with network ITV until 2028 when they'll celebrate the 30th anniversary of their partnership with the broadcaster. That works out at a tidy $6.6 million each a year.

South Korea: Lee Jung-jae

Squid Game star Lee Jung-jae commands the biggest pay packet in Korean TV. For the Netflix smash he reportedly earned $1 million per episode for both seasons two and three. That meant a payday of $13 million for the second season and $6 million for the six-episode final season released last summer.

Across the wider industry, Kim Soo-hyun is often cited as South Korea’s top earner over time, courtesy of a string of top-rated K-dramas and lucrative endorsement deals. Tatler Asia pegged his fortune at a whopping $117 million.

Brazil: Luciano Huck

Brazil's TV pay ladder is topped by Sunday-night host Luciano Huck. The seasoned presenter fronts Globo's Domingão com Huck, one of the country's biggest entertainment shows. Reports suggest Huck earns about $670,000 a month, putting his annual TV salary at roughly $8 million.

Huck has been a fixture on Brazilian TV for decades and previously hosted the hugely popular Caldeirão do Huck. The star presenter has built a sizable media fortune along the way, with his net worth estimated at around $100 million.

India: Salman Khan

Bollywood superstar Salman Khan is India's highest-paid TV star despite not actually acting on the small screen. Instead, the film luminary is lavished with enormous fees to host the reality show Bigg Boss, the Indian version of Big Brother.

Khan is said to have earned as much as $27 million for Bigg Boss 18 in 2024. Even with a reported pay cut for last year's Bigg Boss 19, his estimated fee of around $16 million still puts him miles ahead of every other Indian TV personality in terms of pay.

USA: Tom Brady

Former NFL quarterback Tom Brady is the highest-paid figure on American TV after signing a blockbuster broadcasting deal with Fox Sports, according to Forbes. The seven-time Super Bowl champion reportedly earns about $37.5 million a year as the network’s lead NFL analyst, part of a lucrative contract that also includes stock and ambassador roles across the company.

Among scripted TV stars, the biggest pay packets go to Jennifer Aniston and Reese Witherspoon for Apple TV+ drama The Morning Show. They reportedly earn $2 million apiece per episode, meaning each took home $20 million for the show's 10-episode fourth season, which aired last year.

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Now take a look at the highest-paid TV hosts