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No—not in the most comparable published estimate available. Forbes’s 2025 list put Stephen Colbert’s estimated TV earnings at $15 million, below Jimmy Fallon and Jimmy Kimmel at $16 million each. Those figures are estimates of broader TV-related earnings, not confirmed base salaries.
How much did Stephen Colbert make compared with other late-night hosts?
Forbes published its TV-host earnings list on September 15, 2025. Its figures place Colbert among the highest-paid TV hosts, but not at the top of this comparison:
| # | Preview | Product | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
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Does This Taste Funny?: Recipes Our Family Loves | $15.29 | Buy on Amazon |
| 2 |
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I Am America (And So Can You!) | $11.32 | Buy on Amazon |
| 3 |
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Stephen Colbert's Midnight Confessions | $9.80 | Buy on Amazon |
| 4 |
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America Again: Re-becoming the Greatness We Never Weren't | $9.03 | Buy on Amazon |
| Host | Estimated TV earnings | Source and year |
|---|---|---|
| Jimmy Fallon | $16 million | Forbes, 2025 |
| Jimmy Kimmel | $16 million | Forbes, 2025 |
| Stephen Colbert | $15 million | Forbes, 2025 |
The figures are close: Forbes’s estimates put Fallon and Kimmel $1 million ahead of Colbert. They do not establish a definitive ranking of every late-night host, so the careful conclusion is that Colbert was not the highest-paid among these three in Forbes’s 2025 comparison.
Are these figures Colbert’s actual salary?
No. Forbes describes the amounts as estimates of pretax earnings for TV work, before representation fees—not verified payroll records or disclosed annual base salaries. Its methodology draws on interviews with agents, lawyers, managers, executives and other industry experts. Forbes says the estimates represent total earnings paid by media companies to talent; compensation can include traditional salaries as well as production deals and licensing agreements. As the publication puts it, “The above rankings estimate the total earnings paid by media companies to talent.” Read Forbes’s 2025 list and methodology.
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That distinction matters: a host’s estimated TV earnings are not necessarily the cash salary in a contract, and they say nothing by themselves about take-home pay, taxes, investments or net worth. The available comparison does not establish Colbert’s private contract amount.
Why did The Late Show end?
The Late Show with Stephen Colbert ended with its final episode on May 21, 2026, after 11 years with Colbert as host, CBS News reported. CBS had announced the end of the franchise and described it as a financial decision. That stated rationale should not be confused with proof that Colbert’s pay caused the cancellation.
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In July 2025, then-Paramount Global president and CEO George Cheeks said, “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 Associated Press reported both that explanation and public skepticism about the network’s account; the motive has therefore been disputed in public discussion. The Associated Press’s report on the cancellation. Colbert reflected in the finale, “We were lucky enough to be here for the last 11 years.” CBS News coverage of the finale.
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
Industry-wide broadcast-network advertising revenue offers context for the pressures facing late night, but it is not a measure of Colbert’s individual show or its profitability. Guidelines estimated late-night program advertising revenue at $439 million in 2018 and $220 million in 2024; the Associated Press reported those figures in 2025. The comparison indicates a substantial decline across the sector, not that Colbert’s compensation or his program’s finances alone explain the end of the show. The Associated Press’s report on late-night economics.
Quick Recap
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- America Again, Re-Becoming The Greatness We Never Weren't
- Stephen Colbert
- Comedy
- Comedians
- Late Night Talk Shows and Talk Show Hosts
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