Network television may be bringing in younger talent from Jimmy Fallon to Seth Meyers to boost ratings; however, TV's highest-paid late-night host is Jon Stewart over on cable.
According to TV Guide's annual salary report, "The Daily Show" host makes anywhere from $25-$30 million per year for the Comedy Central show. In 2012, TV Guide reported his salary at $16 million.
That number blows network hosts out of the water. The average salary for the late-night hosts hovers around $10 million. The only one who comes close to Stewart's reported pay check is David Letterman at $20 million per year.
Here are the numbers via TV Guide:
| Late-night Personality | Network | Salary per year |
| 1. Jon Stewart | Comedy Central | $25-$30 million |
| 2. David Letterman | CBS | $20 million |
| 3. Conan O'Brien | TBS | $12 million |
| 4. Jimmy Fallon | NBC | $11 million |
| 6. Chelsea Handler | Netflix | $10 million |
| 6. Jimmy Kimmel | ABC | $10 million |
| 7. John Oliver | HBO | $2 million |
Stewart has been hosting "The Daily Show" since 1999. The show now averages more than 1.5 million viewers daily.
According to Fox News, “Jimmy Kimmel” and “The Late Show with David Letterman” averaged 2.7 million and 2.85 million viewers, respectively, as of April.
Jimmy Fallon has been receiving an average of 4.3 million views on "The Tonight Show."
SEE ALSO: The trailer for Jon Stewart's directorial debut, "Rosewater"
AND: Kevin Spacey is making $500,000 per episode on "House of Cards"