Sergey Diakov
When Hoda Kotb announced she was stepping away from the TODAY Show after nearly three decades with NBC, people weren't just curious about what she'd do next – they wanted to know how much she'd actually made during her legendary run. The answer? A whole lot more than most people realize.
Early Days: Making Pennies in Local News
Back in 1986, Hoda wasn't exactly rolling in cash. Her first real job as a news assistant at a CBS station in Morgantown, West Virginia paid around $20,000 a year – barely enough to cover rent and ramen noodles. She'd just graduated from Virginia Tech with a journalism degree and was willing to take whatever she could get to break into the business.
Her first on-air gig came at WINK-TV down in Fort Myers, Florida, where she actually got to report stories instead of just fetching coffee. The pay wasn't much better, maybe $25,000-30,000, but at least she was doing what she loved. From there, she bounced around to Tampa and eventually New Orleans, slowly climbing the ladder. By the mid-90s, she was making somewhere in the $50,000-75,000 range at WWL-TV – decent money, but nothing compared to what was coming.
Breaking Through: The NBC Game-Changer
Everything changed when NBC came calling in 1998. Landing a spot as a Dateline correspondent meant Hoda was finally playing in the big leagues, and her paycheck reflected it. She was pulling in somewhere between $200,000 and $300,000 a year, which felt like winning the lottery compared to her local news days. Her Hurricane Katrina coverage really put her on the map – people connected with her empathy and realness in a way that felt different from typical network reporters.
The real money started flowing in 2007 when she got paired with Kathie Lee Gifford for the fourth hour of TODAY. That show became a phenomenon, and Hoda's salary jumped to around $2 million annually. But the biggest payday came in 2018 when she replaced Matt Lauer as co-anchor of the main TODAY show. Suddenly she was making between $8 and $10 million a year, putting her in the same league as the network's biggest stars. That's when her Hoda Kotb net worth really started to skyrocket.
The Money Picture: Where She Stands Now
So what's Hoda Kotb's net worth today? Most estimates put it around $30 million, which honestly seems about right when you add everything up. Sure, the TODAY Show salary was the main event, but she's been smart about diversifying. Her books have done really well – titles like "I've Loved You Since Forever" and her memoir sold tons of copies and probably brought in a few million extra over the years.
Even though she's leaving TODAY, she's not exactly hurting for work. Word is she could easily command $5 to $7 million for the right gig, whether that's another morning show, a streaming deal, or something completely different. She owns property in New York, has made solid investments, and basically set herself up so she never has to worry about money again. Not bad for a girl who started out making $20,000 in West Virginia.
How Hoda Says You Can Make It Too
Here's what's cool about Hoda – she's always been pretty open about what she thinks made her successful. Her biggest thing is just being yourself. She's never tried to be some polished, perfect TV robot. She cries on air, she laughs too loud, she talks about her struggles – and people love her for it. She always says your quirks are actually your superpowers, not something to hide.
She's also big on bouncing back when life knocks you down. Getting breast cancer in 2007 could've ended everything, but she came back stronger and more connected to her audience than ever. She talks a lot about staying grateful and not getting too caught up in the chase for more, more, more. It's about doing work that matters and building real relationships, not just padding your bank account.
Another thing she hammers home is being ready when opportunity shows up. She spent years covering hurricanes and crime stories in markets nobody's heard of, and that grunt work prepared her for the big stage. She took risks too – leaving comfortable jobs for uncertain opportunities because she trusted her gut. And honestly? That combination of preparation, authenticity, and courage is probably the real secret behind her impressive net worth.
The bottom line is Hoda Kotb built her fortune the old-fashioned way – by working her tail off, staying real, and never forgetting where she came from. Thirty million dollars and counting, and she did it without losing herself along the way.
Sergey Diakov
