Stephen Colbert Per Show Pay
Stephen Colbert earns an estimated $12 million to $15 million per year for hosting The Late Show with Stephen Colbert on CBS, translating to roughly $230,000 to $288,000 per episode based on a 52-week schedule with around 130 episodes per season. Forbes and industry salary trackers cite this range as the core Stephen Colbert salary tied directly to his show hosting duties Forbes.
The per-show figure includes base hosting compensation, not separate fees for guest bookings, digital extensions, or international distribution, and actual take-home pay is lower after taxes, management splits, and production cost allocations.
Contract Terms and Total Compensation
Colbert signed a long-term deal with CBS and Comedy Central that extended his tenure through the mid-2020s, with reported annual guarantees in the $12 million to $15 million band and performance bonuses tied to ratings and digital engagement CNBC.
Total compensation includes salary, profit participation where applicable, and benefits such as production overhead support, but the headline Stephen Colbert salary per show remains the most cited metric for comparing late-night hosts.
Comparison With Other Late-Night Hosts
Colbert's estimated per-show pay places him in the upper tier of late-night television, above many peers, though figures vary by network, time slot, and audience size Business Insider.
Publicly available data ranks Colbert among the highest-paid late-night hosts in the U.S., with his show generating significant advertising revenue for CBS while his personal compensation reflects his role as the anchor brand SEC.