Jesse Watters salary: How much money does the Fox News TV host make?

Jesse Watters, who replaced Tucker Carlson after the Fox News star’s sudden exit from the network, has quickly grown a following with his move to primetime. The right-wing commentator has been with the network for two decades and has moved from a low-level production staff member on the O’Reilly Factor to hosting his own show.

As Israel continues its assault on Gaza, cable news viewers are tuning into Watters’ show, with his program averaging 2.58 million viewers a night. Fox News has continued to garner larger audiences than CNN and MSNBC, even as the viewership among the networks has grown in the last month.

Watters has made his support of Israel clear and even attacked Arab-Americans in a recent broadcast for their support of the Palestinian cause. These comments only add fuel to an Islamophobic fire that has been burning in the US for decades.

Just as anti-Semitic violence has risen in recent years, so have attacks against Muslim communities. At a time when tensions are high, Watters is using his platform to further divisions, when in reality, there is no need for Jewish and Muslim people in the US and around the world to be pitted against one another.

What we know about Jesse Watters’ income

Knowing exactly how much Fox News is paying Watters is nearly impossible without a copy of his tax return, but some outlets have tried to take a stab at estimating the figure. Carlson was paid $20 million a year for his work at the network, and to avoid a breach of contract, Fox News continues to pay him this salary, reported Variety.

Based on these public reports, it is likely that Watters makes less than this amount but in the same range.

The site Wealthy Gorilla, which calculates net worths and salaries of many celebrities, puts Watters’ income at $16 million in 2022. However, no citation of methodology as to how this figure was calculated is provided by the site. Trending News Buzz, another site that looks into the financials and personal life of public figures, also puts his salary at $16 million, but again, no citation or basis for the number is provided.

In addition to his work at Fox News, Watters may have other sources of income, including speaking engagements and royalties from his book ‘How I Saved the World,’ published in 2021.