Howard Stern holds many significant credits to his name, and his tenure on America’s Got Talent added another feather to his cap. From the reality TV show’s seventh season in 2012 to its tenth season in 2015, he served as a judge and took home a magnificent amount of salary as well, somewhere in the range of $20 million per season.
As reported by TMZ, when he was asked if he was earning $20 million during his freshman year on the series, Stern laughed and said, “Do I work for that little?” before proceeding to add, “Yes, to the bank.” From his words, it’s safe to assume that the media personality truly earned some major paychecks for his time at AGT.
But if he was earning so much, why did he leave? Well, according to the reports, the radio personality left the show to devote more time to his radio show. Per the New York Daily News, Stern told his SiriusXM satellite radio listeners that he would jump ship from AGT to another television opportunity, but didn’t dive into any details.
During another appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live!, Stern explained that he never enjoyed his time on America’s Got Talent, and even “hated every minute” of the experience, though he probably meant that as a joke. Besides that, he complained to Kimmel (via Bustle), “I’m six-foot-five, and the cameraman was shooting up my huge nostrils. I had no good side.”
Additionally, according to Life & Style Magazine, Stern’s careful decision to depart the show also stemmed from his already having too much on his plate. He said at the time,
I’m going through my own career evaluation right now… I’m just too f–king busy. This year, doing America’s Got Talent, doing the radio show, something’s got to give. NBC’s already asked me what my intentions are for next year, whether or not I would come back. I kind of told them, ‘I think this is my last season.’
Well, all of these serve as more than enough reasons for him to leave. Plus, he has since gone on to focus more wholeheartedly on his SiriusXM podcast, The Howard Stern Show, so his choice appears to have been made only for the better.
Howard Stern’s Other Salaries and Contracts
Howard Stern’s time in the entertainment industry has been nothing short of rewarding over the years (even through all the controversies, yes), considering how he has not only helped platforms gain attention but has taken home some big paychecks in return for the same as well.
For instance, before he joined SiriusXM, the satellite platform had around 600,000 subscribers and was even losing $226 million per year on revenues of $13 million (via Celebrity Net Worth). However, since Stern’s joining, those numbers have increased tremendously, as the combined SiriusXM service has 35 million paying subscribers today and even generates around $1.8 billion in profits on $7.2 billion in revenue. Sweet!
In exchange, on the platform, Stern enjoys total, uncensored free speech outside of the FCC’s grasp. And, well, that much seems to be his fair share, since analysts have reported that at least 10% to 15% of the platform’s subscribers took on the service exclusively to listen to him.
Before he joined Sirius, Stern still had a remarkable career as he was making $30 million per year at Viacom to broadcast on terrestrial radio. Then, in 2004, he snagged the title of being one of the highest-paid radio figures by signing a five-year deal with the platform worth $500 million.
This deal with SiriusXM essentially paid him $100 million per year, with $80 million of it being in cash and the remaining $20 million being in stock. This $100 million also covered the show’s production costs, including staff salaries, with it estimated that the radio personality kept $50 million for himself.
The years that followed spelled victory for him as well. Stern re-upped with another five-year $500 million deal in 2010, and in 2015, signed a new 12-year deal with SiriusXM. This deal reportedly paid him $80 million per year, and that covers a salary for himself, salaries for his staff, and production costs for the show.
By the time this latest deal is up, the radio personality will have personally earned over $1 billion (excluding production costs) in salary during his time at the platform. Not to mention, he has also earned many hundreds of millions of dollars (pre-tax) from terrestrial radio prior to 2005.
Plus, in 2020, Stern confirmed that he had signed a five-year extension with SiriusXM, which was reported to be worth $600 million, working out to around $120 million to cover all production costs.
Currently, a new contract for Howard Stern has not been officially confirmed by SiriusXM, now that his current five-year deal is set to expire at the end of 2025. However, negotiations are ongoing, so fans will have to wait and see what pans out for him (via The Hollywood Reporter).
What Is Howard Stern’s Net Worth in 2025?
As of 2025, Howard Stern enjoys a pretty commendable net worth of $650 million, per Celebrity Net Worth. The first ‘shock jock’ to have such a widespread fanbase, his salary is reportedly $90 million.
This includes his well-established real estate portfolio as well. Based on the details provided by Celebrity Net Worth, here’s a look at his lucrative portfolio of all the properties that he has owned over the years:
Looking at all these details and numbers, it’s evident that Howard Stern has been living a pretty luxurious life so far, even after leaving his millions-worth gig with America’s Got Talent. Then again, his salary with SiriusXM is much greater, so can you really blame him?!
