Stephen A. Smith is a very well-paid man.
The prominent ESPN personality, who is also hosting radio shows for SiriusXM – both in sports and in politics – works incredibly hard. Smith, 57, first joined ESPN in 2005. He ended up leaving the network in 2009, only to return in 2012. The “First Take” star has gone on to become one of the faces of the network. Smith, a New York native, leads ESPN’s top morning show, “First Take,” while making regular appearances on SportsCenter and ESPN’s other shows.
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Smith is very well paid as a result. According to The Athletic’s Andrew Marchand, Smith is one of the highest-paid figures in all of sports media. Smith actually makes a lot more money than many of the athletes he covers.
MINNEAPOLIS, MN – MAY 26: Stephen A. Smith reports from the sideline during Game 4 of the 2025 NBA Western Conference Finals on May 26, 2025 at Target Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images)Jesse D. Garrabrant/Getty Images
Marchand, who covers sports media for The Athletic, reported on Wednesday morning that Smith’s total yearly earnings should approach $40 million.
Smith makes well into eight figures through multiple forms of income.
Stephen A. Smith’s earnings: How much the ESPN star makes per year
His ESPN contract totals five years and $105 million, coming out to $21 million per year
His SiriusXM Radio contract totals three years and $36 million, coming out to $12 million per year
His YouTube channel and podcast should approach $7 million per year, bringing his annual compensation to $40 million per year
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“Smith is in a class of his own in sports media yearly earnings among personalities who never played professionally. He joins the likes of Tom Brady and Peyton Manning, who have transformed their legendary on-field careers into hundreds of millions in sports media earning power,” Marchand reports.
10 NFL quarterbacks making less money than Stephen A. Smith
Smith regularly covers the National Football League and, at $40 million per year, he makes about as much money as many of the star quarterbacks he covers. Smith at $40 million makes as much as Los Angeles Rams Super Bowl-winning quarterback Matthew Stafford, according to Over The Cap. He makes just $5 million per year less than Patrick Mahomes, who is making $45 million per year in salary.
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The ESPN star actually makes more money than the following 10 notable NFL quarterbacks, in annual salary:
Raiders QB Geno Smith – $37.5 million per year
Seahawks QB Sam Darnold – $33.5 million per year
Bucs QB Baker Mayfield – $33.3 million per year
Jets QB Justin Fields – $20 million per year
Colts QB Daniel Jones – $14 million per year
Steelers QB Aaron Rodgers – $13.65 million per year
Titans QB Cam Ward – $12.2 million per year
Giants QB Russell Wilson – $10.5 million per year
Bears QB Caleb Williams – $9.8 million per year
Panthers QB Bryce Young – $9.4 million per year
Smith, meanwhile, does not apologize for how much money he makes.
“I always want as much money as I can get. I’m not going to apologize to that — I’m a capitalist,” he said in a September interview on “The Chris Wallace Show.”
This story was originally reported by The Spun on Sep 17, 2025, where it first appeared in the Sports Media section. Add The Spun as a Preferred Source by clicking here.