Dr. Phil Is Radio, TV's Highest Paid Host

Dr. Phil

Psychologist turned all-star television personality Dr. Phil learned $95 million in Forbes year long scoring period, a bigger sum than any other radio or television host.

Dr. Phil—whose real name is Phil McGraw—got his television start on The Oprah Winfrey Show in the late 1990s, appearing every Tuesday as a life and relationship expert. On the syndicated Dr. Phil show, he gives out life advice to teens who’ve dropped out of school, grieving moms, women who are trying to leave abusive relationships and more. The series has remained popular in the years since McGraw voluntarily surrendered his license to practice psychology in 2006.

As both the producer and star of the show, he gets more than 50% of the show’s advertising profit—more than $50 million in his pocket—as well as money for product placement and, this year, a seven-figure signing bonus for agreeing to do four more seasons.

McGraw now produces four other series: MD-hosted talk show The Doctors, jury consulting firm drama The Bull, celebrity gossip show DailyMailTV and advice talk show Face the Truth. He’s also returning to his psychologist roots, although not practicing: He cofounded the app Doctor on Demand, which virtually connects patients with a network of psychologists and is valued at $300 million.

This year’s five highest-earning hosts made a collective $427 million between June 1, 2018, and June 1, 2019, making hosting one of the most lucrative careers in entertainment. Those on the list vary from a conservative radio host to family-friendly reality stars, most of whom have expanded far beyond their original mediums to become household names and personalities.

5. Ryan Seacrest: $71.5 million

4. Ellen DeGeneres: $80.5 million

3. Rush Limbaugh: $87 million

2. Howard Stern: $93 million

1. Dr. Phil: $95 million