Breaking down Howard Stern's net worth and income sources in 2025

Breaking down Howard Stern's net worth and income sources in 2025

Howard Stern's net worth ranks him among the world's richest broadcasters. He went from earning less than $100 weekly to almost $100 million yearly. The self-dubbed King of All Media once revealed his inspiration for being behind the mic, saying:

I wanted my dad to look at me with the same respect he did Larry Storch and Don Adams.
Howard Stern's net worth
Howard Stern at the 2006 NASDAQ opening bell (L). The broadcaster at the New Jersey Performing Arts Center in 2015 (R). Photo: Mario Tama, Dave Kotinsky (modified by author)
Source: Getty Images

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Key takeaways

  • Howard's pay-per-view special, The Miss Howard Stern New Year's Eve Pageant, grossed $16 million in 1993.
  • In 1999, he had an estimated net worth of $20 million, per Forbes.
  • The business magazine named him the world's highest-paid media personality with an estimated $95 million annual income in 2015.
  • A film adaptation of his Private Parts book grossed $41.2 million domestically.

Howard Stern's profile summary

Full nameHoward Allan Stern
GenderMale
Date of birth12 January 1954
Age71 years old (2025)
Zodiac signCapricorn
Place of birthNew York City, USA
NationalityAmerican
EthnicityMixed
ReligionJewish
Alma materBoston University
Sexual orientationStraight
Marital statusMarried
SpouseBeth Ostrosky
Children3
OccupationMedia personality
Years active1975-present
Social mediaInstagramFacebookX (Twitter)YouTube

Howard Stern's net worth shows he has made millions being himself

According to TheThings and TheRichest, Howard has an estimated net worth of $650 million. The media personality reportedly makes over $90 million yearly.

The first shock jock to have a widespread fan base, he attributed honesty to his successful career in a May 2019 interview with CBS Sunday Morning.

My whole career has been about transparency. I am an open book.
Howard Stern's facts
Media personality Howard Stern during the 2005 Howard Stern Farewell K-Rock Radio Broadcast at 56th Street in New York City. Photo: J. Kempin
Source: Original

Early radio and his first million-dollar deal

Stern made his career debut working at Boston University's WTBU radio station. After graduation, he landed a job at WRNW, earning $96 weekly. In 1997, Howard was promoted to the station's program director for an increased weekly income of $250.

By 1982, he had the second-highest-rated morning show in the city while at WWDC. The same year, Howard moved to WNBC, where he was offered a 5-year contract worth $1 million.

In 1985, he inked a 5-year $500,000 deal with Infinity Broadcasting's WXRX. Stern agreed to work for the station for five more years in 1990, earning $10 million. From July 1990 to 1992, he hosted The Howard Stern Show on WWOR-TV.

Howard's deal with Sirius ushered in a "new era of radio"

In October 2004, Stern announced a 5-year $500 million deal with Sirius Satellite Radio, which was immune to the Federal Communications Commission's rules. According to Entertainment Weekly, Howard said of the move:

I have desired to have the top-rated show since I was 5. Sirius will turn this dream into a reality as I bring my fans my show, my way.

The deal guaranteed him a $100 million annual budget for production, staff, and programming costs. In 2006 and 2007, the station awarded Howard stock worth $218 million and $82.9 million, respectively, for exceeding the subscriber count per the agreement.

He was paid $25 million when Sirius merged with AM Satellite Radio to form SiriusXM. According to The Sun, Stern signed a 5-year extension contract with Sirius worth $600 million in 2020. He reportedly makes over $333,000 for every episode of his show.

Howard Stern during In Demand Hosts The Howard Stern Film Festival at The Hudson Theater in 2015
Howard Stern during In Demand Hosts The Howard Stern Film Festival at The Hudson Theater in 2015. Photo: Bruce Gifford
Source: Getty Images

Television and film projects

Stern founded the Howard Stern Production Company in 1994. His most successful work as an executive producer was on Son of the Beach. In late 2002, he acquired the rights to the comedy films Porky's and Rock 'n' Roll High School.

In 2011, Howard replaced Piers Morgan as a judge of America's Got Talent in its seventh season. The show was moved to Radio City Music Hall in New York City to fit his radio show schedule. Stern earned $15 million annually for his role until he left the talent show in 2015.

Howard's Private Parts stayed on The New York Times Best-Seller list for 20 weeks

In 1993, Stern entered a $1 million deal with Simon & Schuster to write his first book, Private Parts. It sold 225,000 copies within hours of its release and over a million after two weeks.

Two years later, the media personality signed a $3 million deal with ReganBooks to write his second book, Miss America.

It sold 120,000 copies in its first week and stayed on The New York Times Best-Seller list for 16 weeks. Howard's third book, Howard Stern Comes Again, was released in May 2019.

Broadcaster Howard Stern during the 2018 Annual Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony
Broadcaster Howard Stern during the 2018 Annual Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony at Public Auditorium. Photo: Kevin Kane
Source: Getty Images

The broadcaster paid $52 million for a home in Palm Beach, Florida in 2017

Howard paid $4.9 million for a 4,000-square-foot apartment in Millennium Tower on the Upper West Side of Manhattan in 1998.

In 2008, he bought the adjoining unit for $5.75 million and two apartments on the 53rd floor for $15.1 million. Stern built a lavish mansion on a piece of land he had bought for $20 million in Southampton in 2005, per The New York Post.

FAQs

In 2000, Forbes estimated Howard's annual salary between $17 million and $20 million. Below are some frequently asked questions about him:

Does Howard Stern have a PhD?

The New York City native graduated with a major in broadcasting and film and a minor in English and speech from Boston University in 1976.

Is Howard Stern married?

Stern exchanged nuptials with Alison Berns in 1978 but divorced in 2001. The ex-couple shares three daughters, Ashley Jade, Deborah Jennifer and Emily Beth Stern. Howard has been married to Beth Ostrosky since 2008.

Howard Stern and Beth Ostrosky at the Longacre Theatre in 2008
Howard Stern and Beth Ostrosky at the Longacre Theatre in 2008. Photo: Gustavo Caballero
Source: Getty Images

What does Howard Stern pay his staff?

According to Celebrity Net Worth, The Howard Stern Show co-host Robin Quivers and executive producer Gary Dell'Abate reportedly earn $10 million and $4 million annually, respectively.

How big is Howard Stern's house?

Howard's mansion in Palm Beach, Florida, purportedly sits just under 19,000 square feet across a 40,000 square foot area. It has a value of $300 million, according to Celebrity Net Worth.

Howard Stern's net worth mirrors his half-century-long career in the entertainment industry. From his lucrative contract with SiriusXM to his book sales, it is evident that the media personality makes millions doing what he loves most.

READ ALSO: Howard Stern's daughters: Get to know his 3 children

Briefly.co.za published an article about Howard Stern's children, Deborah Jennifer, Emily Beth and Ashley Jade Stern.

All the kids are from his first marriage to Alison Bern, his wife, for over two decades. Despite having a famous father, Howard Stern's children have chosen to live private lives.

Source: Briefly News

Authors:
Ruth Gitonga avatar

Ruth Gitonga (Lifestyle writer) Ruth Gitonga has a background experience in Mass Communication for over six years. She graduated from the University of Nairobi with a degree in Mass Communication in December 2014. In 2023, Ruth finished the AFP course on Digital Investigation Techniques. She has worked for Briefly.co.za for seven years now. She specializes in topics like lifestyle, entertainment, travel, technology, and sports. Email: gitongaruth14@gmail.com.

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