HODA KOTB — $7 MILLION

Pizzazz and loyalty worked well for Hoda Kotb, who started as a Dateline NBC correspondent back in 1988 until she steadily climbed her career ladder and hosted Today’s fourth hour, the show’s entertainment segment, with co-host Kathie Lee Gifford in 2008.

The American broadcast journalist replaced Matt Lauer, who was dismissed from the network in January 2018. Kotb’s addition gave rise to the all-female tandem, something new and never before seen in the show, which made it even more attractive to the audience. Now 55 years old and receiving an annual paycheck of about $7 million, Kotb’s credit score looks good.