Two Women Among Three Highest-Paid TV News Anchors After Matt Lauer's Firing

Since Matt Lauer was ousted from his coveted position as lead anchor of the Today show following multiple allegations of sexual misconduct, two of the three highest paid TV anchors are now women.

Robin Roberts and Megyn Kelly, who work for ABC and NBC, respectively, now join Fox News' Sean Hannity as the top three highest-earning television news anchors. Even with two women joining the top ranks, however, Hannity still makes twice what Roberts and Kelly earn in a year.

Hannity reportedly earned $36 million from June 2016 to June 2017 as host of his 9 p.m. Fox News Show Hannity, as well as his talk radio show The Sean Hannity Show, which is the second-most listened to commercial radio show in the country.

Roberts, who has co-anchored ABC's Good Morning America since 2005, earns $18 million per year, according to Forbes. During her tenure at ABC, Roberts and her team have won four Emmy Awards for Outstanding Morning Program, as well as the 2017 People's Choice Award for Favorite Daytime TV Hosting Team.

Kelly, who previously worked for Fox News, recently moved to NBC. And while her exact earnings remain disputed, her salary likely ranges from $15 million to $20 million, according to several media outlets. According to Variety, Kelly ties with Roberts with an $18 million salary.

Outside of the top three earners, ABC's George Stephanopoulos reportedly ranks as the fourth-highest earner at $15 million per year, while Anderson Cooper makes $12 million per year at CNN.