How Much Ken Jennings Makes on Jeopardy! Will Surprise You

He’s won more than $4 million as a contestant, but how much does Ken Jennings make as Jeopardy!‘s host? Viewers may be surprised by his salary and how it compares to his earnings as the game show’s best contestant of all time.

Jennings is a former Jeopardy contestant who holds the record for the longest winning streak on the game show. In 2004, Jennings won 74 consecutive Jeopardy games before he was defeated by contestant Nancy Zerg on his 75th appearance.

Jennings joined as a guest host on Jeopardy in January 2021 after the game show’s former host, Alex Trebek, died from pancreatic cancer in November 2020. Trebek — who was 80 years old when he died — hosted Jeopardy from 1984 to 2020. In July 2022, Jennings and actress Mayim Bialik, who is an actress best known for starring on CBS’ Big Bang Theory, were announced as the permanent co-hosts of Jeopardy following the resignation of producer Mike Richards, who was hired as Trebek’s replacement in August 2021 but resigned a week later after sexual harassment and wrongful termination allegations from past and current employees.

Jennings became the sole host of Jeopardy! in December 2023 after Bialik announced her exit. “As the holiday break begins in Hollywood, I have some Jeopardy! news. Sony has informed that I will no longer be hosting the syndicated version of Jeopardy! I am incredibly honored to have been nominated for a Primetime Emmy for hosting this year and I am deeply grateful for the opportunity to be a part of the Jeopardy! family,” Bialik wrote in an Instagram post at the time. “For all of you who have supported me through this incredible journey and to the fans, contestants, writers, staff and crew of America’s Favorite Quiz Show, thank you.”

Now that Jennings is the one and only host of Jeopardy!, viewers can’t help but wonder what he makes. So how much does Ken Jennings make on Jeopardy!? Read on for what we know about Ken Jennings’ salary per episode as Jeopardy!’s host.

How much does Ken Jennings make on Jeopardy!?

Ken Jennings makes $4 million per year as Jeopardy!’s host, according to a report by Puck News in December 2023. His former co-host Mayim Bialik, who left Jeopardy! in 2023, also made $4 million per year.

Puck News also reported that Bialik’s salary was set to increase by $1 million each year she remained on Jeopardy! as she only served as a full-time host for one year on the game show. The site also reported that Jennings salary is expected to increase now that Bialik has left and remains as the sole host on Jeopardy! Both Bialik and Jennings were nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award in the Outstanding Host for a Game Show category in 2023.

How much did Ken Jennings win on Jeopardy!?

Ken Jennings holds the record for the highest-earning American game show contestant in history. He’s won $4,522,700 from Jeopardy! Jennings also holds the record for the longest winning streak on Jeopardy! with 74 consecutive wins. He won 74 consecutive games on Jeopardy! in 2004 before he was defeated by contestant Nancy Zerg in his 75th appearance.

In total, Jennings has won 4,522,700 from Jeopardy!, which consists of: $2,520,700 over his 74 Jeopardy! wins in 2004; a $2,000 second-place prize for his 75th appearance in 2004; a $500,000 second-place prize in the Jeopardy! Ultimate Tournament of Champions in 2005) a $300,000 second-place prize in Jeopardy!‘s IBM Challenge in 2011; a $100,000 second-place prize in the Jeopardy! Battle of the Decades in 2014; a $100,000 second-place prize (which was his share of his team’s total $300,000 prize) in the Jeopardy! All-Star Games in 2019; and a $1,000,000 first-place prize in Jeopardy! The Greatest of All Time in 2020.

What is Ken Jennings’ net worth?

Ken Jennings’ net worth is at least $4 million, according to Celebrity Net Worth. In an interview with Polygon in 2020, Jennings revealed the one Jeopardy! question that still haunts him to this day. “I guess the hardest pill to swallow for me was the time I had the best chance at beating Brad, who cleaned my clock three times from the past, but I was one question away from beating him,” he said. “And you had to name which secretaries of state were unmarried, and I guessed Madeleine Albright instead of Condoleezza Rice, and Brad came back and won that game. Just because I didn’t know enough about the love lives of U.S. secretaries of state. I still think about that sometimes on sleepless nights.”

In an interview, which was done before Trebek’s death, Jennings also revealed what it would be like to join the game show as its host. “Oh man. To me, I can’t even think about that question, because Alex is irreplaceable to me,” he said when asked about replacing Trebek. “He’s synonymous with the show. To answer that question, it would require thinking about a version of Jeopardy! without Alex Trebek, and I have not emotionally prepared for that. I mean, it would be very flattering, honestly. Obviously, that’s a dream job.”