Inside Oscars 2026 paycheck: Host Conan O’Brien’s Academy Awards salary explained

Hosting the Oscars is a priceless experience, but how much does the host get as a paycheck? This year, as Conan O’Brien returns to host the biggest night in cinema, here’s a breakdown of how much he’s getting paid.

Surprisingly, the comedian is likely to walk away with only a five-figure paycheck.

Jimmy Kimmel’s five-figure salary reveal

Four-time host Jimmy Kimmel previously revealed he was paid USD 15,000 for helming the biggest night in Hollywood, a paycheck he said isn't quite worth the man hours of work that go into hosting, which is part of why the ‘Jimmy Kimmel Live!’ host politely turned down the opportunity to return in 2025. In the ‘Politickin'’ podcast, Kimmel said, “It’s hard and it’s a lot of work and suffers a little bit, to be honest.”

He continued, “When I’m focused on the Oscars, I’m less focused on the show.

And I just decided I didn’t want to deal with that this year. It was just too much last year. You wind up pushing everything off till after the Oscars, then you have to do everything you promised to do after the Oscars after the Oscars.”Jimmy isn't the only celebrity to have discussed the return on investment the hosts get for their hard work.

Wanda Sykes knew that hosting Oscars will cost her money

Wanda Sykes, who hosted in 2022, previously shared her paycheck was about scale, a.k.a.

the minimum hourly wage that SAG-AFTRA union members get paid. As Wanda put it while a guest on Jimmy Kimmel Live the same year she hosted, "I realized that out of all the jobs that I have, this one is actually gonna cost me money.”

Conan O'Brien's take on hosting Oscars

And the comedian, too, has discussed how much work goes into hosting the show, especially when it comes to writing the jokes. In fact, he made surprise appearances in LA comedy clubs to try out material in the time leading up to the award show.

“I get obsessive,” he told The Hollywood Reporter in an interview published March 9. “I want to turn it off, but I can’t. That’s not always a fun ride, but that’s the deal. At 62, I understand it.

”Nevertheless, the somewhat low paycheck was not enough to deter Conan from returning as host for the second time in a row for the 2026 ceremony.DISCLAIMER: Figures presented in this article are derived from various public sources and are considered approximate unless explicitly noted. We may include direct input from celebrities or their teams when available. We are open to feedback on [email protected].