Robin Roberts (1960), Connecticut | $18M

Like other TV personalities, Robin Roberts was busy with another endeavor before entering the TV industry. She was first a basketball player in college, but after earning a degree in communication from Southeastern Louisiana University, she pursued a career in journalism, inspired by her successful sister.

However, Roberts’ knowledge as an athlete became handy because she was first a sports journalist. While working for ESPN, she was tapped to appear at “Good Morning America” and later became a co-anchor. In 2013, she was paid $14 million a year for this work, but by 2016 that figure had risen to an impressive $18 million.