Kaitlan Collins Reportedly Earns A Hefty Salary From Her Drama-Filled CNN Job

Despite chatter that CNN's layoffs could see Kaitlan Collins thrown to the curb, she's emerged as one of CNN's brightest stars — and no surprise, there's a substantial paycheck to go with that. According to Celebrity Net Worth, the CNN anchor rakes in a whopping $3 million annually. 

That Collins has such an impressive salary isn't all that surprising when you take into account all the success she's had over the last few years. Among countless other achievements, she was included in Forbes' 30 Under 30 back in 2019 and, in 2024, featured on the Time100 Next list. The latter saw Anderson Cooper provide the write-up for her profile, and he certainly didn't hold back on the compliments. "So many people come and go in cable news that it can at times feel like an episode of 'Survivor,' but I'm not worried about Kaitlan. She will outwit, outplay, and outlast us all. She is that good, and she is only just getting started," the longtime CNN anchor wrote. 

Cooper isn't the only well-known face to have gushed over Collins. Wolf Blitzer has also showered her with praise, telling Vanity Fair, "She's relentless, in the best possible way." And then, there's Jeff Zucker, who hired Collins before he left CNN. "Her work ethic is second to none. She is incredibly committed," he said of the anchor, whom he believed might be the last "Great" in the news business. As such, he continued, "This idea of her anchoring a daily show and also being the chief White House correspondent shouldn't phase anyone. That's just par for the course for Kaitlan," he said. With commendations like that, it's not hard to see why CNN is happy to shell out $3 million a year!

Even with her impressive net worth, Kaitlan Collins doesn't exactly plaster social media with pics of her lavish lifestyle. Every now and then, though, we get a glimpse of what she may be spending some of her fortune on: fashun. 

Collins regularly tags some of the pricy brands she's worn on her Instagram. There was the time she donned a glittering Emilia Wickstead set for her appearance on "Late Night with Seth Meyers." The pants alone retail for more than $790, while the top goes for over $580 — plus, Collins accessorized with Larroude heels and coin pendant necklaces from Jane Win jewelry. Collins has also donned a skin-baring dress by Delphine, which would have set her back nearly $1,300, and a L'Agence mini for "The Late Show with Stephen Colbert."

Of course, it's possible that Collins' lewks for late-night TV shows and events have come from stylists, so she might not have paid for every item worn. However, even in her downtime, she's been known to like a premium piece. Case in point: while vacationing in California in early 2025, she posed for an Instagram pic at the vintage designer store Uncommon Thread. She also seemed to have tagged what she was wearing, so we get the impression she'd purchased the bedazzled jacket there. Sticking with the same vacation photo dump, it didn't escape us that Collins also shared snaps from a meal at the Polo Lounge and hanging poolside at the Avalon Hotel in Palm Springs, which costs between $385 and $873 a night. Hey — at $3 million a year, we'd say a lavish vacation is in order.