What Is Colin Jost's Net Worth and Salary?
Colin Jost is an American stand-up comedian, actor, and writer who has a net worth of $10 million. Colin Jost is best known for his work on the iconic television show "Saturday Night Live" ("SNL"). Jost joined "SNL" as a writer in 2005, eventually rising through the ranks to become one of the show's head writers. Throughout his tenure, he has contributed to the program's unique blend of comedy and satire, earning numerous accolades for his work. In 2014, Jost took on a more visible role as the co-anchor of SNL's "Weekend Update" segment alongside Michael Che. The pair's chemistry and wit have made them one of the most popular "Weekend Update" duos in the show's history.
In addition to his work on SNL, Jost has made several appearances in films and television series, such as "Staten Island Summer" (2015 – he was also the writer) and "Tom and Jerry" (2021). He has also written for other television programs, including "Late Night with Jimmy Fallon" and the Emmy Awards, and he published the "New York Times" bestseller "A Very Punchable Face: A Memoir" in 2020.
Over the years, Colin has received multiple awards and nominations for his contributions to comedy and television. Among his accolades are several Writers Guild of America (WGA) Awards, multiple Primetime Emmy nominations, and a Peabody Award, which he shares with the SNL writing team.
Beyond his professional achievements, Jost has also made headlines for his personal life. In 2020, he married actress Scarlett Johansson, with whom he shares a son.
"Saturday Night Live" Salary
As a main cast member and writer who has been with the show since 2014, Colin earns $25,000 per episode of "SNL." Assuming he makes at least one appearance on all 21 episodes per year, Colin would make around $525,000 per season.
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Early Life
Colin Jost was born Colin Kelly Jost on June 29, 1982, in Staten Island, New York City, New York. His father worked as a teacher at Staten Island Technical High School, and his mother was the chief medical officer for the New York City Fire Department. Colin and his brother, Casey, were raised in the Roman Catholic faith and lived in the Grymes Hill neighborhood of Staten Island. Casey works in comedy as well, and he appeared in Colin's 2015 comedy "Staten Island Summer" and has worked as a writer for the television show "Impractical Jokers." Jost attended Regis High School and then was accepted into Harvard University. During his time at Harvard, he wrote for "The Harvard Lampoon," a student-run comedy publication.
Early Career
While enrolled at Harvard, Jost appeared on the NBC game show "The Weakest Link." He won a lofty sum of $5,250 competing on the show. After graduating from Harvard, he got a job working as a reporter and editor for the daily newspaper the "Staten Island Advance." He then worked on the Nickelodeon television series "Kappa Mikey," which was produced by Larry Schwarz and ran from 2006 to 2008.
After leaving the show, Colin sent a sample packet of his writing and an application to "Saturday Night Live." He was hired as a writer for the show in 2005, and being only 22 years old at the time, Jost was one of the youngest writers the show had hired. In 2009, he was promoted to writing supervisor, and he was named the "New Face" of the Montreal Just for Laughs comedy festival. He remained in his role of writing supervisor until 2012.
Following the 2013 season, Lorne Michaels asked Jost if he was interested in doing the "Weekend Update" feature because Seth Meyers was leaving to host "Late Night with Seth Meyers." Colin accepted and began doing the "Weekend Update" feature the next season. He has stated that he draws from the work of Norm Macdonald and Tina Fey for his Weekend Update material and the comedic tone. He also wrote an episode for Seth Meyer's show as well as an episode of the television series "Funny as Hell." Although he mainly does the "Weekend Update" features, he occasionally appears in other sketches. He portrayed John Kasich in a sketch of the Republican primary debates for the 2016 presidential election cycle, and for the 2020 Democratic primary debates, he portrayed Pete Buttigieg, who was his dormmate at Harvard. In 2017, he returned to his role as head writer for "Saturday Night Live."
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"SNL" Acclaim and Other Work
While writing for and starring on "Saturday Night Live," Jost continued to work on other writing and film projects. He wrote the 2015 comedy "Staten Island Summer," which was loosely based on his experiences growing up and starred Fred Armisen, Will Forte, and Ashley Greene. The film, produced by Lorne Michaels and John Goldwyn, didn't see a theatrical release and was instead released digitally on Netflix. The following year, he made an appearance in the romantic comedy "How to Be Single" alongside Dakota Johnson, Rebel Wilson, and Leslie Mann. The movie was a box office success, grossing over $112 million against a $38 million budget. In 2021, he appeared in the live-action / animated film "Tom & Jerry" and the Amazon Prime Video comedy "Coming 2 America," the sequel to 1988's "Coming to America."
Excluding "Saturday Night Live," his acting career in television and film is sparse, and he focuses more on comedy writing and standup comedy. Colin has made appearances on "Late Night with Jimmy Fallon," "Impractical Jokers," "Inside Jokes," "Live with Kelly and Ryan," "Today," "Jimmy Kimmel Live," "Late Night with Seth Meyers," and "The Ellen DeGeneres Show." He has returned to the Just for Laughs comedy festival several times, both in Montreal and Chicago. Jost has had his writings published in "The New Yorker," "The Huffington Post," "Radar," and "The Staten Island Advance." Additionally, he has written several pieces as a contributor to "The New York Times Magazine."
Jost and his "Weekend Update" co-anchor Michael Che were special correspondents for "WrestleMania 35," a pay-per-view wrestling event that aired in March 2019. In July 2020, Colin published the book "A Very Punchable Face: A Memoir," and it made it onto the "New York Times" Bestseller List. He has been nominated for 14 Primetime Emmy Awards for his work on "Saturday Night Live," and he has won three Writer's Guild of America Awards.
Personal Life
Before meeting his current wife, Jost dated actress and comedian Rashida Jones. He began dating actress Scarlett Johansson in May 2017, and they became engaged two years later. The couple tied the knot in October 2020 in a private, small ceremony. The couple welcomed son Cosmo in Augst 2021, and Colin is stepfather to Rose, Scarlett's daughter from her previous marriage to French businessman Romain Dauriac.
