Conan O’Brien is returning to host the Oscars this year after his impressive performance last time. It is quite clear that he loves the gig. And since the Academy Awards event is Hollywood’s biggest night, one can assume that the host must be getting a hefty paycheck, too.

 As Conan steps back in for his second round as host, it is worth looking at how much he is actually getting paid.

The Oscars are a massive platform for actors and hosts alike, including Conan O’Brien. But the same cannot necessarily be said about the paycheck. In an interview with Jimmy Kimmel, former Oscars host Wanda Sykes shared that the pay for hosting the ceremony is often just “scale.”

That means the minimum union rate set by SAG-AFTRA, are not exactly what you would expect for one of Hollywood’s biggest nights, and Wanda Skyes' statement was proof of the same. It is especially surprising considering hosts have openly said the job takes months of preparation and an enormous amount of work.

While there is no official confirmation about Conan O’Brien’s salary, industry history suggests he may have earned a similar rate, both last year and this year.

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 Jimmy Kimmel, who has hosted the show multiple times, once revealed he was paid $15,000 for the job. He even turned down the hosting offer one year, saying the Oscars require an intense amount of effort.

After hosting the Oscars in 2024, Jimmy Kimmel was offered the job again in 2025. However, he turned it down, later explaining how demanding the workload for the Oscars could be. After Kimmel, John Mulaney was also offered the role, but he too declined for a similar reason, citing his already heavy schedule.

“It was just too much last year. You wind up pushing everything off till after the Oscars, and then you have to do everything you promised to do after the Oscars, after the Oscars. I did two years [2017 and 2018], it went well,” he said. “I did another two years [2023 and 2024], it went well. I figured I’d take a little break.”

Clearly, the paycheck is not the main reason celebrities take on the job, many have passed for the sheer amount of work involved. Fortunately for fans, the host for 2026 has been confirmed: Conan O’Brien will be returning to take the reins once again.

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What do you think about Conan O’ Brien’s paycheck for the Oscars' gig? Let us now in the comments.