10 Top Podcast Earners To Learn From

These are the 10 top highest paid podcasters in 2022. Want to learn how they did? Then keep reading. With Google reporting more than 10 million monthly podcast searches, it’s reasonable to assume podcasts will only grow in popularity.

Download the first chapter of The Storytelling Series: Beginners’ Guide for Small Businesses & Content Creators by Obehi Ewanfoh.

Podcasts are popular because they can be listened to while on the go. While driving, commuting, eating lunch, or lying in bed. It’s a convenient method to learn new things without having to bring anything tangible with you, such as a book.

But, before launching a podcast, anyone who considers podcasting to be more than a pastime would question how much money they can make. To be honest, most podcasts make nothing. Are you shocked? Beginner podcasters have a negative cash flow since they have to spend money on equipment such as microphones before they can make anything.

However, if you can build a podcast that captures people’s attention, you may be sitting on a goldmine. Below you can find the 10 top podcast earners ranked by annual income.

1. Joe Rogan: The Joe Rogan Experience, $30 Million

Rogan hosts one of the most efficient and fascinating podcasts to date, with the aid of producer Jamie Vernon. With guests such as Elon Musk and Kanye West, his broadcasts have helped create society. His views have brought together divisive factions, bridging the gap between conservatives and liberals, combatants and pacifists, vegetarians and hunters.

His popular podcast has enabled him to purchase multimillion-dollar residences and construct a private home gym.

His diversified audience of millions of listeners every episode can be attributed to his wide variety of interests. Forbes reports that his anticipated yearly income is nearly double that of his nearest competition.

2. Karen Kilgariff and Georgia Hardstark: My Favorite Murder, $15 Million

The pair has created a fan cult that rivals some of those they criticize, dubbed “Murderinos,” who fund the podcast through live events, clothing sales, and subscriptions.

The team debuted as members of the Earwolf network before launching their own podcast network, the Exactly Right Podcast Network. The bi-weekly podcast debuted in 2016 and hasn’t slowed down since. With over 35 million monthly downloads, the podcast catapulted itself to the forefront of crime-solving, having a chat with detectives Billy Jensen and Paul Holes, who captured and apprehended the Golden State Killer in real time in 2018. On the Exactly Right network, the investigative pair now has their own podcast.

3. Dave Ramsey, The Dave Ramsey Show $10 Million

The Ramsey Show, which began as a radio show, focuses on assisting listeners in getting out of debt, gaining control over their money, and making financially sustainable decisions that bring peace of mind. Dave Ramsey’s program mainly focuses on phone calls, giving viewers the impression that they are a part of the broadcast themselves.

Since its inception in Nashville in 1992, the show has grown to over 18 million weekly viewers, ranking him among the top three podcasters.

4. Dax Shepard: Armchair Expert, $9 Million

Dax Shepard has generated some of the most sensitive moments in podcast history, thanks to an emotional awareness that matches his level of commitment. Shepard walks listeners through human experiences that arrive at the universal truths we are all here to learn, armed with a degree in Anthropology, a decade of sobriety, and experience working with some of Hollywood’s finest filmmakers.

Moments with Ashton Kutcher where they outline his goals to stop human trafficking and child abuse, with his wife Kristen Bell where they delve honestly into their relationship and struggle through accountability, and with Emilia Clarke where she discusses multiple brain hemorrhages and other tribulations that plagued her career are among his monumental episodes.

His meticulously prepared discussion and thought-provoking topics have led to his status as one of the most successful podcasters to date.

5. Bill Simmons: The Bill Simmons Podcast, $7 Million

Bill Simmons, the founder, and CEO of the sports-related media network The Ringer, leads his namesake show, which delves deep into the worlds of sports and culture. Spotify, which was rumored to be the alternative for ESPN, took notice of the podcasts’ popularity and proposed a $200 million agreement for exclusive rights.

The program’s guests have varied from writers to pundits such as Sal Iacono, Chuck Klosterman, and Nathan Fielder. The show is sponsored by State Farm and has between 400 and 800,000 listeners every episode.

6.  Will Menaker, Matt Christman, Felix Biederman, Amber A’Lee Frost and Virgil Texas: Chapo Trap House, $2 Million

Chapo Trap House, one of the most controversial podcasts on the list, gained popularity after they were banned from Reddit and Twitch in 2020, alleging hate speech and copyright violations.

Frost, the show’s co-host, created the phrase “dirtbag left” in her 2016 piece “The Necessity of Political Vulgarity,” which is now used to describe other podcasts in the genre, including Red Scare and Cum Town.

The bi-weekly podcast made news again in 2020 when it called out political contenders such as Elizabeth Warren, Pete Buttigieg, and Joe Biden, prompting the New York Times to describe to the group as a “touting political rally” in support of Bernie Sanders.

In August of 2018, the podcast extended its empire by publishing The Chapo Guide to Revolution: A Manifesto Against Logic, Facts, and Reason, a book that went on to become a New York Times Best Seller.

7. Tim Dillon: The Tim Dillon Show, $1.3 Million

Tim Dillon, a stand-up comedian who emerged from the ashes of the 2008 financial crisis as a subprime mortgage salesperson, has risen to the top of the podcast market by delivering consistently entertaining material that strives to solve some of the day’s most ambitious and perplexing puzzles.

Dillon, who specializes in practical conspiracy, has investigated some of humanity’s darkest subjects, including human trafficking, which was inspired by the 2014 documentary Who Took Johnny, and the recent mystery surrounding the death of billionaire Jeffrey Epstein.

Dillon currently presents the show solo, assisted by awkwardly placed giggle punctuations from producer Ben Avery, who was formerly joined by his conflagrant confidante Ray Kump.

8. Patrick Hinds&Gillian Pensavalle: True Crime Obsessed, $1.2 Million

With so many true crime podcasts available, it takes a distinct personality and compelling story to become one of the most popular in the area. Patrick Hinds, renowned for his shows Theater People and Broadway Backstory, collaborated with actor and fellow podcaster Gillian Pensavalle, who hosts The Hamilcast: A Hamilton Podcast and is the co-creator and star of the comic series The Residuals.

The dynamic hosts have collaborated to produce a viral podcast that is available on several platforms and focuses on real crime, modern conspiracies, and celebrity mysteries. The group has become one of the most popular true crime podcasts to date, generating $1.2 million each year, thanks to memorable episodes dedicated to Ted Bundy and Jonestown.

9. Pat Flynn: Smart Passive Income, $1.2 Million

Pat Flynn broadcasts Smart Passive Income, a podcast containing weekly interviews focusing on explaining tactics and offering advice for people starting their own internet business, which is available on a variety of platforms including YouTube and Apple Podcasts.

Flynn began his career as an architect, working as a Job Captain for a business. However, during the 2008 financial crisis, he was laid off and compelled to start his own internet business. He shares his own experiences with his weekly audience, as well as conversations with a variety of company entrepreneurs and self-starters who share their knowledge.

10. Andrew Schulz and Akaash singh: Flagrant 2, $1.2 Million

Flagrant 2 is a Patreon-exclusive podcast that offers three levels of content to its subscribers. The podcast is known for its “unapologetic” and “unfiltered” discussions. Within the backdrop of cancel culture, Flagrant 2 offers solace to fans and followers who want to escape the numerous fawning podcasts.

Andrew Schulz, well known for his Netflix mini-series Schulz Saves America, comes up with fellow stand-up comedian Akaash Singh to explore a variety of hot button issues with controversial guests such as Alex Jones. Their confrontational approach to the abject mainstream has produced fodder for a specialized following, earning them two of the richest podcasters in 2021, with yearly revenue of $1.2 million.

Download the first chapter of The Storytelling Series: Beginners’ Guide for Small Businesses & Content Creators by Obehi Ewanfoh.