Tom Llamas’ Salary as He Replaces Lester Holt on NBC

Tom Llamas will soon step into his new role as anchor of “NBC Nightly News,” succeeding longtime host Lester Holt. The replacement follows Holt’s decision to step down after more than a decade at the helm, with his final weekday broadcast scheduled for Friday, May 30, at 6:30 p.m. Eastern.

Llamas, 45, will continue to host his streaming news program, “Top Story with Tom Llamas,” on NBC News NOW while taking on his new duties at “Nightly News.” In a statement, Llamas said, “I look forward to working with the world-class journalists at ‘Nightly News’ and ‘Top Story’ to bring viewers the most important stories every night.”

How Much Will Tom Llamas Earn as Nightly News Anchor?

The New York Post reported that financial factors played a key role in the leadership change.

According to The Ankler newsletter, Holt was earning around $10 million annually, while Llamas’ expected salary is reportedly closer to $2.5 million. This significant cost difference made Llamas an appealing successor as NBC looks to manage budgets while maintaining strong newsroom leadership.

Llamas’ career spans more than two decades, starting as an intern at a Telemundo-affiliated station in Miami. He later worked as an overnight production assistant at NBC before moving on to local reporting in New York. Eventually, he joined ABC, where he became chief national affairs correspondent and weekend anchor for “World News Tonight.”

Since rejoining NBC in 2021 as a senior national correspondent, Llamas has frequently filled in on “Nightly News” and contributed to “Today.”

Despite earlier concerns over Llamas’ name recognition compared to Holt, NBC executives praised his combination of “journalistic excellence, passionate storytelling, and unyielding integrity.” Executive Vice President of Programming Janelle Rodriguez said, “He’s been instrumental in growing NBC News NOW into the leading streaming news network, helping to introduce NBC News to a new generation of viewers.”

Why Holt’s Leaving

In an interview with Variety, Holt explained that his decision to leave “Nightly News” was driven by a desire to focus on more in-depth reporting. “I once spent two nights in prison for a ‘Dateline’ and I’ve done heartbreaking stories on the asthma crisis and the economy… but I want to do more of those,” Holt said. He emphasized that the shift away from the fast-paced demands of daily news will give him more flexibility for longform storytelling.

Holt, 65, has held the role since 2015 and has anchored some of the most significant stories of the past decade, including the political rise of Donald Trump, the COVID-19 pandemic, and a myriad of global conflicts.

While he’s stepping back from the evening anchor chair, Holt will continue as the primary anchor for “Dateline,” a role he’s held for nearly 15 years.