Mike Rowe Net Worth (Money & Salary)

Mike Rowe’s Net Worth and Salary – What is it?

$30 million is the net worth of Mike Rowe, a renowned narrator and television host of Dirty Jobs. He is not only famous for hosting the mentioned series but is also a skilled voice-over artist. Additionally, he has a background as a former opera singer and has featured in numerous commercials. Mike earns an annual salary ranging from $5 to $10 million from his TV projects and endorsements.

Early Life

Born on March 18th, 1962, in Baltimore, Maryland, Michael Gregory Rowe had both parents as school teachers and achieved the rank of Eagle Scout in the Boy Scouts in 1979. During high school, he was active in theater and choir. After graduating in 1980, he pursued communication studies at Towson University following education at Essex Community College.

Television Career

After completing university in 1985, Mike Rowe commenced hosting various TV shows. Among his early hosting endeavors was Your New Home, which aired on WJZ-TV for 15 years. In the 1990s, he tackled a hosting role for a CD-ROM trivia game, later transitioning to a home-shopping channel called QVC, a position he did not take seriously. Progressing into the late 90s, Rowe hosted a guide for a satellite TV service and eventually secured two significant hosting jobs in 2001. One was for the History channel’s The Most, a role he held until 2005, and the other involved hosting for KPIX-TV in San Diego, which eventually evolved into the creation of “Somebody’s Gotta Do It” and further to Dirty Jobs. He also hosted Worst-Case Scenarios in 2002 for a series of 13 episodes.

Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images

In 2003, Mike Rowe embarked on hosting Dirty Jobs for the Discovery Channel, marking a pivotal moment in his career which continued until the show’s conclusion in 2012. Another significant milestone was his involvement in Egypt Week Live! for the Discovery Channel, where he explored ancient Egyptian sites alongside renowned archaeologist Zahi Hawass. By 2012, Mike Rowe was presenting major Discovery Channel series such as How Booze Built America.

In 2014, CNN adopted Dirty Jobs, rebranding it as Someone’s Gotta Do It while retaining the original format. Although CNN initially halted the show after three seasons, it was later picked up by TBN in 2018.

Aside from hosting duties, Mike Rowe’s voice is familiar to audiences as he narrates various series, even if they may not realize it. He has lent his voice to shows like American Chopper, American Hot Rod, Deadliest Catch, How The Universe Works, among others. Furthermore, Rowe has had minor yet noteworthy acting roles, featuring as a voice actor on American Dad! and making an appearance in an acting capacity on Last Man Standing.

Brand Endorsements

Rowe has been featured in advertisements for several brands and has acted as a brand spokesperson on multiple occasions. Some of his notable commercial collaborations include Ford, Motorola, Caterpillar, and the pharmaceutical company Novartis.