A talk show host is a type of job in either television or the radio – the job involves running a “talk show” which invites guests to talk on a variety of subjects with the host and entertain the audience. The job of a talk show host is to generally run the show, talking to the guests and sometimes the audience, and providing entertainment for everyone. A good talk show host may also have a special skill of their own with which to amuse their viewers/listeners, though this isn’t so common.
Getting to be a talk show host is all about one’s personality – a candidate needs to have a good, well-groomed look and be able to catch the attention of their audience easily. Additionally, talk show hosts are often required to improvise – even though shows are run on standard scripts, it’s still not possible to predict every situation so the host may have to use a little bit of their creativity to get around certain situations without degrading the quality of the show as a whole.
Talk show hosts earn varied salaries – this is mostly because the job is in the entertainment sector, which is known for the variance in the pay rates for its jobs. In most cases, a talk show host has the potential to earn $24,000 – $61,000 a year, depending primarily on the studio/show that employs them. In some cases the salary can grow significantly higher, as the popularity of the particular show increases – though it should be noted that talk show hosts should always be on the lookout for new prospects, as many shows have an irregular schedule.