Jim Thornton Net Worth

What is Jim Thornton's Net Worth and Salary?

Jim Thornton is an American radio personality, television announcer, and voice actor who has a net worth of $3 million. Jim Thornton earns a salary of $400,000 per year as the announcer for "Wheel of Fortune."

Thornton became the permanent voice of "Wheel of Fortune" in 2011, succeeding longtime announcer Charlie O'Donnell. In addition to introducing the show's hosts and contestants, Thornton performs audience warmups, records promotional material, and occasionally appears on camera. He also serves as the announcer for "Celebrity Wheel of Fortune."

Before joining the game show, Thornton spent more than two decades working in Los Angeles radio. He became particularly well known as a traffic reporter and news anchor for KNX 1070. He has also built an extensive voiceover career encompassing animated films, television programs, commercials, and video games.

Early Life

Jim Thornton was born in Huntington, West Virginia. He graduated from Huntington High School in 1983 and attended Marshall University, where he studied linguistics.

Thornton became interested in broadcasting at an early age and grew up listening closely to local radio personalities. While attending Marshall, he gained practical experience at the university's student-operated radio station, WMUL-FM. He also worked at WOWK-TV, a television station serving the Huntington and Charleston areas.

In 1984, Thornton moved to California to pursue a professional career in broadcasting and voiceover work.

Radio Career

Thornton began working in the Los Angeles radio market during the mid-1980s. In 1985, he started delivering traffic reports for KNX 1070 through Metro Traffic. He eventually became a full-time morning traffic anchor for KNX and also contributed traffic reports to CBS2 television.

Thornton later moved into a larger news role at KNX. In 2005, he was promoted to co-anchor of the station's afternoon-drive news programming.

His other radio work included hosting a morning show on Magic 94.3 FM and presenting a nationally distributed country music program for Westwood One. Thornton also served as the station voice of Los Angeles television station KCOP-TV during the 1990s.

Over the course of his broadcasting career, Thornton received an Edward R. Murrow Award, several Golden Mike Awards, and an Emmy Award.

Voice Acting Career

Alongside his radio work, Thornton developed a successful career as a voice actor and commercial announcer.

His television credits include "Celebrity Deathmatch," "The Soup," "The Cleveland Show," "Rugrats," and "The Drew Carey Show." He voiced announcer Johnny Gomez in the revived version of "Celebrity Deathmatch."

Thornton has also contributed voice work to animated films and video games. His credits include "Monsters, Inc.," "Finding Nemo," "WALL-E," "Cars," and "Mafia II."

His commercial clients have included Coca-Cola, Budweiser, Domino's, Old Spice, Kraft, Kellogg's, Bacardi, and Starbucks. Thornton also narrated "Let's Pollute," an animated short film that received an Academy Award nomination.

Wheel of Fortune

Thornton received an early opportunity in the game-show industry in 2004 when he served as a guest announcer on several episodes of "The Price Is Right" following the death of longtime announcer Rod Roddy.

After "Wheel of Fortune" announcer Charlie O'Donnell died in 2010, the program began testing potential replacements. Thornton worked as one of the show's rotating guest announcers during its 28th season.

In June 2011, Thornton was selected as the show's permanent announcer. He officially began his full-time role when the 29th season premiered later that year.

Thornton initially became known for introducing longtime host Pat Sajak and co-host Vanna White at the beginning of each episode. He remained with the program after Sajak retired from the syndicated edition in 2024 and Ryan Seacrest became the new host.

Thornton's role extends beyond reading introductions. He warms up the studio audience, announces prizes, records promotional spots, and participates in special segments. He also appears on "Celebrity Wheel of Fortune."

In a 2023 episode, Thornton temporarily switched roles with Sajak during the bonus round. The contestant was a major fan of Thornton and wanted the opportunity to meet him, so Thornton hosted the round while Sajak handled the announcing.

Wheel of Fortune Salary

Jim Thornton earns $400,000 per year as the announcer for "Wheel of Fortune."

The show tapes approximately 200 episodes during a typical season. In addition to the syndicated program, Thornton works on "Celebrity Wheel of Fortune," audience warmups, promotional recordings, prize announcements, and other production material connected to the franchise.

Thornton also continues to earn money from commercial voiceovers, acting roles, public appearances, and occasional broadcasting work.

Personal Life

Jim Thornton is married to his wife, Sue. They have a son named Sam.

After Sam was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes in 2009, Thornton became involved with organizations supporting diabetes research and awareness, including the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation.

Thornton and his family have maintained connections to both Southern California and the Huntington region. In 1997, he purchased a historic Federal-style home in Proctorville, Ohio, called Windwillows. The property had previously belonged to members of his extended family.

The house once served as a local post office and has been associated with the history of the Underground Railroad. Thornton and his wife have spent years restoring and preserving the property.

Thornton has also remained closely connected to Marshall University. The school selected him as its Homecoming grand marshal in 2025 and invited him to serve as a commencement speaker in 2026.

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