If you’ve ever watched WABC Channel 7’s Eyewitness News in New York City, you already know the face. Lee Goldberg has been the voice of New York’s weather for nearly three decades — calm during blizzards, precise during hurricanes, and almost impossibly cheerful at 11 PM. But what does a career like that actually pay? Let’s break it down.
Who Is Lee Goldberg, and Why Does His Salary Matter?
Lee Goldberg is the Chief Meteorologist at WABC-TV (ABC7) in New York City — the number one television market in the United States. He joined the station in July 1996 and has anchored Eyewitness News AccuWeather coverage at 4 PM, 5 PM, 6 PM, and 11 PM ever since. He also holds the title of Senior Meteorologist for ABC News.
That’s not just a long career. That’s an institution. In broadcast journalism, staying at a top-market station for 30 years is the equivalent of a doctor completing three residencies — it reflects an extraordinary level of trust, skill, and viewer loyalty.
Born on October 4, 1972, in the Boston area, Goldberg grew up in Canton, Massachusetts. His weather obsession started young — at age 12, he built his own “Weather Center” out of shoeboxes and milk cartons. By 14, he was already broadcasting weather reports on Canton Cablevision. That kind of origin story doesn’t just make for a good bio. It tells you this career was never an accident.
What Is Lee Goldberg’s Salary at WABC-TV?
Lee Goldberg’s exact salary is not publicly disclosed, which is standard for private-sector broadcast contracts. Based on industry data and market analysis, his estimated annual salary ranges between $180,000 and $350,000+, with some estimates placing top-end possibilities closer to $450,000 when including bonuses, national appearances, and supplemental income.
Here’s why that range makes sense.
How Does New York City’s TV Market Affect Pay?
New York City is the largest Designated Market Area (DMA) in the United States. Salaries for broadcast professionals in Market 1 are dramatically higher than in smaller cities — and that’s not speculation, it’s industry fact.
According to Salary.com (as of early 2026), the average salary for a Chief Meteorologist in New York, NY is approximately $158,939, with the top 90th percentile earning up to $190,189 annually. Glassdoor data from 2026 puts the national average for Chief Meteorologists at $154,694 per year, with verified high-end submissions reaching $349,000 at senior levels.
For someone at Lee Goldberg’s tenure — nearly 30 years at one of the country’s most-watched ABC affiliates — compensation almost certainly sits in the upper bracket of that range.
Does He Earn More Than a Standard Chief Meteorologist?
Almost certainly yes, and here’s the logic. According to industry analysis from blkpn.com, meteorologists who achieve six-figure-plus compensation packages “are almost exclusively located in Market 1 (New York City) or Market 2 (Los Angeles), or hold prominent roles at national networks.” Lee Goldberg checks all three boxes — NYC, a flagship ABC affiliate, and ABC News national appearances.
His salary isn’t just a reflection of his job title. It’s a reflection of 30 years of brand equity. When millions of New Yorkers trust one person to tell them whether to bring an umbrella tomorrow, that trust has real market value.
What Are Lee Goldberg’s Other Income Sources?
His WABC salary is the foundation, but it’s far from the whole picture.
Does Lee Goldberg Earn From National Broadcasts?
Yes. Goldberg also serves as Senior Meteorologist for ABC News and has appeared on programs like Good Morning America and ABC World News Tonight. In fact, one of his earliest moments on the national stage came on July 23, 1996 — the same month he joined WABC — when he filled in for Sam Champion on Good Morning America, and later succeeded him as a regular presence.
National network appearances typically come with additional compensation on top of a local station contract, which meaningfully bumps up total annual income.
What About the “Weather or Not” Podcast?
Lee Goldberg hosts a podcast called Weather or Not, which has grown into a well-followed platform for weather education and discussion. Podcasting revenue — through sponsorships, advertising, and platform deals — adds a modern income stream that many veteran broadcasters have embraced in recent years.
Public Speaking and Community Work
Goldberg is regularly involved in community events, including serving as emcee for the Pediatric Cancer Foundation’s annual Walkathon in Riverside Park. He has also participated in school outreach programs across the tri-state area, inspiring the next generation of meteorologists. While community-based appearances are often charitable, high-profile emcee roles and educational consulting sessions can carry professional fees.
What Is Lee Goldberg’s Net Worth?
Net worth estimates across credible sources vary, but most converge in the $1.5 million to $5 million range for the meteorologist Lee Goldberg. This figure reflects nearly three decades of consistent income from broadcast television, supplemental media appearances, and smart career positioning in America’s most competitive TV market.
It’s worth noting that there are two well-known people named Lee Goldberg. The other is a crime fiction author and TV producer (born 1962) with an estimated net worth of $14–15 million. If you’ve landed here looking for the novelist, you’re in the wrong article — but impressive either way.
For Lee Goldberg the meteorologist, his wealth reflects steady, long-term accumulation rather than a single blockbuster deal. Longevity in a top market, combined with real estate in Westchester County (he and wife Jessica purchased a home in Somers, New York in 2005 for $1,281,000), places him in a genuinely comfortable financial position.
How Did Lee Goldberg Build Such a Long Career at WABC?
What Is His Educational Background?
Goldberg earned his Bachelor of Science in Meteorology from Cornell University in 1994 — one of the most respected atmospheric science programs in the country. During his studies, he interned at WCVB-TV and WHDH-TV in Boston, and at the National Weather Service office in Concord, New Hampshire.
That combination of elite academic training and early hands-on broadcast experience gave him a rare edge entering the market.
How Did He Break Into Broadcast Meteorology?
He started his professional career in 1993 — before even graduating — forecasting for utilities and ski areas with a private weather service, and for radio stations in both the U.S. and Canada simultaneously. His first full television posting was at WTVH-TV in Syracuse, New York, where he covered the historic Blizzard of 1993 just months into the job.
He then stayed through the winter of 1995–96, which buried Syracuse under more than 15 feet of snow. By the time he arrived at WABC in July 1996, he already had genuine storm-coverage experience — not just studio time.
What Awards Has He Won?
In 2021, Lee Goldberg won a New York Emmy Award for Talent: Anchor – Weather. WABC-TV’s Eyewitness News team has also won 17 New York Emmy Awards collectively, and Goldberg was at the center of that newsroom culture.
An Emmy win in the nation’s toughest TV market, after 25 years on the job, is the broadcast equivalent of a Michelin star. It doesn’t just validate the work — it puts a premium on the contract renewal.
How Does Lee Goldberg’s Salary Compare to Other TV Meteorologists?
To put the Lee Goldberg salary in context, consider the wider industry landscape.
According to ZipRecruiter (May 2026), the average annual pay for a TV Meteorologist in New York City is $105,332. Salary.com puts the average Broadcast Meteorologist salary in New York at $139,805, with top earners at $167,293. Entry-level or weekend meteorologists in smaller markets may earn as little as $30,000–$50,000 annually.
What separates Lee Goldberg from those averages is everything that doesn’t show up in a job title: three decades of institutional knowledge, a viewer base that has literally grown up watching him, and national network exposure that most local meteorologists never achieve.
In broadcast meteorology, experience compounds. Every year at a top station is a negotiating chip for the next contract renewal.
What Makes Lee Goldberg’s Career a Blueprint for Broadcast Success?
Is Staying at One Station a Smart Financial Move?
Counterintuitively, yes — especially at a top-market station. Many broadcasters chase promotions by jumping between markets, which resets their local brand equity each time. Goldberg’s decision to plant his roots at WABC in 1996 and stay meant that every snowstorm, every heatwave, every nor’easter became another deposit in his reputation bank.
By the time WABC celebrated his 25th anniversary in 2021 and 26th in 2022, his face wasn’t just recognizable — it was trusted. And in television, trust is the only currency that actually appreciates over time.
What Can Aspiring Meteorologists Learn From His Career?
A few things stand out. First, practical experience early matters: Goldberg was covering real blizzards before he had his degree. Second, market positioning matters enormously — the gap between a chief meteorologist in New York and one in a small market can be $300,000 or more per year. Third, diversifying beyond one platform (national news, podcasting, community engagement) builds both income and longevity.
And maybe most importantly: building a genuine weather obsession at age 12 using shoeboxes and milk cartons is, it turns out, a viable career strategy.
Quick Facts: Lee Goldberg at a Glance
- Full Name: Lee Goldberg
- Born: October 4, 1972, Boston area (Canton, Massachusetts)
- Education: B.S. Meteorology, Cornell University (1994)
- Current Role: Chief Meteorologist, WABC-TV (ABC7), New York City
- At WABC Since: July 1996 (~30 years)
- Also: Senior Meteorologist, ABC News
- Emmy Award: New York Emmy for Talent: Anchor – Weather (2021)
- Podcast: Weather or Not with Lee Goldberg
- Estimated Annual Salary: $180,000–$350,000+ (industry estimates)
- Estimated Net Worth: $1.5 million–$5 million
- Spouse: Jessica Goldberg (married; two children — Emily, b. 2000; Ethan, b. 2002)
- Residence: Somers, New York (Westchester County)
Final Thoughts
The Lee Goldberg salary question doesn’t have one clean number, because broadcast contracts aren’t public documents and no official figure has been disclosed. What we can say with confidence is this: nearly 30 years at the top station in America’s largest TV market, a national network role, an Emmy, a podcast, and a viewer base that trusts him with their morning commutes all point to compensation that sits well above the industry average — likely in the $180,000 to $350,000+ range annually.
More than the numbers, though, what stands out is the consistency. In an industry that churns talent faster than most, Lee Goldberg built something rarer than a high salary: a career that compounds.
