Symone Sanders is now amongst the most powerful political commentators and media personalities in America.
Her experience of becoming the youngest presidential press secretary, aged 25, and becoming the main spokesperson of Vice President Kamala Harris symbolizes the power of will, ability to think strategically, and express oneself naturally as a politician.
Quick Bio Profile
| Category | Details |
| Full Name | Symone D. Sanders-Townsend |
| Date of Birth | December 10, 1989 |
| Age | 35 years |
| Birthplace | North Omaha, Nebraska, USA |
| Height | 5 feet 9 inches |
| Education | Business Administration, Bachelor, Creighton University |
| Current Role | MSNBC Host (The Weekend) |
| Spouse | Shawn Townsend (married July 2022) |
| Net Worth | $1 million – $5 million |
| Symone Sanders Salary | $57,000 – $150,000 annually |
Understanding Symone Sanders’ Salary and Earnings
Symone Sanders salary is based on the fact that she is a major political commentator and TV host. With a current salary of between $57,000 and $150,000 per annum at MSNBC, she falls just short of some of the highest paid anchors in the network with seven-figure payrolls, yet she is highly paid as well.
The performance-based bonuses probably have to do with her ratings and special coverage during significant events in her MSNBC contract.
According to industry norms, these incentives would be an addition of 10-20 percent of her regular pay, more so during election periods when there is an increased demand for political analysis. The fact is that her earning potential could be greatly enhanced by her promotion to the weekday primetime slot of 7 PM as well as a weekend host role in February 2025.
In addition to television pay, Sanders increases her earnings through several sources such as speaking engagements, in which she receives fees ranging between $15,000 and $24,999 per engagement, book royalties from 2020 with her memoir, and previous consulting fees which form the basis of her financial lead.
Symone Sanders Net Worth Analysis
The net worth of Symone Sanders is estimated between $1 million and $5 million as of 2025, and it has been generated by making some strategic career decisions between careers in politics and media. This fortune indicates her move out of the lower government pay in Nebraska politics to the national scene as a media star.
Her financial development went off the scale as in 2020, it was estimated to be approximately $1 million. The growth of 200 to 300 percent in five years is reflective of the value networks put in political expertise and the appeal to the audience. Her wealth has been obtained through a combination of sources of income as opposed to depending on a single source.
Her MSNBC hosting earnings are the main element of the breakdown, with book sales of the book, No, You Shut Up: Speaking Truth to Power and Reclaiming America as the supplementary element and consulting services with her former firm where she assisted clients in overcoming political hurdles.
Her financial trend has been steady and increasing with every change in career taking her to a place of higher wages. The transition from government service to CNN commentary, followed by high-ranking White House jobs, and finally MSNBC hosting illustrated the type of calculated career progress that created as much earning potential as possible and established influence at the same time.
Career Path: Nebraska to Nationwide Recognition
Sanders started in politics at the communications office of former Omaha Mayor Jim Suttle, then she joined Democratic gubernatorial candidate Chuck Hassebrook as deputy communications director in 2014. These initial positions offered groundwork in political communications.
Her breakthrough was in August 2015 when she joined the presidential campaign of Bernie Sanders as his national press secretary at only 25, becoming the youngest individual in presidential history to be employed in the role.
She established herself as an emerging political figure when Rolling Stone magazine listed her among 16 Young Americans influencing the election of 2016.
She moved to CNN as a political commentator and analyst in June 2016, after leaving the Sanders campaign, and became an almost household face with her acute political commentary throughout the divisive 2016-2019 cycle. This position showed her at the national level and set her up for other opportunities in the future.
In April 2019, Sanders was hired by the presidential campaign of Joe Biden to work as one of his senior advisors, making her his highest-ranking Black staff member and youngest inner circle member.
After the electoral victory of Biden, she was chosen as chief spokesperson and senior advisor to Vice President Kamala Harris and became the first Black woman to become a Vice Presidential spokesperson.
On December 1, 2021, Sanders announced that she left the White House to resume broadcasting. In May 2022, she announced her own weekend show called Symone would be hosted on the MSNBC channel and debuted May 7, 2022.
She became a co-host of “The Weekend” in November 2023 with Alicia Menendez and Michael Steele, followed by primetime in February 2025 with “The Weeknight at 7 PM.
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Symone Sanders With Hair: Style and Identity
Symone Sanders’ hair choices are part of the larger debates regarding how Black women wear their hair in the workplace. Sanders normally sports a natural hairstyle that is closely shaved, which has become her recognizable look.
She has been outspoken about being discriminated against concerning her hair styling, as mentors have at one point in her life told her that she should grow some hair in order to be taken seriously.
Her hairstyle is not just a form of beauty, but a form of rebellion against Eurocentric beauty norms and a form of praising natural Black beauty. Sanders has also been a supporter of the CROWN Act (Creating a Respectful and Open World for Natural Hair), which bans discrimination based on natural and protective hairstyles.
She does not alter her appearance, and describes herself as a bald, curvy, Black woman who has her nails bedazzled and likes a bold lip, and that is what she will remain being. It is this genuine self-presentation that has seen her become an inspiration to workers who do not want to follow the conventional corporate appearance standards.
Symone Sanders’ Weight Loss Experience
The weight loss journey of Symone Sanders included the reduction of about 40 pounds in one year by making permanent changes to her lifestyle. It is reported that she had weighed 210-215 pounds and dropped the weight to 170-175 pounds, not only through concern about appearance but also about health.
Her strategy concentrated on a balanced diet that has an equal proportion of plant-based food, whole grains, vegetables and lean sources of protein as compared to processed foods and sugar. Planning of meals was necessary to keep her eating healthy even with her hectic schedule.
She included daily exercises that involved strength training, cardio, and HIIT sessions in the beginning but increased in intensity as time went by.
Sanders focused on the psychological side of her change by stating that losing weight is a combination of emotional and psychological effort as well as physical. She attributes this to consistency as opposed to perfection, and she is a believer in sustainable habits but not extreme diets or quick solutions.
Her experience also underscored the need to take care of oneself, especially for Black women who tend to give more attention to the needs of those around them instead of focusing on their own well-being.
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Symone Sanders Husband: Shawn Townsend
Symone Sanders’ husband, Shawn Townsend, works as a political consultant and principal at the Washington, D.C. office of Dewey Square Group. He is the former Washington D.C. Night Mayor (Director of the Mayor’s Office of Nightlife and Culture), which made him well-known within the social and cultural circles in the capital.
The two individuals met in April 2019, when they were introduced to each other by political analyst Bakari Sellers at cocktails at the Eaton Hotel after a Sanders-moderated event. The couple dated two years before they got engaged in a proposal on the rooftop of Hotel Zena in Washington, D.C. on Easter Sunday 2021.
The two got married on July 15, 2022, in a surprise wedding at the Larz Anderson House on Embassy Row in Washington, D.C., and some 100 guests were present, merely thinking it was an engagement celebration, only to find that it was in fact the wedding. The ceremony was led by Reverend Dededrick O. Rivers of Ward Memorial AME Church.
The husband and wife are living in Washington, D.C. and honeymooned in the Mediterranean. Their connection is a political power couple since both of them carry a good deal of experience in political strategy and communications to their relationship.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the MSNBC salary of Symone Sanders?
Symone Sanders makes between $57,000 and $150,000 in base salary at MSNBC, and may earn performance bonuses that could add 10-20 percent of the base income during election years and other periods with high viewership.
How much is the current net worth of Symone Sanders?
As of 2025, Symone Sanders has a net worth of between $1 million and $5 million dollars earned as a result of her MSNBC pay, speech engagements, book royalty fees, and past consulting work.
Who is Symone Sanders married to?
Symone Sanders is married to Shawn Townsend who works as a political consultant and principal at Dewey Square Group. They married on July 15, 2022 in a surprise Washington, D.C. ceremony.
Why does Symone Sanders wear short hair?
Symone Sanders has adopted a natural hairstyle that is closely cropped and shaved, making it her signature look, a very personal decision to wear natural Black beauty and defying the traditional professional appearance ideals. She promotes the CROWN Act as a way of preventing hair discrimination.
