Robert Reich Net Worth, Salary, Age, Height, and Career
Robert Reich net worth is estimated at around $4 million. He served as United States Secretary of Labor under President Bill Clinton from 1993 to 1997, teaches public policy at the University of California, Berkeley, and has written more than a dozen books on work, inequality, and the American economy.
| Full name | Robert Bernard Reich |
| Date of birth | June 24, 1946 |
| Age | 80 |
| Height | 4 feet 10.5 inches (148.6 cm) |
| Education | Dartmouth College, Oxford (Rhodes Scholar), Yale Law School |
| Known for | US Secretary of Labor, 1993 to 1997 |
| Current role | Professor of Public Policy, UC Berkeley |
| Robert Reich net worth (estimated) | Approximately $4 million |
Robert Reich Net Worth
Estimates of Robert Reich net worth vary widely. Celebrity Net Worth places the figure at $4 million, while other outlets have published numbers ranging from $10 million to $20 million.
Unusually for this kind of profile, one major component of his income is not an estimate at all.
His Berkeley salary is a matter of public record
Reich teaches at the University of California, Berkeley, and the University of California is a public institution. California law makes state employee compensation a public record, which means his academic salary has been published rather than guessed:
- Roughly $176,000 in 2011
- $242,613 in 2013
- Roughly $249,000 in 2019
This is worth pausing on. For most public figures covered in net worth articles, no salary figure exists anywhere in the public record and every number is inference. Reich is an exception, and any profile that ignores the published figures in favor of a rounder invented number is choosing the weaker source.
Where the rest of the income comes from
- Academic salary from UC Berkeley, documented above
- Book royalties across more than a dozen titles, several of them bestsellers
- Speaking fees, an area where reported figures have reached tens of thousands of dollars for a single appearance
- Film and documentary work, including Inequality for All and Saving Capitalism
- Media and commentary, including a long-running newsletter and video series
Book and speaking income are private, which is where the spread between the $4 million and $20 million estimates comes from. Nobody outside his accountant knows the totals.
Robert Reich Age and Early Life
Robert Bernard Reich was born on June 24, 1946, which makes him 80 years old.
He was born with multiple epiphyseal dysplasia, a genetic condition also called Fairbanks disease that affects bone growth. As a result he stands 4 feet 10.5 inches tall. Reich has written and spoken about how being small shaped his early experience of bullying, and has connected it directly to his later interest in how power is distributed and who gets protected.
Robert Reich Height
Reich is 4 feet 10.5 inches (148.6 cm). The height is a consequence of Fairbanks disease rather than ordinary variation, and he has discussed it openly throughout his public life rather than treating it as a private matter.
Education
His academic record is unusually decorated:
- Dartmouth College, A.B. summa cum laude, 1968
- University of Oxford, as a Rhodes Scholar, reading Philosophy, Politics and Economics
- Yale Law School, J.D., where he served as an editor of the Yale Law Journal
At Oxford he overlapped with Bill Clinton, who was also a Rhodes Scholar. That connection mattered two decades later.
Political Career
Reich worked in the Ford and Carter administrations before entering academia, including a period at the Federal Trade Commission.
President Clinton appointed him United States Secretary of Labor in 1993, a post he held until 1997. His tenure focused on raising the federal minimum wage, expanding job training and education access, strengthening workplace safety enforcement, and pushing family leave policy.
After leaving the cabinet he returned to teaching, first at Brandeis University and later at UC Berkeley, where he has been a professor of public policy since 2006.
Books and Documentaries
Reich has written more than a dozen books, most of them on inequality, labor markets, and the structure of the American economy. He has also reached audiences through film, notably the documentary Inequality for All and the later Saving Capitalism.
His publishing output is one of the two largest contributors to his wealth, alongside decades of academic salary. Unlike the salary, royalty income is private, so its scale can only be inferred from sales performance.
Personal Life
Reich married Clare Dalton, a British-born law professor, in 1973. The couple divorced in 2012. They have two sons, Sam and Adam.
Why Net Worth Figures for Academics Are Often Wrong
Profiles of public intellectuals tend to overstate wealth for a consistent reason: they treat visibility as a proxy for income.
Reich is extremely visible. He has millions of social media followers, appears constantly in media, and has made documentaries. Visibility of that kind generates very little direct income. A newsletter, a viral video, and a television interview typically pay nothing or close to it.
The actual money in his career sits in three ordinary places: a public university salary that has been published for years, book royalties accumulated over four decades, and speaking fees. That profile supports a figure closer to the lower estimates than the higher ones.
The same inflation affects other political figures covered in these profiles, including Symone Sanders, whose broadcast income is regularly overstated for the same reason.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Robert Reich’s net worth?
Robert Reich net worth is estimated at approximately $4 million, though published figures range as high as $20 million. His UC Berkeley salary is public record, but book and speaking income are private.
How tall is Robert Reich?
He is 4 feet 10.5 inches (148.6 cm). His height is the result of multiple epiphyseal dysplasia, a genetic bone growth condition also known as Fairbanks disease.
How old is Robert Reich?
He is 80 years old, born June 24, 1946.
What was Robert Reich’s role in government?
He served as United States Secretary of Labor from 1993 to 1997 under President Bill Clinton, and previously worked in the Ford and Carter administrations.
What is Robert Reich’s Berkeley salary?
Published University of California records show roughly $176,000 in 2011, $242,613 in 2013, and roughly $249,000 in 2019.
Where did Robert Reich go to school?
Dartmouth College, then Oxford as a Rhodes Scholar, then Yale Law School, where he edited the Yale Law Journal.
Is Robert Reich married?
He married Clare Dalton in 1973 and the couple divorced in 2012. They have two sons, Sam and Adam.
Mamie I. Hernandez is a writer at CelebsOrbit.com, covering celebrity news, biographies, and trending entertainment stories. With a passion for pop culture and clear, engaging writing, Mamie delivers quick, reliable insights that help readers stay updated on their favorite stars.