Mari Payton Profile

Mari Payton is an American journalist working for NBC7 San Diego, California serving as a reporter as well as an anchor. She also serves as a podcast host and producer. She has been working for the station since June 2012.

Mari Payton Career

Payton serves as the senior investigative reporter leading the award-winning NBC 7 I-Team and a Weekend News Anchor for NBC 7. In addition to these roles, she also serves as a podcast host and producer.

Mari’s stories prompted local, state, and federal investigations, as well as changes in law and policy. She contributes regularly to the award-winning NBC 7 Insight Investigative podcast. Insight can be found on your favorite podcast apps, such as Apple, Google Play, Spotify, or Stitcher.

Payton has received numerous Emmy awards for her investigative reporting and live reports. She has covered breaking news on the TODAY show, MSNBC, and other NBC stations across the country in real-time. She has also been honored by the Society of Professional Journalists and the Press Club.

Mari previously worked at WLBT, the NBC affiliate in Jackson, Mississippi, before moving to San Diego. She was assigned to the Mississippi Gulf Coast while at WLBT, where she rode out the storm and covered the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. She also received an Associated Press award for a piece on Mississippi’s obesity epidemic.

Mari earned a magna cum laude degree in Broadcast Journalism and Political Science from the University of Southern California. She was a Renaissance Scholar who attended the Annenberg School for Communication. Mari is a member of the Asian American Journalists Association as well as the Investigative Reporters and Editors Association (IRE).

Quick Facts About Mari Payton

Mari Payton Age

Payton’s age is not known for she has managed to keep her personal life private. It is therefore not known how old Payton is or when she celebrates her birthday. However, she might be in her 40s.

Mari Payton Height

Payton stands at an approximate height of 5 feet 5 inches.

Mari Payton Family

Information regarding Payton’s parents and siblings is currently under review. However, the information will be updated as soon as it’s available.

Mari Payton Husband

Payton is a married woman and together the couple has been blessed with a daughter and son. Information about her husband and children will be updated when available. 

Mari Payton Salary

Being one of the top journalists for NBC 7,  Payton earns an annual salary ranging from $ 20,000 – $ 100,000.

Mari Payton Net Worth

Payton has an estimated net worth of between $1 Million – $5 Million which she has earned through her successful career as a senior investigative reporter and anchor.

Mari Payton ethnicity

Payton was born in Maui, Hawaii to her Japanese mother and white father. She has lived everywhere from Cairo, Egypt to Florida. She is of mixed race coming from a white father and a Japanese mother.

What happened to Mari Payton?

Payton is still working for NBC7 as of June 2022 serving as an anchor, reporter as well as podcast host, and producer.

Mari Payton Podcasts

In April 2019, Payton started hosting and producing the NBC7 podcast by the name of “Insight” and “Today in San Diego.”  She hosts and produces and answers questions on “Insight: An NBC Investigative Podcast.” Furthermore, she also compels and engages the narrative for each episode, which gives a behind-the-scenes look at how investigative stories come together.

“Today in San Diego” is a daily news podcast with the day’s biggest news weather and headlines. Additionally, she also promotes podcasts to podcast apps and social media channels and gathers analytics to analyze metrics for strategic adjustments and future podcast development.

Mari Payton NBC 7

At NBC 7 Payton works alongside

1. Greg Dawson
2. Catherine Garcia
3. Mark Mullen
4. Audra Stafford
5. Darnay Tripp
6. Derek Togerson
7. Todd Strain
8. Joe Little
9. Melissa Adan
10. Jackie Crea
11. Ramon Galindo
12. Alexis Rivas