Cecilia Vega Biography: Age, Height, Family, Husband, Career, Salary and Net Worth
Cecilia Vega is an American Emmy Award-winning journalist who has built a distinguished career covering some of the most important political, national and international stories of the past two decades. She is widely recognized for her work at ABC News, where she became the network’s Chief White House Correspondent and anchored major broadcasts including World News Tonight and Good Morning America. In 2023, she moved to CBS News and joined 60 Minutes, making history as the program’s first Latina correspondent.
Vega’s career has taken her from newspaper reporting in California to network television and eventually one of America’s most respected news programs. Her reporting has included presidential elections, White House politics, Supreme Court nominations, international conflicts, natural disasters, immigration, the COVID-19 pandemic and investigative stories. She has also traveled extensively for 60 Minutes, reporting on subjects ranging from sperm whales in the Caribbean to mezcal production in Mexico and the war in Ukraine.
Who Is Cecilia Vega?
Cecilia Marcellina Vega is an American journalist and television correspondent best known for her work with ABC News and CBS News. She became one of the most recognizable political journalists on American television during her years covering the White House and national politics.
Vega joined ABC News in 2011 after working in local television and print journalism. She eventually became the network’s Chief White House Correspondent in 2021, making her the first Latina to hold that position at a major English-language television network.
Her work has included interviews with presidents, political leaders, government officials and other prominent figures. At ABC, she covered the Obama, Trump and Biden administrations, giving her experience across several major periods in recent American political history.
Her move to 60 Minutes in 2023 represented another significant step in her career. CBS News describes her as an Emmy Award-winning journalist and correspondent for the long-running newsmagazine.
Cecilia Vega Age
Cecilia Vega was born on January 7, 1977, in San Francisco, California. She is 49 years old as of August 2026. She grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area, where she developed an early connection with journalism and storytelling. Her upbringing in Northern California eventually led her toward a career that would take her far beyond her home state.
Vega graduated from Salesian High School in Richmond, California, in 1995. She then moved to Washington, D.C., to attend American University, where she graduated from the School of Communication in 1999. Her education in Washington was particularly useful for someone interested in journalism because the city offered direct exposure to national politics and the media industry.
Cecilia Vega Family and Ethnicity
Cecilia Vega is of Mexican and Italian descent. She is the daughter of Janis and Raul Vega and grew up with a brother in the East Bay area of California. Her mother worked for the University of California.
Vega has spoken about her Mexican American identity and the importance of representation in journalism. When she joined 60 Minutes, she described being proud of becoming the program’s first Latina correspondent while emphasizing the importance of making sure she would not be the last.
Her background has also influenced the stories she chooses to pursue. In her work, Vega has covered immigration, Latino communities and stories involving Mexico and Latin America, while also reporting extensively on American politics and international affairs.
Cecilia Vega Education
Vega attended Salesian High School in Richmond, California, before enrolling at American University in Washington, D.C. She graduated in 1999 from the university’s School of Communication.
Studying in Washington gave her an early connection to the political and media environment that would eventually become central to her career. Her education was followed by practical experience in print journalism, where she learned the fundamentals of reporting before transitioning to television.
How Cecilia Vega Started Her Journalism Career
Vega began her professional journalism career in print media in 1999. She worked as a newspaper journalist for publications including The San Bernardino Sun, The Santa Rosa Press Democrat, and later the San Francisco Chronicle.
At the San Francisco Chronicle, she covered San Francisco politics, including the administration of then-Mayor Gavin Newsom. Her reporting earned recognition from organizations including the California Newspaper Publishers Association, the East Bay Press Club, and the Hearst Corporation. This early success helped establish her reputation before she moved into television. The transition from print to broadcast was a major turning point in her career.
Cecilia Vega at KGO-TV
In 2007, Vega moved into television journalism by joining KGO-TV, the ABC-owned station in San Francisco. Working at KGO allowed her to develop the skills required for broadcast reporting, including live reporting, television interviews and breaking-news coverage.
Her work at the station earned significant recognition. She was part of a team that received a Northern California Emmy Award for Best Daytime Newscast in a Large Market in 2010. The experience prepared her for the move to national television.
Cecilia Vega’s Career at ABC News
Vega joined ABC News in 2011 as a Los Angeles-based correspondent. Her responsibilities quickly expanded as she began covering major national and international stories. During her years at ABC, she covered the 2012 presidential election and Barack Obama’s second inauguration. She also covered the 2016 presidential election and Hillary Clinton’s campaign.
Her international reporting included the Fukushima nuclear disaster, the election of Pope Francis, the Ebola outbreak in the United States, the Sony hacking scandal, and the 2016 Summer Olympics. In 2015, she became the Saturday anchor of World News Tonight. She later moved into political reporting and became a senior White House correspondent. Her career at ABC eventually reached its highest point when she was named Chief White House Correspondent in January 2021.
Cecilia Vega as ABC Chief White House Correspondent
In January 2021, ABC News named Vega its Chief White House Correspondent, succeeding Jonathan Karl. The appointment was historically significant because Vega became the first Latina to hold the position for a major English-language television network.
The position placed her at the center of American politics during the Biden administration. She also had extensive experience covering the Trump White House before taking the chief correspondent position. Her reporting included major developments involving presidential policy, immigration, Supreme Court nominations, the COVID-19 pandemic and other national issues.
During her ABC career, she conducted hundreds of interviews with political leaders, celebrities and other public figures.
Cecilia Vega and Donald Trump
Vega received widespread attention in October 2018 following a White House press conference involving then-President Donald Trump. Trump called on Vega to ask a question and made a disparaging comment about her after she appeared surprised by his response. Vega continued with her question, which concerned the FBI investigation surrounding then-Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh.
The incident generated significant media attention and became one of the more widely discussed moments of Vega’s White House reporting career. Rather than allowing the exchange to define her career, Vega continued covering the Trump administration and went on to report on major developments including Supreme Court nominations, the firing of FBI Director James Comey, the Mueller investigation and Trump’s impeachment proceedings.
Cecilia Vega Joins CBS News and 60 Minutes
In January 2023, CBS News announced that Vega was joining 60 Minutes as a correspondent. She began reporting for the program later that year and was based in Washington, D.C. The move represented a major change from the fast-paced political reporting she had become known for at ABC. 60 Minutes gave Vega the opportunity to produce longer-form stories and explore subjects beyond daily politics.
Her appointment was historic because she became the first Latina correspondent in the history of 60 Minutes. Vega has embraced the broader range of storytelling available to her at CBS, reporting on environmental issues, criminal justice, international affairs, culture and politics.
Cecilia Vega’s Notable 60 Minutes Reporting
One of Vega’s first 60 Minutes assignments involved reporting on sperm whales in Dominica. She traveled to the Caribbean island and went snorkeling with the whales as part of a story about efforts to establish protections for the species. The assignment demonstrated the adventurous side of her reporting. Vega described the experience as both frightening and deeply rewarding.
She has subsequently reported on subjects including Mexico’s growing mezcal industry, California’s CARE Court system, the federal prison system, Cuban espionage and the experiences of Ukrainian families affected by Russia’s invasion. Her reporting has taken her well beyond the traditional political beat.
Cecilia Vega Height
Vega stands at approximately 5 feet 4 inches (1.62 meters).
Cecilia Vega Husband and Marriage
Cecilia Vega is married to Ricardo Jimenez, a California Highway Patrol officer. The couple married on August 17, 2008, and lives happily together in Washington, D.C.
They have generally kept their marriage away from the spotlight. Unlike many television personalities, Vega rarely discusses her private relationship in detail during professional interviews. Their long marriage has nevertheless been publicly documented for many years.
Cecilia Vega Children and Personal Life
There is conflicting information online regarding whether Cecilia Vega has children. Some databases list two children, while other biographical sources state that she and Ricardo Jimenez do not have children.
Because reliable primary sources do not clearly establish the matter, it is best to avoid stating a specific number of children as confirmed fact. What is consistently reported is that Vega and her husband live in Washington, D.C. She has also been publicly associated with their Boston Terrier, Jalisco.
Cecilia Vega Salary
Cecilia Vega’s exact CBS salary has not been publicly disclosed.
Based on her seniority, decades of journalism experience, previous position as ABC’s Chief White House Correspondent and her role as a 60 Minutes correspondent, a reasonable estimated annual salary is approximately $2.5 million to $3 million.
Cecilia Vega Net Worth
Cecilia Vega has an estimated net worth of $2 million to $5 million. Considering her more than two decades in journalism, senior positions at ABC News, major television assignments and current role at 60 Minutes, the estimates are fair.
Cecilia Vega Awards and Recognition
Vega is an Emmy Award-winning journalist. Her early television work at KGO-TV contributed to an Emmy-winning daytime newscast, and her broader journalism career has earned recognition from several professional organizations.
In 2024, the National Association of Hispanic Journalists and California Chicana News Media Association Latina Journalists of California recognized her as the National Latina Journalist of the Year. Her appointment as the first Latina 60 Minutes correspondent is also an important milestone in her career and in the representation of Latino journalists in American network television.
Cecilia Vega Current Career
Cecilia Vega currently works as a correspondent for CBS’s 60 Minutes. CBS’s official biography describes her as an Emmy Award-winning journalist and highlights her reporting on major national and international stories. Her recent reporting has included investigations and features on federal prisons, immigration, international espionage, environmental conservation and political issues.
She has also taken on physically demanding assignments. In 2025, she and a 60 Minutes crew traveled to Nepal for a report from the Everest Base Camp trek, carrying hundreds of pounds of camera equipment during the journey. Her work at 60 Minutes has allowed her to expand beyond the White House beat and demonstrate her abilities as a long-form investigative journalist and storyteller.
Frequently Asked Questions
How old is Cecilia Vega?
Cecilia Vega was born on January 7, 1977, making her 49 years old in 2026.
What is Cecilia Vega’s height?
Cecilia Vega is estimated to be approximately 5 feet 4 inches (1.62 meters) tall.
What is Cecilia Vega’s net worth?
Cecilia Vega’s estimated net worth is approximately $5 million as of 2026.
How much does Cecilia Vega earn?
Her exact salary is not publicly disclosed. Based on her senior position at 60 Minutes, her estimated annual salary is approximately $2.75 million.
Who is Cecilia Vega’s husband?
Cecilia Vega is married to Ricardo Jimenez, a California Highway Patrol officer. They married in 2008.
What is Cecilia Vega’s ethnicity?
Cecilia Vega is of Mexican and Italian descent and was raised in California.
What is Cecilia Vega best known for?
She is best known for her work as a White House correspondent and television journalist, particularly her time at ABC News and her current role as a correspondent for CBS’s 60 Minutes.
Is Cecilia Vega still with ABC News?
No. She left ABC News in 2023 and joined CBS News as a correspondent for 60 Minutes.
Was Cecilia Vega the first Latina on 60 Minutes?
Yes. She became the first Latina correspondent in the history of 60 Minutes when she joined the program in 2023.
