At first Gibson worked as a radio producer for RKO in 1966, and a reporter for local television WLVA in Lynchburg, Virginia. In 1970, Charles Gibson moved to WMAL-TV television. Five years later, he joined ABC News, where he worked as a general assignment reporter and a correspondent from Washington, D.C. and White House (1976 - 1977). Gibson became a host of Good Morning America alongside Joan Lunden In 1987, and held that position until 2006.

In the nineties Gibson narrated the Maryland Public Television documentary Lucky Number, a program about problem gambling. In 1998, ABC replaced Gibson by another host. Since then, Good Morning America began losing viewers to NBC's Today show. Gibson returned to the program as co-anchor from 1999 to 2006.

Charles Gibson was a member of presidential-election campaign and presidential debate in 1992, 2004. When Gibson interviewed Democratic presidential candidate Bill Clinton on June 28, 1992, The New York Times noted that Gibson repeatedly pressed Clinton to name his vice presidential candidate. During the 2004 U.S. presidential-election campaign, Gibson moderated the second presidential debate in St. Louis, Missouri, between the two nominee candidates – Republican incumbent U.S. President George W. Bush and Democratic U.S. Senator John Kerry. In the 2005, Gibson began substitute anchoring World News Tonight. Gibson announced Jennings's death and the following day anchored World News Tonight, and was eventually offered the job.

After Good Morning America show Charles became the anchor for World News with Charles Gibson. During the 2008 U.S. presidential-election campaign, Gibson was a moderator for the April 16, 2008, Democratic Party's presidential-election debate in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, between U.S. Senators Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama.

Gibson had previously planned to retire from ABC News on June 22, 2007, but remained to anchor the newscast, but retired from Good Morning America in 2009. After that his career is not over and he appears as a news anchor in season 4 of the Netflix original series House of Cards.

In 1973, the National Endowment for the Humanities awarded him a National Journalism Fellowship. The Radio Television Digital News Association awarded Gibson the Paul White Award in 2006, and in 2008 Quinnipiac University awarded him the Fred Friendly First Amendment Award.

Charles Gibson is married to Arlene Gibson. His wife is an educator who recently retired as head of school at The Spence School in New York City. Charles and Arlene have two daughters, Jessica and Katherine. On March 14, 2006, Jessica gave birth to Gibson's first grandchild. Gibson has resided with his family in Summit, New Jersey. There is no information about his net worth.