Maria's first real journalism gig was as a reporter covering the State House for WBUR and other public radio stations. She made $15,600 a year for the gig. She also reported for WABC radio, WCBS radio, and WNBC radio, all in New York City. Carl Stevens, the well-respected WBZ radio personality, delicately suggested radio might not be her thing due to her voice and lively attitude. He suggested that Maria should try TV. She didn’t have a radio voice, but she sure had a TV face.

Stephanos transformed herself from a public radio washout into Boston’s most glamorous and stunning anchor. Of all of the people and stories she's covered, Maria said the most memorable people she interviewed was the average everyday people who fought through adversity, "Wow, there are so many. Susan Lane of Natick. She lost both hands and feet after infection but all it did to her was strengthen her spirit. A true inspiration. And Samuel Bernstein, an Iwo Jima survivor who gave me a lesson in history you could never get from any school. I love the people here."

Maria joined FOX 25 in 1997 as a general assignment reporter and later became the station's main anchor in 2001. Prior to coming to FOX 25, Maria was a reporter at WJAR-TV NBC 10 in Providence, RI. It was there that she got her first taste of the anchor desk when the sports anchor didn't show up for work. WJAR sent her to cover fires, murders, and blizzards.

Her departure from Fox prompted buzz around the city and in her hometown. "I was at the end of my contract and had an offer to stay with Fox, but I thought it was the perfect time to explore what was out there." In 2016, Stephanos debuted as a news anchor at Channel 5. She knew she was ready to try something new after nearly 18 years at the station. She says she was lucky enough to have interest from a number of places, She wanted to work for WCVB Channel 5, the station that she watched growing up in Groveland