A fourth generation Oklahoman, Payne is a graduate of the University of Oklahoma with a Bachelor of Science degree. He began his television career as a meteorologist at ABC affiliate KTUL-TV in Tulsa, Oklahoma. In 1993, Payne left KTUL-TV to become the morning meteorologist at KFOR-TV. As morning meteorologist, Payne is often known for his humor and sometimes makes jokes, mostly aimed at co-anchor Kent Ogle, during the newscasts.

Payne has claimed to have tracked several hundred tornadoes during his career. Among these were multiple tornadoes that were spawned by a massive supercell during a devastating tornado outbreak occurred in Oklahoma producing 66 tornadoes and killed 44 people across Oklahoma and southern Kansason May 3, 1999. Payne, along with KFOR photojournalist Marc Dillard, chased the lead storm of the outbreak that produced a devastating F5 tornado (the only recorded F5 tornado to have hit any portion of the Oklahoma City metropolitan area) that set down near Amber that tracked into the Oklahoma City suburb Moore, Oklahoma.

Additional footage recorded during the outbreak of Payne and Dillard's storm chase was assumed to have been lost. However in 2005, the tape was discovered in a shelved box. The tape revealed included footage of Payne and Dillard getting too close to the F5 tornado, attempting to get out of the storm's way (this was one of at least two instances while chasing the tornadoes that Payne and Dillard had close calls nearly ending up in the tornado's path).

In April 2006, Payne and photojouralist Kevin Josephy captured a rare anticyclonic tornado that ultimately destroyed several hangars at the El Reno Regional Airport.

Over his career, Payne has won a total of six Regional Emmy Awards from National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences and has also been nominated eleven times, along with recognitions from the Associated Press and the Oklahoma Association of Broadcasters for his severe weather coverage.

Due to his coverage of May 3, 1999 tornado outbreak, now-former governor Frank Keating honored David and the rest of KFOR's weather team for their extensive coverage of the storms. The May 3rd outbreak coverage earned Payne one Emmy, as well as two additional nominations, to Payne and photojournalist Marc Dillard. The "lost tape" of the May 3rd chase also earned Payne an Emmy nomination for his reporting. Payne received additional Regional Emmy awards and nominations for coverage of the May 8, 2003 F4 tornado that had a track parralelling that of the F5 tornado in May 1999, the El Reno tornado on April 26, 2006 (along with a National Emmy), and F3 tornado that hit Sweetwater, Oklahoma on May 5, 2007 and for a tornado outbreak on May 24, 2008 in Northern Oklahoma.