Journalist Salary

Updated: 26 May 2012
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National Salary Data

National Salary Data

 (?
XAll compensation data shown are gross, national 10th to 90th percentile ranges. Pay can vary greatly by location. To view local data, take the PayScale survey.
)
$0$20K$40K$60K
Salary$20,602 - $59,188  
   
Bonus$0.00 - $5,145  
Profit Sharing$650 - $2,857  
Commissionn/a
Not enough data
Total Pay (?
XTotal Pay combines base annual salary or hourly wage, bonuses, profit sharing, tips, commissions, overtime pay and other forms of cash earnings, as applicable for this job. It does not include equity (stock) compensation, cash value of retirement benefits, or the value of other non-cash benefits (e.g. healthcare).
)
$20,526 - $58,839  
PayScale
Country: United States | Currency: USD | Updated: 26 May 2012 | Individuals Reporting: 216
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Companies and Industries for Journalist Salaries

Popular Employers

Salary Range

The New York TimesNot enough data
Popular Industries

Salary Range

Newspaper$19,978 - $59,922
Magazine$19,218 - $58,539
News$21,911 - $64,074
Newspapers$20,066 - $64,262
Internet and New Media$21,911 - $64,074

key statistics
Key Statistics for Journalist Salaries and Jobs

Gender
Female
61%
female alumni
 
Male
39%
male alumni
Salary:$28,002 - $50,875 $26,103 - $47,050
Years of Experience
Less than 1 year
8%
1-4 years
60%
5-9 years
18%
10-19 years
7%
20 years or more
7%
Most Common Health Benefits
medical benefits Medical: 66% dental benefits Dental: 46%
vision benefits Vision: 28% employee benefits None: 31%

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career path
Career Path for Journalist Jobs

Common Past Jobs
Common Future Jobs

Journalist

Salary Range

$20,526 - $58,839
payscale
Waiter/Waitress
$7,442 - $34,113
Reporter, Newspaper
$20,203 - $56,459
Writer
$24,555 - $82,826
 
Common Future Jobs

Journalist

Salary Range

$20,526 - $58,839
payscale
Journalist, News
$20,577 - $72,080
Journalist, Broadcast
$21,177 - $94,130
Administrative Assistant
$21,254 - $43,265
 

career path
Salary Map for Journalist Jobs

Highest Salaries By City for Journalist Jobs

Top Cities by Popularity for Journalist Jobs

Highest Salaries By City Top Cities by Popularity

sample job description
Journalist Job Description

People with the job title Journalist typically fall into one of the following PayScale standard occupations.

Collect and analyze facts about newsworthy events by interview, investigation, or observation. Report and write stories for newspaper, news magazine, radio, or television.

See Sample Job Descriptions for All Jobs

salaries
FAQs on Salaries for Journalist Jobs

Journalist Salary - Where Do We Go From Here?

In recent years, traditional media sources such as print, radio and television have been facing increasingly stiff competition from the Internet, impacting journalists and journalist salaries alike. No longer do people have to wait for the next edition of their local newspaper or television news program to get the latest scoop on current events - they can hop online and not only read up-to-the-minute reports of goings-on, but also comment on stories, pass them on to friends, and write their own stories. Journalists have had to rapidly adjust to this new information climate, and all the changes have some people asking, "how will this impact journalist salaries in the future?"

Fortunately, for the typical journalist, salary is earned by more skills than simply computer ownership and an ability to type. A journalist needs immaculate research and fact-checking skills, an ability to speak articulately and write interesting stories, a solid understanding of what is newsworthy, and the ability to ask the right questions. Anyone who has ever sat down to interview another person will tell you - those questions don't just write themselves!

Journalism Salary Data

The key to staying ahead in the face of Web reporting will be to embrace it, rather than ignoring it. Take a look at the Journalist Salary by City chart, and investigate Journalist Salaries by State as well. You'll find that journalist average salary is hugely affected by location. As the Web continues to establish a presence in the media, journalist salaries may be influenced less by location; thanks to new methods of communication, journalist salaries can be earned from anywhere in the world. Researching Journalist Salary by Industry, you can see that journalist salaries are currently highest for those working in television broadcasting. View the into Broadcast Journalism Salary report to get a more detailed look at journalist salaries for this industry. Whatever the future might hold, journalism remains an incredibly dynamic and progressive field. To see how various employment settings can influence salary, see the chart on Journalist Average Salary by Employer Type.

Beyond Journalist Average Salary

Researching a journalist's average salary will give you some idea of what journalism careers can be like, but for the real scoop, it's always best to go to an inside source. Read Salary Stories' "Reporters Salary: How to be a Successful Reporter" to learn how Web reporter W. James Au has embraced emerging new media to become a successful reporter with a book deal in the works.

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