Salary for Journalist Jobs

Updated: 12 Feb 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$22K$44K$66K
Salary$19,635 - $60,249  
   
Bonus$96.25 - $9,766  
Profit Sharing$800 - $3,500  
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).
)
$19,458 - $64,221  
PayScale
Country: United States | Currency: USD | Updated: 12 Feb 2012 | Individuals Reporting: 263
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Companies and Industries for Journalist Jobs

Popular Employers

Salary Range

The New York TimesNot enough data
Trib Total MediaNot enough data
Washington Post CoNot enough data
Popular Industries

Salary Range

Newspaper$21,439 - $64,655
Magazine$20,385 - $62,955
News$23,156 - $68,720
Newspapers$21,646 - $70,258
Internet and New Media$23,156 - $68,720

key statistics
Key Statistics for Journalist Jobs

Gender
Female
58%
female alumni
 
Male
42%
male alumni
Salary:$25,360 - $49,621 $22,382 - $43,360
Years of Experience
Less than 1 year
10%
1-4 years
60%
5-9 years
15%
10-19 years
10%
20 years or more
5%
Most Common Health Benefits
medical benefits Medical: 66% dental benefits Dental: 46%
vision benefits Vision: 29% employee benefits None: 31%

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career path
Career Path for Journalist Jobs

Common Past Jobs
Common Future Jobs

Journalist

Salary Range

$19,458 - $64,221
payscale
Reporter, Newspaper
$19,972 - $57,226
Waiter/Waitress
$7,782 - $39,104
Customer Service Representative (CSR)
$19,289 - $42,605
 
Common Future Jobs

Journalist

Salary Range

$19,458 - $64,221
payscale
Journalist, News
$20,518 - $75,542
Journalist, Broadcast
$20,860 - $97,952
Public Relations (PR) Specialist
$27,173 - $66,047
 

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

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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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