News analysts, reporters, and journalists salary
| Measure | Annual | Hourly |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $36,240 | $17.42 |
| Median (50th percentile) | $62,200 | $29.91 |
| Mean (average) | $102,460 | $49.26 |
| 90th percentile | $144,140 | $69.30 |
These wages describe everyone employed in the occupation, from new entrants to experienced workers. They are not starting salaries and not earnings of graduates from any particular program. Verified data
News analysts, reporters, and journalists pay by state and metro area
Table: median wage and employment for all 52 states and territories
| State | Median | 10th pct | 90th pct | Employment | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $43,440 | $31,540 | $88,610 | 530 | 0.99 |
| Alaska | $43,820 | $38,310 | $78,680 | 90 | 1.04 |
| Arizona | $43,100 | $31,630 | $86,820 | 450 | 0.55 |
| Arkansas | $37,450 | $29,430 | $65,490 | 260 | 0.77 |
| California | Data unavailable | 4,140 | 0.9 | ||
| Colorado | $60,770 | $36,850 | $99,700 | 590 | 0.81 |
| Connecticut | $61,620 | $45,000 | $210,770 | 470 | 1.09 |
| Delaware | $55,600 | $36,560 | $145,070 | 70 | 0.56 |
| District of Columbia | $105,390 | $64,600 | $222,040 | 1,720 | 9.72 |
| Florida | $58,730 | $39,380 | $122,560 | 2,490 | 0.99 |
| Georgia | $81,910 | $38,280 | $161,040 | 1,520 | 1.23 |
| Hawaii | $56,730 | $30,630 | $146,930 | 120 | 0.77 |
| Idaho | $51,190 | $32,520 | $85,040 | 220 | 1.03 |
| Illinois | $60,590 | $36,680 | $140,620 | 1,060 | 0.69 |
| Indiana | $47,610 | $31,970 | $100,780 | 530 | 0.66 |
| Iowa | $43,540 | $33,160 | $82,950 | 590 | 1.49 |
| Kansas | $45,870 | $31,200 | $136,810 | 400 | 1.1 |
| Kentucky | $47,530 | $29,320 | $103,670 | 370 | 0.73 |
| Louisiana | $50,750 | $38,810 | $101,120 | 410 | 0.83 |
| Maine | $50,090 | $35,900 | $75,650 | 250 | 1.57 |
| Maryland | $63,680 | $40,880 | $125,710 | 580 | 0.83 |
| Massachusetts | Data unavailable | 810 | 0.88 | ||
| Michigan | $62,760 | $35,400 | $144,750 | 960 | 0.86 |
| Minnesota | $46,490 | $33,890 | $65,510 | 510 | 0.69 |
| Mississippi | $45,240 | $29,930 | $63,560 | 310 | 1.07 |
| Missouri | $46,920 | $29,550 | $82,220 | 480 | 0.65 |
| Montana | $47,960 | $34,120 | $73,320 | 290 | 2.24 |
| Nebraska | $40,420 | $35,930 | $78,360 | 350 | 1.34 |
| Nevada | $78,550 | $46,000 | $126,150 | 370 | 0.96 |
| New Hampshire | $48,450 | $33,170 | $103,300 | 90 | 0.53 |
| New Jersey | $59,830 | $34,770 | $106,320 | 500 | 0.46 |
| New Mexico | $54,610 | $36,800 | $118,910 | 170 | 0.78 |
| New York | $100,770 | $49,500 | $327,640 | 5,750 | 2.35 |
| North Carolina | $58,670 | $32,280 | $101,970 | 930 | 0.74 |
| North Dakota | $43,420 | $39,000 | $82,090 | 160 | 1.46 |
| Ohio | $47,880 | $34,310 | $82,320 | 1,340 | 0.96 |
| Oklahoma | $48,210 | $29,260 | $93,360 | 400 | 0.92 |
| Oregon | $49,200 | $32,280 | $88,260 | 410 | 0.83 |
| Pennsylvania | Data unavailable | 1,160 | 0.76 | ||
| Puerto Rico | $44,870 | $24,770 | $99,470 | 220 | 0.92 |
| Rhode Island | $74,570 | $43,110 | $97,770 | 150 | 1.17 |
| South Carolina | $47,940 | $37,070 | $109,330 | 480 | 0.83 |
| South Dakota | $43,520 | $32,610 | $50,940 | 190 | 1.63 |
| Tennessee | $62,390 | $27,620 | $130,540 | 600 | 0.73 |
| Texas | $48,470 | $28,990 | $95,830 | 2,670 | 0.75 |
| Utah | $61,880 | $39,360 | $129,720 | 240 | 0.54 |
| Vermont | $46,970 | $37,800 | $103,900 | 90 | 1.11 |
| Virginia | $62,140 | $39,270 | $134,080 | 1,110 | 1.07 |
| Washington | $54,760 | $39,160 | $125,750 | 880 | 0.98 |
| West Virginia | $35,280 | $23,260 | $71,280 | 190 | 1.07 |
| Wisconsin | $57,530 | $37,170 | $97,380 | 740 | 1 |
| Wyoming | $36,040 | $21,520 | $55,760 | 80 | 1.14 |
A location quotient above 1 means the occupation is more concentrated in that state than in the nation overall.
Metro areas with the most jobs
Highest paying metro areas
Job outlook for news analysts, reporters, and journalists
- Average annual openings, 2025 to 2035: 3,400. Openings include new jobs plus replacement needs when workers retire or leave the occupation. Official projection
- Share of workers who are self-employed (2025): 16.8%.
- Read the official BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook profile.
These are official BLS projections. ConnectPrep does not alter them or present its own forecasts as official statistics.
Education and training for news analysts, reporters, and journalists
- Typical entry education
- Bachelor's degree
- Related work experience
- None
- On-the-job training
- None
- O*NET Job Zone
- Job Zone Four: Considerable Preparation Needed
Highest education of people working in this occupation
O*NET describes this preparation level as: Most of these occupations require a four-year bachelor's degree, but some do not.
Degrees and programs that lead to this career
Programs officially mapped to this occupation in the NCES and BLS CIP to SOC crosswalk. A mapping means the program commonly prepares students for the occupation, not that every graduate works in it. Official crosswalk
- Agricultural Communication/Journalism CIP 01.0802
- Communication, General CIP 09.0100
- Mass Communication/Media Studies CIP 09.0102
- Journalism CIP 09.0401
- Broadcast Journalism CIP 09.0402
- Photojournalism CIP 09.0404
- Business and Economic Journalism CIP 09.0405
- Cultural Journalism CIP 09.0406
- Science/Health/Environmental Journalism CIP 09.0407
- Journalism, Other CIP 09.0499
- Radio and Television CIP 09.0701
- Political Communication CIP 09.0904
- Sports Communication CIP 09.0906
- International and Intercultural Communication CIP 09.0907
Skills, knowledge, and daily work
Most important skills
Most important knowledge areas
Typical tasks
- Report news stories for publication or broadcast, describing the background and details of events.
- Gather information and develop perspectives about news subjects through research, interviews, observation, and experience.
- Research a story's background information to provide complete and accurate information.
- Arrange interviews with people who can provide information about a story.
- Establish and maintain relationships with individuals who are credible sources of information.
- Investigate breaking news developments, such as disasters, crimes, or human-interest stories.
- Select material most pertinent to presentation, and organize this material into appropriate formats.
- Report on specialized fields such as medicine, green technology, environmental issues, science, politics, sports, arts, consumer affairs, business, religion, crime, or education.
Technology skills
- Adobe After Effects (hot technology)
- Adobe InDesign (hot technology)
- Adobe Photoshop (hot technology)
- Facebook (hot technology)
- Hypertext markup language HTML (hot technology)
- IBM SPSS Statistics (hot technology)
- Microsoft Access (hot technology)
- Microsoft Excel (hot technology)
- Microsoft Office software (hot technology)
- Microsoft Outlook (hot technology)
- Microsoft PowerPoint (hot technology)
- Microsoft SQL Server (hot technology)
- Microsoft Word (hot technology)
- WordPress (hot technology)
- Adobe Premiere Pro
- Apple Final Cut Pro
Transferable skills for career changers: Social Perceptiveness, Time Management, Coordination, Complex Problem Solving, Persuasion, Judgment and Decision Making.
Common job titles: Anchor, Journalist, Multimedia Journalist, News Anchor, News Reporter, Reporter, Staff Writer, TV News Anchor (Television News Anchor), TV News Reporter (Television News Reporter), TV Reporter (Television Reporter).
Is it worth it? Model the cost of getting there
Use the ROI calculator to compare the cost of the education this career usually requires against staying on your current path. It starts from the official wage distribution above, and you can change every assumption.
Frequently asked questions
How much do news analysts, reporters, and journalists make?
The national median annual wage for news analysts, reporters, and journalists was $62,200 in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program. The lowest paid 10 percent earned less than $36,240 and the highest paid 10 percent earned more than $144,140. These figures cover all workers in the occupation, not only new entrants.
What education do news analysts, reporters, and journalists need?
BLS lists bachelor's degree as the typical education needed to enter this occupation, with none of related work experience and none on-the-job training typically needed to become competent.
Is news analysts, reporters, and journalists a growing career?
BLS projects employment of news analysts, reporters, and journalists to change -5.9% from 2025 to 2035, compared with +3.5% for all occupations. About 3,400 openings are projected each year on average, including openings from workers who retire or change occupations.
Which states pay news analysts, reporters, and journalists the most?
By median annual wage in May 2025, the highest paying states were District of Columbia ($105,390), New York ($100,770), Georgia ($81,910). Pay differences partly reflect differences in living costs.