The average wage for a journalist in the United States is around $17.83 per hour.
Avg Wage
Journalists earn an average hourly wage of $17.83.
Salaries typically start from $10.15 per hour and go up to $31.32 per hour.
38% below national average Updated in 2018
Journalist earnings by seniority
Top-level journalist earnings begin at:
$31.32 per hour
$65,154 per year
Senior-level journalist earnings begin at:
$23.99 per hour
$49,895 per year
Mid-level journalist earnings begin at:
$17.83 per hour
$37,093 per year
Junior-level journalist earnings begin at:
$13.26 per hour
$27,576 per year
Starting level journalist earnings begin at:
$10.15 per hour
$21,118 per year
Approximate values based on highest and lowest earning segments.
Journalist salary by state
| State Name | Average Salary |
|---|---|
| New York | $81,930 |
| New Jersey | $52,560 |
| Louisiana | $50,070 |
| California | $49,180 |
| Illinois | $48,097 |
| Kentucky | $47,905 |
| Washington | $46,310 |
| Florida | $45,480 |
| Indiana | $45,473 |
| Kansas | $45,305 |
| Georgia | $45,140 |
| Massachusetts | $44,060 |
| Maryland | $43,320 |
| Hawaii | $43,250 |
| Puerto Rico | $42,250 |
| Alaska | $41,945 |
| Colorado | $41,630 |
| Nevada | $41,270 |
| Arizona | $41,146 |
| Utah | $40,960 |
| Pennsylvania | $39,600 |
| Virginia | $39,520 |
| Maine | $39,290 |
| Delaware | $38,970 |
| Minnesota | $38,110 |
| Missouri | $37,980 |
| New Hampshire | $37,420 |
| New Mexico | $37,420 |
| Michigan | $36,890 |
| Texas | $36,610 |
| Connecticut | $35,920 |
| Rhode Island | $35,800 |
| North Dakota | $35,750 |
| South Carolina | $35,220 |
| Vermont | $35,200 |
| Oklahoma | $34,980 |
| Ohio | $34,430 |
| Idaho | $34,390 |
| Nebraska | $34,060 |
| North Carolina | $33,990 |
| Oregon | $33,590 |
| West Virginia | $32,030 |
| Iowa | $31,145 |
| Wisconsin | $31,020 |
| South Dakota | $29,950 |
| Wyoming | $29,410 |
| Tennessee | $29,200 |
| Alabama | $29,164 |
| Mississippi | $28,010 |
| Arkansas | $27,378 |
| Guam | $25,590 |
| Montana | $24,090 |
| District of Columbia | $100,550 |
How much does a Journalist earn?
If you're fortunate enough to get and keep a job in the current climate, it is possible to make a decent salary in print, online, or broadcast journalism. A journalist salary depends on what media market you're in, your specific job, and how much experience you have.
A journalist working for a big paper in a major media market can make more than someone at a smaller paper in a smaller market. The competition for jobs at big papers in large cities is more intense than for papers in small towns. Typically, the biggest papers hire people with many years of experience, who would expect to be paid more than someone just starting out.
In rough terms, journalist salaries at small papers are $20,000 to $30,000; at medium-sized papers, $35,000 to $55,000; and at large papers, $60,000 and up. Editors earn a bit more. At the low end of the salary scale, beginning TV reporters make about the same as beginning newspaper reporters. But in big media markets, salaries for TV reporters and anchors skyrocket. Reporters at stations in large cities can earn well into the six figures, and anchors in large media markets can earn $1 million or more annually.
How do journalist salaries compare to similar careers?
Journalists earn about the same as related careers in the United States. On average, they make less than editors but more than sports writers.
| Career | Median Salary |
|---|---|
| Editor salary | $53K |
| Photojournalist salary | $36K |
| Content manager salary | $40K |
| Translator salary | $35K |
| Proofreader salary | $39K |
| Journalist salary | $37K |
| News reporter salary | $27K |
| Blogger salary | $26K |
| Sports writer salary | $24K |
Source: CareerExplorer (Aggregated)