The average wage for a journalist in the United States is around $17.83 per hour.
Avg Wage
This is 38% below the national average. Updated in 2018.
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.
Journalist earnings by seniority
Approximate values based on highest and lowest earning segments.
Journalist salary by state
| State Name | Average Salary |
|---|---|
| District of Columbia | $100,550 |
| New York | $81,930 |
| California | $49,180 |
| Kentucky | $47,905 |
| Illinois | $48,097 |
| New Jersey | $52,560 |
| Maryland | $43,320 |
| Louisiana | $50,070 |
| Colorado | $41,630 |
| Kansas | $45,305 |
| Washington | $46,310 |
| Florida | $45,480 |
| Massachusetts | $44,060 |
| Minnesota | $38,110 |
| Indiana | $45,473 |
| Georgia | $45,140 |
| Hawaii | $43,250 |
| Delaware | $38,970 |
| Utah | $40,960 |
| Virginia | $39,520 |
| New Mexico | $37,420 |
| Oregon | $33,590 |
| Nevada | $41,270 |
| Michigan | $36,890 |
| South Carolina | $35,220 |
| Arizona | $41,146 |
| Texas | $36,610 |
| Puerto Rico | $42,250 |
| Missouri | $37,980 |
| Connecticut | $35,920 |
| New Hampshire | $37,420 |
| Alaska | $41,945 |
| Pennsylvania | $39,600 |
| North Dakota | $35,750 |
| Maine | $39,290 |
| Ohio | $34,430 |
| North Carolina | $33,990 |
| Nebraska | $34,060 |
| Vermont | $35,200 |
| Oklahoma | $34,980 |
| West Virginia | $32,030 |
| Idaho | $34,390 |
| Tennessee | $29,200 |
| Mississippi | $28,010 |
| Wisconsin | $31,020 |
| Iowa | $31,145 |
| South Dakota | $29,950 |
| Wyoming | $29,410 |
| Alabama | $29,164 |
| Montana | $24,090 |
| Arkansas | $27,378 |
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)