News Analysts, Reporters, and Journalists: salary, outlook & degrees
Narrate or write news stories, reviews, or commentary for print, broadcast, or other communications media such as newspapers, magazines, radio, or television. May collect and analyze information through interview, investigation, or observation.
Middle half $45,370–$98,450. 39,250 jobs.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025
94% hold a bachelor's or higher. Those with one: $62,563.
Census ACS 2020-2024 microdata, workers with at least a high school diploma; EducationGuide calculation
About 3,400 openings a year, including replacements.
BLS Employment Projections 2025-35
Considerable preparation (usually a bachelor's).
BLS; O*NET 31.0 job zone
Degrees that lead to this career
What workers ages 25-34 in this job studied, among those with a bachelor's or higher. This is what people actually did, not a requirement.
| Field of bachelor's degree | Share | Degree pages |
|---|---|---|
| Journalism | 37% | Journalism |
| Communications | 9% | Communications · Communication, Journalism, and Related Programs, Other |
| Mass Media | 6% | Broadcasting / Digital Media |
| English Language And Literature | 6% | English |
| Political Science And Government | 5% | Political Science |
| Economics | 2% | Economics |
| History | 2% | History |
| Psychology | 2% | Psychology |
| Composition And Rhetoric | 2% | Writing |
| Philosophy And Religious Studies | 2% | Philosophy · Religious Studies |
Census ACS 2020-2024 microdata (ages 25-34, employed, bachelor's or higher; top 10 fields); EducationGuide calculation.
Pay by state and metro
| State | Median wage |
|---|---|
| District of Columbia | $105,390 |
| New York | $100,770 |
| Georgia | $81,910 |
| Nevada | $78,550 |
| Rhode Island | $74,570 |
| Maryland | $63,680 |
| Michigan | $62,760 |
| Tennessee | $62,390 |
| Virginia | $62,140 |
| Utah | $61,880 |
| Connecticut | $61,620 |
| Colorado | $60,770 |
| Illinois | $60,590 |
| New Jersey | $59,830 |
| Florida | $58,730 |
| North Carolina | $58,670 |
| Wisconsin | $57,530 |
| Hawaii | $56,730 |
| Delaware | $55,600 |
| Washington | $54,760 |
| New Mexico | $54,610 |
| Idaho | $51,190 |
| Louisiana | $50,750 |
| Maine | $50,090 |
| Oregon | $49,200 |
| Texas | $48,470 |
| New Hampshire | $48,450 |
| Oklahoma | $48,210 |
| Montana | $47,960 |
| South Carolina | $47,940 |
| Ohio | $47,880 |
| Indiana | $47,610 |
| Kentucky | $47,530 |
| Vermont | $46,970 |
| Missouri | $46,920 |
| Minnesota | $46,490 |
| Kansas | $45,870 |
| Mississippi | $45,240 |
| PR | $44,870 |
| Alaska | $43,820 |
| Iowa | $43,540 |
| South Dakota | $43,520 |
| Alabama | $43,440 |
| North Dakota | $43,420 |
| Arizona | $43,100 |
| Nebraska | $40,420 |
| Arkansas | $37,450 |
| Wyoming | $36,040 |
| West Virginia | $35,280 |
Florida metro areas
- Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach$65,610
- Jacksonville$56,890
- Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater$66,440
- Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford$64,320
- Cape Coral-Fort Myers$57,820
- North Port-Bradenton-Sarasota$55,360
- Gainesville$49,970
- Tallahassee$56,270
Virginia metro areas
- Washington-Arlington-Alexandria$101,020
- Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk$47,160
- Richmond$56,910
- Roanoke$55,820
- Charlottesville$51,310
California metro areas
- Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom$80,000
- San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad$63,810
- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara$76,450
- Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario$66,780
- Bakersfield-Delano$61,830
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025: median annual wage, all workers in the job. Metro areas: the largest by employment.
What the work takes
Top skills
- Active Listening
- Reading Comprehension
- Speaking
- Critical Thinking
- Writing
Knowledge used
- English Language
- Communications and Media
- Computers and Electronics
- Telecommunications
- Customer and Personal Service
Work styles
- Integrity
- Intellectual Curiosity
- Adaptability
- Social Orientation
- Dependability
People in this job tend to have Artistic (creative), Investigative (analytical), Enterprising (leading) interests.
O*NET 31.0 (U.S. Department of Labor, CC BY 4.0): skills and knowledge by importance; work styles; interest high points.
News Analysts, Reporters, and Journalists: questions
How much do news Analysts, Reporters, and Journalists make?
News Analysts, Reporters, and Journalists earn a U.S. median $62,200 a year; the middle half earn $45,370 to $98,450 (BLS, May 2025). Workers ages 25-34 in this job earn a median $61,101 (Census ACS 2020-2024).
Is news Analysts, Reporters, and Journalists a growing field?
BLS projects a decline of 5.9% from 2025 to 2035, with about 3,400 openings a year, including replacements.
What degree do you need to be a news Analysts, Reporters, and Journalist?
BLS lists the typical entry education as bachelor's degree. Among workers ages 25-34 with a bachelor's, the most common field of degree is journalism (37%).
How much do news Analysts, Reporters, and Journalists make in Florida?
The median in Florida is $58,730 a year (BLS, May 2025), compared with $62,200 nationally.
Sources: Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35); O*NET 31.0 (U.S. Department of Labor, CC BY 4.0); U.S. Census Bureau ACS microdata. SOC 27-3023. Method
Data: JSON · Markdown · all careers
Cite this: “News Analysts, Reporters, and Journalists: salary, outlook and degrees,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/careers/news-analysts-reporters-and-journalists.