Journalism degree: salary, jobs & colleges
Bachelor's graduates in journalism earn a median $54,425 four years after finishing, across 185 U.S. colleges. At ages 25-34, people whose degree is in journalism earn $61,101, $948 less than all bachelor's holders. The most common job is news analysts, reporters, and journalists (7%).
Median across 185 colleges; middle half $49,842–$59,925.
College Scorecard field of study (graduates who received federal aid)
Middle half $41,763–$89,375. 4,249 survey respondents.
Census ACS 2020-2024 microdata; field "Journalism"; EducationGuide calculation
- All bachelor's, 25-34$62,049
- High school, 25-34$35,638
- This degree vs high school+$25,463/yr
Census ACS 2020-2024 microdata, workers not in school
Median across colleges reporting.
College Scorecard field of study
Jobs journalism graduates hold
What employed 25-34-year-olds whose bachelor's is in journalism actually do, with U.S. wages and the outlook for each job. The first column comes from the Census survey; wages and growth from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
| Job | Share of graduates | U.S. median wage | Jobs growth 2025-35 | Typical entry | Interests |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| News Analysts, Reporters, And Journalists | 7% | $62,200 | -5.9% | Bachelor's degree | AIE |
| Marketing Managers | 5% | $166,790 | +6.9% | Bachelor's degree | EC |
| Other Managers | 5% | — | — | — | — |
| Market Research Analysts And Marketing Specialists | 5% | $78,760 | +7.0% | Bachelor's degree | ECI |
| Producers And Directors | 4% | $90,360 | +4.0% | Bachelor's degree | AE |
| Writers And Authors | 3% | $76,910 | -0.3% | Bachelor's degree | AE |
| Editors | 3% | $77,920 | -1.1% | Bachelor's degree | ACE |
| Customer Service Representatives | 3% | $44,770 | -5.3% | High school diploma or equivalent | CES |
These 8 jobs account for 35% of employed graduates: people with this degree spread across many kinds of work.
Census ACS 2020-2024 microdata (ages 25-34, bachelor's as highest degree, employed); BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics May 2025; BLS Employment Projections 2025-35; O*NET 31.0 interest codes (R realistic, I investigative, A artistic, S social, E enterprising, C conventional).
Journalism earnings by state
Two views of pay: recent graduates of the state's colleges four years out (College Scorecard), and everyone ages 25-34 living in the state with this field of degree (Census). States show a figure only with at least 3 colleges or 100 survey respondents.
| State | Graduates, 4 yrs (colleges) | Ages 25-34 (respondents) |
|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $50,652 (3) | — |
| Arizona | $57,868 (3) | — |
| Arkansas | $41,852 (4) | — |
| California | $58,146 (14) | $73,321 (581) |
| Colorado | $55,304 (4) | $62,323 (164) |
| Connecticut | $59,604 (8) | — |
| Florida | $58,150 (5) | $56,854 (176) |
| Georgia | $54,378 (8) | $62,968 (154) |
| Illinois | $55,641 (9) | $65,991 (251) |
| Indiana | $49,456 (3) | — |
| Iowa | $56,933 (3) | — |
| Kentucky | $46,248 (4) | — |
| Massachusetts | $63,337 (5) | $72,618 (114) |
| Michigan | $47,775 (5) | — |
| Mississippi | $41,398 (3) | — |
| Nebraska | $53,618 (3) | — |
| New Jersey | $58,124 (6) | $71,594 (165) |
| New York | $59,067 (17) | $76,144 (430) |
| North Carolina | — | $57,276 (119) |
| Ohio | $59,276 (12) | $60,915 (133) |
| Oklahoma | $51,667 (4) | — |
| Pennsylvania | $53,518 (11) | $55,748 (128) |
| Tennessee | $49,932 (3) | — |
| Texas | $57,461 (9) | $62,968 (293) |
| Virginia | $51,940 (3) | — |
| Washington | $58,795 (3) | — |
| Wisconsin | $50,970 (5) | — |
College Scorecard field of study (median of each college's graduates); Census ACS 2020-2024 microdata; EducationGuide calculations.
Colleges where journalism graduates earn the most
In the states we cover so far (Florida, Virginia, California): 9 in Florida, 9 in Virginia, 25 in California offer this major. Open a college to see cost to finish and payback for your income.
| # | College | Earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | University of Southern CaliforniaCA | $79,776 | $16,250 |
| 2 | Chapman UniversityCA | $79,135 | $22,500 |
| 3 | University of MiamiFL | $71,466 | $16,000 |
| 4 | California Polytechnic State University-San Luis ObispoCA | $70,829 | $19,333 |
| 5 | California State University-ChicoCA | $63,358 | $18,750 |
| 6 | Hampton UniversityVA | $61,675 | $26,250 |
| 7 | University of Central FloridaFL | $60,887 | $22,644 |
| 8 | Biola UniversityCA | $59,925 | $27,000 |
| 9 | California Baptist UniversityCA | $58,821 | $26,869 |
| 10 | Pepperdine UniversityCA | $58,801 | — |
| 11 | University of FloridaFL | $58,150 | $17,054 |
| 12 | University of California-IrvineCA | $57,492 | $16,900 |
College Scorecard field of study. Colleges meeting our core-data standard; online campuses left out.
Related degrees
Journalism degree questions
How much do Journalism graduates make?
Journalism graduates earn a median $54,425 four years after finishing, across 185 U.S. colleges that report it (the middle half of colleges: $49,842 to $59,925; College Scorecard, graduates who received federal aid). Among all workers ages 25-34 whose bachelor's degree is in journalism, the median is $61,101 (Census ACS 2020-2024).
Is a Journalism degree worth it?
At ages 25-34, people with a bachelor's in journalism earn a median $61,101: $948 less than all bachelor's degree holders ($62,049) and $25,463 more than high school graduates ($35,638). EducationGuide calculation from Census ACS 2020-2024 microdata, workers not in school.
What jobs do Journalism graduates get?
Among employed 25-34-year-olds whose bachelor's is in journalism, the most common jobs are news analysts, reporters, and journalists (7%), marketing managers (5%), other managers (5%). News Analysts, Reporters, And Journalists earn a U.S. median $62,200.
How much do Journalism graduates earn in Florida?
Across 5 Florida colleges reporting, Journalism graduates earn a median $58,150 four years after graduating; at ages 25-34, Floridians with this field of degree earn $56,854.
Sources: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard; U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey microdata; Bureau of Labor Statistics; O*NET 31.0 (U.S. Department of Labor, CC BY 4.0). Method
Data: JSON · Markdown · all degrees
Cite this: “Journalism degree: salary, jobs and colleges,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/degrees/journalism.