The Average Salary of a Broadcast Journalist
Broadcast journalists research, examine, interpret and announce the news on TV, radio or multimedia. They may present news stories live in the studio or on-location, or introduce them from taped sources. Journalists at smaller stations may cover all news, while those large stations may specialize in such fields as international, consumer, domestic or sports news.
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Basics
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Broadcast journalism includes two related types of professionals: reporters and correspondents, who collect and analyze newsworthy facts; and news analysts, who interpret and broadcast news. The median salary for reporters is $34,360 per year, with the lowest ten percent making $19,650 and the highest ten percent earning $74,700. News analysts receive a median annual salary of $50,400 per year, with the bottom ten percent making $24,790 and the top ten percent earning $138,690. This information is from the Bureau of Labor Statistics as of May 2009.
Industries
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The type of industry affects income. For reporters, the highest income industries are information services, paying on average $69,220; religious organizations, paying $54,420; and radio and television broadcasting, paying $51,570. For news analysts, the highest salaries are with cable programming, paying on average $73,740 per year; radio and television broadcasting, paying $68,480; and advertising, paying $54,610.
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States
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The state in which a job is located decides compensation. For reporters, the highest-paying states are the District of Columbia, where compensation is $74,950 and New York, where compensation $60,390; and New Jersey, where compensation is $57,180. For news analysts, the high income states are Florida, where pay averages $108,500; Colorado, where mean pay is $98,420; and Tennessee, where mean pay is $84,860.
Cities
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The city of employment can adjust salaries. The highest-paying for reporters are Springfield, Illinois, which pays $78,000; Durham, North Carolina, which pays $72,510; and Denver, Colorado, which pays $68,880. For news analysts, the high payers are Denver, Colorado, averaging $118,960; Dallas, Texas, which pays $111,990; and Houston, Texas, which pays $107,450.
Employment Levels
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The areas offering the best employment opportunities may or may not correspond to the ones with the highest pay. For example, with reporters, two industries with the highest levels of employment are radio and television broadcasting, and information services. For news analysts, they are radio and television broadcasting, and information services. All these industries are also top payers.
For reporters and states, the District of Columbia has the highest employment concentration and the highest pay. Ranked number two is South Dakota, paying $26,960. However, it is not a top payer. For news analysts, the states with the greatest concentration of jobs are the District of Columbia, paying $66,890; and Idaho, paying $45,940. Neither of these are in the top five for income.
For cities, the greatest concentration of reporter jobs are in Sherman, Texas, paying $26,330, and Bangor, Maine, paying $37,460. For news analysts, the cities with the highest employment concentration are Idaho Falls, ID, paying $34,510 and Raleigh, North Carolina, paying $54,310. None of these urban areas have the best pay.
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References
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