Starting Salaries in Journalism
Novice journalists typically earn up to $30,000 in entry-level positions as reporters and assistants. This salary varies, depending on the geographic area and the size of the company employing the journalist.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median wage for a journalist in 2009 is $48,640 per year. A journalist is defined as any author or writer. Journalist salary figures cover wages earned by print, television, book, magazine, online and freelance journalists.
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Starting Salaries
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The lowest earnings figures for new journalists hover around the $34,000 salary range in metropolitan media markets. The amount of money for a new journalist depends highly on the market geographically and type of medium. TV journalists hold some of the highest salary figures in the field. Radio journalists can average a slightly larger wage than print journalist.
Technical Writers
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Technical writers, with several years of experience at noted companies, earn nearly $60,000 annually. Entry-level technical writer salaries are reported in the $40,000 range.
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Newspaper Journalists
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Newspaper journalists just starting out earn a little above $51,000 in major markets. Radio and TV journalists commonly earn about $71,000 depending on the market, education and experience level.
Screenwriters
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Screenwriters and video journalists can make as much as $98,000 per year depending on the project and their experience level.
Freelance Journalists
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Independent journalists, who write for a variety of sources or write books, have been noted to earn as much as $100,000 per year. Online writers can earn as little as $4 per article, with revenue sharing benefits, to as much as $15 to $30 per full-length submission.
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