Journalist Salary (United States)

United States journalists typically earn around 40,000 to 60,000 dollars per year, with national outlet and specialist roles above 90,000.

Overview

Newsroom contraction has defined the occupation for two decades, though union drives at major outlets and nonprofit newsroom growth have created steadier islands. Local reporters often earn near the wage distribution's lower half, while political, investigative and beat specialists at national organizations earn six figures. Freelance work pays by the piece and carries no benefits, and audience-following now functions as leverage in negotiations. These are indicative figures from federal statistics and union scales; the spread between local and national is wider than the median suggests.