Average News Analysts, Reporters, And Journalists Salary in the United States
The national median salary for News Analysts, Reporters, And Journalists is $62,200 per year. The middle 50% earn between $45,370 and $98,450, with 39,250 workers employed nationally.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey, May 2025 estimates . Data covers 51 states and 129 metro areas.
Pay distribution
Here is how News Analysts, Reporters, And Journalists pay is distributed across workers nationally. The 10th percentile typically reflects entry-level or early-career pay, the median is the midpoint, and the 90th percentile represents the top earners in the field.
- 10th
- $36,240
- 25th
- $45,370
- Median
- $62,200
- 75th
- $98,450
- 90th
- $144,140
All values are percentiles of annual wages.
News Analysts, Reporters, And Journalists earn close to the national median for all US workers. Solidly middle-income.
The pay band is unusually wide for this occupation. Experience, employer, and specialization can double or even triple an early-career salary, so what news analysts, reporters, and journalists earn depends heavily on where they are in their career and who they work for.
Job outlook
BLS projects employment for news analysts, reporters, and journalists from 2024 to 2034. This occupation is projected to shrink. Workers may face more competition for fewer openings, and the role may see automation or consolidation pressure.
- Projected growth
- -3.9%
- -1,900 net jobs over the projection period.
- Annual openings
- 4,100
- Includes growth plus replacements for workers who leave. Annual openings reflect typical replacement demand alongside any growth.
- Typical entry education
- Bachelor's degree
A bachelor's degree is the typical entry requirement for news analysts, reporters, and journalists.
Where News Analysts, Reporters, And Journalists earn the most
Location matters a lot. The gap between top-paying and bottom-paying states is large, so where news analysts, reporters, and journalists work can reshape their total compensation. Right now, the top-paying state is District of Columbia at $105,390, about 69.4% above the national median. At the metro level, New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ leads with a median of $101,670.
Top-paying states
| State | Median salary | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| District of Columbia | $105,390 | 1,720 |
| New York | $100,770 | 5,750 |
| Georgia | $81,910 | 1,520 |
| Nevada | $78,550 | 370 |
| Rhode Island | $74,570 | 150 |
| Maryland | $63,680 | 580 |
| Michigan | $62,760 | 960 |
| Tennessee | $62,390 | 600 |
Top-paying metros
| Metro area | Median salary | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $101,670 | 5,360 |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | $101,020 | 2,390 |
| Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA | $85,040 | 1,090 |
| Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas, NV | $81,640 | 300 |
| Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA | $80,000 | 220 |
| Salt Lake City-Murray, UT | $79,760 | 190 |
| Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI | $77,180 | 470 |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $76,450 | 160 |
Compare two locations side by side
Pick two states or metros to see news analysts, reporters, and journalists pay in each, along with a cost-of-living adjusted view.
Salary trend and related occupations
Between 2019 and 2025, the national median salary for News Analysts, Reporters, And Journalists rose from $46,270 to $62,200, a gain of +34.4% in nominal dollars.
Over the same period, US consumer prices rose by +25.9%. Just to keep pace with inflation, the 2019 median of $46,270 would need to be worth $58,267 in 2025 dollars.
The actual 2025 median of $62,200 is $3,933 above that inflation-adjusted benchmark, a real change of +6.8% in purchasing power.
Real wages have outpaced inflation by 6.8%, a modest but real gain in purchasing power.
- Nominal change
- +34.4%
- 2019–2025
- Cumulative inflation
- +25.9%
- US CPI, 2019–2025
- Real change
- +6.8%
- After adjusting for inflation
Median salary over time
News Analysts, Reporters, And Journalists median pay by year, going back through the available BLS releases.
- 2025
- $62,200
- 2024
- $60,280
- 2023
- $57,500
- 2022
- $55,960
- 2021
- $48,370
- 2020
- $49,300
- 2019
- $46,270
BLS did not publish a median for 2000–2018, so those years are omitted.
Related occupations
Other occupations in the same field, with median pay for comparison.
- Interpreters And Translators
- $60,170
- Public Relations Specialists
- $74,750
- Writers And Authors
- $76,910
- Editors
- $77,920
- Technical Writers
- $90,390
Common salary questions for News Analysts, Reporters, And Journalists
What does the median salary mean? +
The median is the midpoint of all wages. Half of News Analysts, Reporters, And Journalists workers earn more and half earn less. It is a better measure of typical pay than the average, which can be skewed by very high or very low earners.
Why does pay vary so much by location? +
Local labor markets, cost of living, industry concentration, and employer competition all affect wages. High-cost metros like San Francisco and New York often pay more in nominal terms, though some of that premium is offset by higher living costs.
How current is this salary data? +
This page uses the May 2025 BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics release. BLS publishes OEWS data once per year, typically in the spring for the previous May reference period.
What do the percentile ranges tell me? +
The 10th and 90th percentiles show the full pay band. The 25th to 75th percentile range, the middle 50%, is where most workers fall. A wide spread usually means experience, specialization, or location matter a lot for this occupation.