The average wage for a journalist in the United States is around $24.52 per hour.
Avg Wage
Journalists earn an average hourly wage of $24.52.
Salaries typically start from $0.48 per hour and go up to $50.48 per hour.
17% below national average Updated in 2023
Journalist earnings by seniority
90th percentile
Top-level journalist earnings begin at:
$50.48 per hour
$105,000 per year
75th percentile
Senior-level journalist earnings begin at:
$36.06 per hour
$75,000 per year
50th percentile
Mid-level journalist earnings begin at:
$24.52 per hour
$51,000 per year
25th percentile
Junior-level journalist earnings begin at:
$14.42 per hour
$30,000 per year
10th percentile
Starting level journalist earnings begin at:
$0.48 per hour
$1,000 per year
Approximate values based on highest and lowest earning segments.
Journalist salary by state
| State Name | Average Salary |
|---|---|
| New York | $81,930 |
| New Jersey | $52,560 |
| Louisiana | $50,070 |
| California | $49,180 |
| Illinois | $48,097 |
| Kentucky | $47,905 |
| Washington | $46,310 |
| Florida | $45,480 |
| Indiana | $45,473 |
| Kansas | $45,305 |
| Georgia | $45,140 |
| Massachusetts | $44,060 |
| Maryland | $43,320 |
| Hawaii | $43,250 |
| Puerto Rico | $42,250 |
| Alaska | $41,945 |
| Colorado | $41,630 |
| Nevada | $41,270 |
| Arizona | $41,146 |
| Utah | $40,960 |
| Pennsylvania | $39,600 |
| Virginia | $39,520 |
| Maine | $39,290 |
| Delaware | $38,970 |
| Minnesota | $38,110 |
| Missouri | $37,980 |
| New Hampshire | $37,420 |
| New Mexico | $37,420 |
| Michigan | $36,890 |
| Texas | $36,610 |
| Connecticut | $35,920 |
| Rhode Island | $35,800 |
| North Dakota | $35,750 |
| South Carolina | $35,220 |
| Vermont | $35,200 |
| Oklahoma | $34,980 |
| Ohio | $34,430 |
| Idaho | $34,390 |
| Nebraska | $34,060 |
| North Carolina | $33,990 |
| Oregon | $33,590 |
| West Virginia | $32,030 |
| Iowa | $31,145 |
| Wisconsin | $31,020 |
| South Dakota | $29,950 |
| Wyoming | $29,410 |
| Tennessee | $29,200 |
| Alabama | $29,164 |
| Mississippi | $28,010 |
| Arkansas | $27,378 |
| Guam | $25,590 |
| Montana | $24,090 |
| District of Columbia | $100,550 |
How do journalist salaries compare to similar careers?
Journalists earn 12% more than similar careers in the United States. On average, they make less than content managers but more than proofreaders.
| Career | Median Salary |
|---|---|
| Content manager salary | $70K |
| Copywriter salary | $54K |
| Journalist salary | $51K |
| Researcher salary | $46K |
| Television writer salary | $36K |
| Editor salary | $32K |
| Proofreader salary | $28K |
Source: CareerExplorer (Aggregated)