Journalist earnings by seniority

90th percentile

Top-level journalist earnings begin at:

$58.34 per hour

$121,341 per year

75th percentile

Senior-level journalist earnings begin at:

$37.63 per hour

$78,278 per year

50th percentile

Mid-level journalist earnings begin at:

$23.12 per hour

$48,097 per year

25th percentile

Junior-level journalist earnings begin at:

$14.21 per hour

$29,553 per year

10th percentile

Starting level journalist earnings begin at:

$9.17 per hour

$19,065 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 about the same as related careers in Illinois. On average, they make less than television writers but more than proofreaders.

Career Median Salary
Television writer salary $59K
Copywriter salary $55K
Writer salary $55K
Journalist salary $48K
Technical writer salary $54K
Editor salary $48K
Proofreader salary $46K

Source: CareerExplorer (Aggregated)