The average wage for a journalist in the United States is around $17.83 per hour.
Avg Wage
Journalists earn an average hourly wage of $17.83.
Salaries typically start from $10.15 per hour and go up to $31.32 per hour.
40% below national average Updated in 2018
Journalist earnings by seniority
90th percentile
Top-level journalist earnings begin at:
$31.32 per hour
$65,154 per year
75th percentile
Senior-level journalist earnings begin at:
$23.99 per hour
$49,895 per year
50th percentile
Mid-level journalist earnings begin at:
$17.83 per hour
$37,093 per year
25th percentile
Junior-level journalist earnings begin at:
$13.26 per hour
$27,576 per year
10th percentile
Starting level journalist earnings begin at:
$10.15 per hour
$21,118 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 the United States. On average, they make less than editors but more than sports writers.
| Career | Median Salary |
|---|---|
| Editor salary | $53K |
| Photojournalist salary | $36K |
| Content manager salary | $40K |
| Translator salary | $35K |
| Proofreader salary | $39K |
| Journalist salary | $37K |
| News reporter salary | $27K |
| Blogger salary | $26K |
| Sports writer salary | $24K |
Source: CareerExplorer (Aggregated)