News Analysts, Reporters, and Journalists: Career Overview
Narrate or write news stories, reviews, or commentary for print, broadcast, or other communications media such as newspapers, magazines, radio, or television. May collect and analyze information through interview, investigation, or observation.
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The Daily Work of News Analysts, Reporters, and Journalists Perform?
Typical responsibilities of news analysts, reporters, and journalists include:
- Write commentaries, columns, or scripts, using computers.
- Coordinate and serve as an anchor on news broadcast programs.
- Examine news items of local, national, and international significance to determine topics to address, or obtain assignments from editorial staff members.
- Analyze and interpret news and information received from various sources to broadcast the information.
- Receive assignments or evaluate leads or tips to develop story ideas.
- Research a story's background information to provide complete and accurate information.
- Arrange interviews with people who can provide information about a story.
- Gather information and develop perspectives about news subjects through research, interviews, observation, and experience.
Skills and Knowledge
Successful news analysts, reporters, and journalists draw on a mix of skills and domain knowledge.
Key Skills
The abilities that matter most in this role, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:
Top Knowledge Areas
Related Job Titles
People in this occupation may also be known by titles such as:
- Anchor
- Anchorman
- Art Critic
- Basketball Commentator
- Blogger
- Book Critic
- Book Reviewer
- Breaking News Reporter
How Many News Analysts, Reporters, and Journalists Are There?
There are about 92,343 news analysts, reporters, and journalists working in the United States today. This occupation is expected to decline by -0.2% over the projection horizon.
News Analysts, Reporters, and Journalists Pay
| Statistic | Value |
|---|---|
| Annual median | $74,101 |
| Hourly median | $35.63 |
| 10th percentile | $48,977 |
| 25th percentile | $61,539 |
| 75th percentile | $86,663 |
| 90th percentile | $99,224 |
Compensation varies based on experience, location, and industry.
Pay by State
| State | Annual median salary |
|---|---|
| New York | $103,810 |
| District of Columbia | $103,350 |
| California | $84,830 |
| Georgia | $76,440 |
| Virginia | $63,360 |
| Delaware | $61,580 |
| Connecticut | $61,540 |
| Nevada | $61,160 |
| Maryland | $60,710 |
| New Jersey | $60,470 |
| Texas | $60,320 |
| Hawaii | $60,270 |
| Rhode Island | $59,770 |
| Colorado | $59,650 |
| Tennessee | $59,030 |
| Massachusetts | $58,890 |
| Florida | $57,720 |
| Washington | $57,040 |
| Illinois | $56,600 |
| Louisiana | $56,040 |
| Utah | $53,630 |
| Wisconsin | $52,670 |
| North Carolina | $52,430 |
| Oregon | $52,350 |
| New Mexico | $51,240 |
| Michigan | $49,690 |
| Arizona | $49,140 |
| Alaska | $47,310 |
| Maine | $46,670 |
| Oklahoma | $46,160 |
| Indiana | $45,470 |
| Minnesota | $45,190 |
| Vermont | $44,890 |
| Idaho | $44,890 |
| Alabama | $44,730 |
| South Carolina | $44,690 |
| Missouri | $44,270 |
| Mississippi | $44,160 |
| New Hampshire | $43,700 |
| North Dakota | $43,650 |
| Puerto Rico | $39,220 |
| Nebraska | $38,960 |
| Wyoming | $38,500 |
| Iowa | $38,290 |
| South Dakota | $36,610 |
| Montana | $36,510 |
| Ohio | $36,470 |
| West Virginia | $36,440 |
| Kentucky | $36,040 |
| Kansas | $34,330 |
| Arkansas | $34,230 |
Top-Paying U.S. Regions
Pay for news analysts, reporters, and journalists differ across the country. These regions lead on median pay:
| Region | Median annual wage | Share of U.S. jobs | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|
| Middle Atlantic | $84,570 | 23.8% | 3.51 |
| Far Western US | $75,944 | 15.8% | 0.95 |
| Southeast | $56,695 | 24.6% | 1.04 |
| Southwest | $56,504 | 8.6% | 0.69 |
| New England | $56,032 | 5.2% | 1.14 |
| Rocky Mountains | $51,212 | 3.7% | 1.13 |
| Great Lakes | $48,007 | 11.9% | 0.85 |
| Plains States | $40,186 | 6.0% | 1.07 |
Highest-Paying Metro Areas for News Analysts, Reporters, and Journalists
| Metro area | State | Median annual wage | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Waterbury-Shelton, CT | CT | $138,910 | 70 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | NY | $104,270 | 5,060 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | CA | $102,240 | 1,180 |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | DC | $99,730 | 2,850 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | CA | $89,620 | 1,930 |
| Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA | GA | $80,050 | 960 |
| Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA | CA | $74,820 | 230 |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | CA | $74,290 | 140 |
Top Industries Employing News Analysts, Reporters, and Journalists
The bulk of news analysts, reporters, and journalists work in these industries:
| Industry | Employment | Median annual wage |
|---|---|---|
| Information | 39,240 | $59,970 |
| Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 950 | $93,560 |
| Educational Services | 570 | $52,500 |
| Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation | 260 | $37,410 |
| Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services | 160 | n/a |
| Other Services (except Public Administration) | 120 | $61,760 |
News Analysts, Reporters, and Journalists work in the following industries:
Software News Analysts, Reporters, and Journalists Use
- Video creation and editing software: Adobe After Effects (hot technology)
- Desktop publishing software: Adobe InDesign (hot technology)
- Graphics or photo imaging software: Adobe Photoshop (hot technology)
- Web page creation and editing software: Facebook (hot technology)
- Web platform development software: Hypertext markup language HTML (hot technology)
- Analytical or scientific software: IBM SPSS Statistics (hot technology)
- Data base user interface and query software: Microsoft Access (hot technology)
- Spreadsheet software: Microsoft Excel (hot technology)
- Office suite software: Microsoft Office software (hot technology)
- Electronic mail software: Microsoft Outlook (hot technology)
- Presentation software: Microsoft PowerPoint (hot technology)
- Data base user interface and query software: Microsoft SQL Server (hot technology)
The Day-to-Day Environment
Daily working conditions for news analysts, reporters, and journalists reflects the following characteristics:
- Time Pressure
- Contact With Others
- Freedom to Make Decisions
- Importance of Being Exact or Accurate
Education and Training
This career aligns with Considerable Preparation Needed (Job Zone 4), signaling the level of preparation typically expected.
Related Careers
Similar Occupations
- Business Intelligence Analysts (Supplemental)
- Sociologists (Supplemental)
- Historians (Supplemental)
- Political Scientists (Supplemental)
- Social Science Research Assistants (Supplemental)
- Communications Teachers, Postsecondary (Supplemental)
- Producers and Directors (Primary-Short)
- Media Programming Directors (Primary-Long)
Top Programs to Study For This Career
Aspiring news analysts, reporters, and journalists typically earn programs in:
Communication, Journalism, and Related Programs
13 programs across 4 majors
- Communication & Media Studies
- Journalism
- Radio, TV & Digital Communication
- Public Relations & Advertising
Agriculture, Agriculture Operations, and Related Sciences
1 programs across 1 majors
Sources
Statistics shown above are sourced from the following authoritative sources:
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) for employment and wage data by state and industry.
- BLS Employment Projections for total employment and growth forecasts.
- O*NET (Occupational Information Network) for skills, knowledge, tasks, work activities, work context, technology, and education-zone data.
SOC code: 27-3023.00 (News Analysts, Reporters, and Journalists).
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