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
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)