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Reporter / Journalist

$60,280
median pay per year
full range coming in the next data update

What the job actually is

Research, report, and write stories on current events for print, broadcast, or online outlets.

Where you work

Newsrooms and out in the field.

The hours

Irregular, including nights and deadlines

By the numbers

May 2024–25 BLS wage data · 2024–34 BLS employment projections.

Median pay
$60,280
per year
What most earn
range coming soon
Openings a year
~4,100
projected, 2024–34
Outlook to 2034
-4%
Declining
Working in the U.S.
49,300
people, nationwide

Openings a year counts new jobs plus the ones that open when people retire or move on — a truer picture of your odds than growth alone.

“Median” means half earn more and half earn less. Your city, employer, and years on the job move it a lot — that is what the 10th-to-90th range shows.

How you get in

Typical starting education

Bachelor's degree

Training path: Bachelor's degree.

License or certification

No license required to start in most places.

What it takes

ReportingWritingInterviewingFact-checking

The honest take

Shrinking newsrooms make this competitive — early pay is low and the hours are unpredictable.

Standard Occupational Classification 27-3023. Pay, employment, and outlook from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS wage survey and 2024–34 employment projections). See something off? Tell us.