Aspiring journalists have numerous reasons for wanting to join the ranks of the profession and its related fields.

Journalists hold those in power accountable and can influence public policy. The profession speaks to people with a love for storytelling. There are many types of journalism to suit your personal interests and ambitions. And the skills of a journalist translate well in several career fields, making a journalism degree a valuable option.

But you know what else drives people? The financial stability to pay the bills.

So, how much do journalists make? Allow us to answer all your questions related to journalism degree salaries, whether you’re looking to find the highest-paying jobs in the field or simply want to know if you’re going to need to find roommates to make ends meet.

Can you make a living off journalism?

A journalism degree can equip you with the skills and qualifications to make a living in the professional world, be it in journalism or any number of related fields. In fact, one might argue the skills developed through a journalism degree program will prepare you for professions other than journalism — critical thinking and the ability to communicate are vital in so many industries!

University of Iowa journalism and mass communication grads hold these professional titles (and dozens more we’ll skip in the interest in brevity): 

• Reporter, producer, news anchor, editor in chief
• Graphic designer, coordinator of public relations, event marketing manager, deputy director of multimedia
• Business performance advisor, chief digital officer, compliance auditor, director of alumni relations
• President/CEO, director of global public relations, state senator 

One key to finding your way to the highest-paying jobs: When new opportunities present themselves, show that you are willing to adapt and rise to meet these moments. Trends in media are ever-changing; being confident and flexible can take you a long way — often not long after landing entry-level jobs for journalism majors.

“The opportunities to tell stories are vast. They look different than they did 10 years ago, 20 years ago; they certainly look different than they did 30, 40, or 50 years ago,” says Melissa Tully, director of the University of Iowa School of Journalism and Mass Communication. “Going forward, they’re going to change. It’s important, when thinking about going into a broad field like journalism or media, that you’re willing to have a sense of adventure and willingness to experiment with the kinds of opportunities that are going to become available.”

Do journalists make good money?

As you might suspect, putting a dollar amount on a journalist’s salary depends on certain circumstances. Experience, geography, and types of journalism are all variables. A New York Times journalist’s salary likely will be higher than that of someone working an entry-level job in a rural region.

Below you’ll find salary ranges, categorized by the type of jobs for journalism majors. The average annual salary is there, but we also want to show what an income looks like at various percentiles (10th, 25th, 50th, 75th, and 90th). The lower points give you an idea of where entry-level jobs might land, or what you might be paid in certain geographic regions that aren’t major media markets. (It’s not impossible to make six figures right out of college, but it’s hardly common.) 

^{(Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 2023)}

The average journalist salary figure does differ by region — the best-paid journalists tend to find themselves working on the coasts, home to numerous major media markets. Those markets have greater demand for certain types of journalists — salary data show that, on average, major broadcast media markets pay more-competitive rates for producers, directors, and announcers. As a result, those positions in those regions often rank among the highest-paid journalism jobs.   

Below you’ll find a sampling of average salaries for popular jobs for journalism and mass communication grads, pulled from states located in various regions of the United States. 

 ^{(Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 2023)}

(If you are interested in numbers from other states, visit the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics website and select the state you’re interested in. There’s a lot of data on each state’s page; searching the page for a specific job title is a quick way to find what you want.)

Yes, certain regions have higher salaries. But it would be wise to plug numbers into a cost-of-living calculator to see how far a dollar in one region might stretch (or shrink) in a different ZIP code. There are many calculator options on the web; this one from SmartAsset has a broad selection of U.S. cities available for comparison.

What type of journalism pays the most?

If you simply want to look at big numbers, high-profile broadcasters are examples of some of the highest-paying jobs in the industry. The annual salaries of many well-known broadcasters — including journalism and mass communication grads such as David Muir, Robin Roberts, and Stephen A. Smith — are purported to be large enough to necessitate two commas.

While it’s good to have lofty goals, it might not be best to hold up outliers as the definition of a journalism degree salary. 

There are different professions within the various types of journalism to consider, and you might want an answer that looks beyond traditional journalism and encompasses various occupations that can be attained with a journalism degree. 

As shown in the chart seen earlier on this page — scroll back up to see the figures — certain positions in digital communication, public relations, and advertising might bump you up a tax bracket, especially at the management level. Advertising managers and public relations managers see average salaries a bit north of $150K, for example; digital communication managers are not far behind that mark.

In terms of traditional journalism jobs, the average salary data above points to news analysts/reporters/journalists as the most lucrative job category — but this comes with a caveat. While that category sees an average salary just over $100K, it’s worth noting that the median average salary — the dollar amount at which there is an equal number of people earning more and less than that — is $57,500. That would indicate that the top earners in the category are seriously skewing the average salary figure.

Are journalists in high demand?

Average salary figures don’t mean a lot to aspiring journalists who can’t find work. So, are there jobs out there?

There is demand for people who hold a journalism degree, both in traditional journalism settings and in fields that crave critical thinkers who can communicate. This is true whether you’re seeking an entry-level journalism job or you’re a seasoned pro looking for your next challenge.

There were hundreds, if not thousands, of postings for jobs in the United States across many types of journalism and related fields, and forecasts from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics through the year 2032 look strong for many disciplines.

Traditional journalism and mass communication jobs, however, are projected to decline over the next few years, anywhere from 3% to 4%. That said, average annual openings certainly won’t run dry. The projected employment growth for digital communication, public relations, advertising, fundraising/development, and most broadcast fields is more positive.

^{(Sources: Job posting data from Chmura/JobsEQ; projected employment growth and average annual openings from U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics)}

Is a degree in journalism worth it?

A degree in journalism can absolutely be worth it. A journalism degree can be the key to landing a job in numerous fields. An obvious outcome is in traditional journalism, where a journalism grad can carve out a role as a reporter, an editor, a proofreader, a photographer, a graphic designer, a video producer/editor, and so on. Aspiring journalists can pursue their passions in numerous types of journalism: politics, sports media, health care, science/research, business, entertainment, etc.

Another common field for journalism grads is broadcasting. The field employs on-air broadcasters, along with producers, directors, film and video editors, and photographers, to name a few. 

A journalism grad’s job prospects are not limited to the field of journalism. Degree holders can find work in public relations, advertising, digital communication, fundraising, nonprofit communication, technical writing, narrative writing and storytelling, health education, publishing, and data analysis/audience research.

Bottom line: Opportunities to tell stories and deliver community journalism aren’t going away — and people with a journalism degree will be the ones best equipped to tell those stories.

“Storytelling and journalism is going to change, it’s going to shift,” says the University of Iowa’s Tully. “Having a journalism degree or being part of a journalism degree program provides the opportunity to be at the forefront of those changes.”