Many aspiring storytellers are attracted to career opportunities in journalism.

The industry provides countless paths for several interests, with media outlets focusing on politics, health, sports, business, research, entertainment, etc. Digital communication channels provide visual creators with sophisticated, streamlined ways to showcase their photography and videography talents. One key to unlock all these doors comes in the form of a journalism degree.

As an industry like journalism evolves, moments of uncertainty are bound to occur. After all, change can be scary, and certain elements of mass media have experienced some hardships via layoffs or downsizing. Headlines of that sort might lead one to wonder: Is it worth getting a journalism degree?

Below you’ll find information about jobs, demand, salaries, and a bit about the general health of the field. (Spoiler alert: Storytelling isn’t going to die off anytime soon.)

What jobs can you get with a journalism degree?

Careers for journalism majors can be found in numerous fields. An obvious place to start is in traditional journalism, where a journalism grad can carve out a role as an investigative reporter, an editor, a proofreader, a photographer, a graphic designer, a video producer/editor, and so on. Aspiring journalists can pursue their passions through specific categories of media: politics, sports, 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. 

Is journalism in demand?

There are career opportunities in journalism for people with a degree. This is true whether you’re seeking an entry-level journalism job or a seasoned pro looking for your next challenge. And as mentioned above, the scope of journalism degree jobs isn’t limited to that specific arena. Numerous career fields have hiring managers who crave critical thinkers who can communicate.

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)}

OK, so how does one stand out in an applicant pool? 

The skills of a journalist fall into two categories: hard skills and soft skills. In terms of hard skills, employers want to know if you can use software and technology specific to the position. Do you know your way around Microsoft Office (or other brands’ equivalents)? Do you understand trends in social media? Are you proficient in audio and/or video editing? 

And don’t sleep on soft skills — hiring managers want people with outstanding communication skills, the ability to prioritize/manage their time, people who work well in teams ... and did we mention outstanding communication skills? The ability to communicate is vital to any industry, not just journalism/mass communication.

Communication matters. Your future boss says so.

When employers were asked to rate the importance of career-readiness competencies, communication ranked the highest.

* — 5-point scale, where 1=Not at all important, 2=Not very important, 3=Somewhat important, 4=Very important, and 5=Extremely important 

Source: National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) Job Outlook 2024 

“The flexibility of a journalism degree and the ability to develop skills that will stay with you even as industries change — that’s incredibly valuable,” says Tully. “The journalism degree experience will serve graduates well at their first job, their second job, and the rest of their lives.”

Is journalism a high-paying major?

Let’s be clear about what’s being asked. Is journalism the highest-paying career? Generally speaking, no — there are other fields with greater average/median salaries. But let’s circle back to the original question: Is this a high-paying degree field? That depends on how you define “high pay,” the type of journalism you’d like to practice, and the region where you want to work.

Let’s crunch some numbers …

Below you’ll find salary ranges, categorized by the type of job often held by those with a journalism degree. 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 many 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 amongst 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)}

Another thing to consider as you digest the data: Yes, some regions pay higher average salaries than others. But it might 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. 

Is journalism a dying field?

The short answer is no. The field has not been immune to layoffs, and the industry certainly experienced change over the past quarter-century as digital media became ubiquitous. Anytime you see words like “layoffs” or “job cuts,” it can be scary; it might feel as if opportunities are disappearing. But with the evolution of the industry comes career opportunities in journalism via new methods of storytelling — and that line of work, storytelling, is not going away.

“The opportunities to tell stories, make media, create reports, and serve your community are vast,” says Tully. “They may look different than they did 10 years ago, 20 years ago. They certainly look different than they did 30, 40, or 50 years ago. And going forward, they’re going to change. I think 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.”

Tully highlights a few points:

• Television news is a vibrant field — there are always jobs, and people watch it. You don’t have to be on camera to work in the industry, either, because the business always needs producers with people skills and management skills.
• Piggybacking off the first point: Television news always will be part of our society, but it might get delivered in other ways (streaming/digital platforms). Developing those skills likely will translate to any emerging platform.
• Communities need news, whether that comes in paper form, an electronic newsletter, a digital social media platform, or a podcast. “If you can figure out how to develop skills and interests that are going to serve communities, there are going to be jobs and opportunities in those spaces,” Tully says.