News Analysts, Reporters, and Journalists: Job Description
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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What Do News Analysts, Reporters, and Journalists Take On?
The core tasks performed by 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.
Key Skills and Knowledge
Effective news analysts, reporters, and journalists rely 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:
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
Job Outlook
There are roughly 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.
Salary for News Analysts, Reporters, and Journalists
| 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 vary by region. The following regions pay the most:
| 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
Most news analysts, reporters, and journalists are found across 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:
Tools and Technology
- 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)
What the Workplace Is Like
The on-the-job environment of news analysts, reporters, and journalists tends to involve the following characteristics:
- Time Pressure
- Contact With Others
- Freedom to Make Decisions
- Importance of Being Exact or Accurate
How to Become News Analysts, Reporters, and Journalists
This career aligns with Considerable Preparation Needed (Job Zone 4), indicating the level of preparation typically expected.
Other Careers to Consider
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
Students preparing for news analysts, reporters, and journalists commonly pursue 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
This profile draws on 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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