Journalist Salary Range

Journalism, nowadays, is not limited to providing news to the masses. It is something more than that and includes a number of subcategories. Due to the recent increase in the use of the Internet, people do not completely rely on newspaper as they did earlier. Within a fraction of second, the latest news is available on the web. Thus these days a journalist has to face many challenges. He/she should be updated with latest events and affairs.

Journalist Job Description
A journalist should be great at research skills, cross-checking the information, ability to generate information and good content, ask witty questions and should have good understanding ability of the situation. There are different types of journalism, which include sports, news, celebrity, business, fashion, etc. Journalists belonging to each of these fields generate information related to their respective area.

A journalist can work in any type of mass media of his/her choice. Newspapers and magazines are some examples of print media while television, web and radio are broadcast media. Students aspiring to become journalists should find out their field of interest and attain a journalism degree accordingly. Let us move on to some brief discussion on journalist salary range.

Salary Range for Journalists
What is the average salary of a journalist? A beginner at journalism can earn a good salary if he/she has completed his education from a reputed institute or university. The average annual salary of novice journalists can be around $30,000 depending on the area, employer and type of media. A list of the factors that govern the salary range for a journalist are given below.

• Education
• Type of Media
• Work Experience
• Location
• Talent
• Employer

All the above listed factors play an important role in determining the salary of a journalist. Thus, the salary of a journalist varies too much. A journalist can be paid less or more depending on the quality of the content generated by him/her. The salary also depends on the company profile he/she is working in. Usually the salary offered to the journalists working in magazines and newspapers is more or less the same. While that of broadcast journalism can be a bit higher. Salary range for such journalists is usually $40,000 to $100,000 as per a survey made in the year 2007.

If one has obtained a bachelor's in arts, or science degree from a good institute he/she may be offered a starting salary ranging between $22,000 and $50,000. While those earning bachelor's degree specially related to journalism can earn more. Students who have obtained master's degree in journalism can earn an additional $10,000 to $20,000 annually. Journalists working in broadcast media like Internet and television earn almost $10,000 more than other journalists. The location also matters a lot to the salary of a journalist. Larger cities have good career opportunities and also pay well. Last but not the least, the experience gained by a journalist also decides the salary range. A good work experience can offer good salary. According to a survey, the average salary of a journalist in the current year depending on the years of experience is given below.

Work Experience (Years)	Journalist Salary Range (in Dollars)
0-1	27,022-33,573
1-4	29,017-40,872
5-9	31,187-49,435
10-19	33,553-61,042
20 or more	29,890-77,000

Fit the Bracket - Tips for Novice Journalists
There are a few obvious criteria to be fulfilled, if you are keen to flaunt your by-lines. Interest in reading, writing and analyzing newsworthy stories is an invincible arena you are bound to be interested in. However, your behavioral conduct also decides how fat your wallet could get!

• Patience; a virtue if innate, an asset, when inculcated. Practice patience in order to deal with bombastic egos and a frail sense of self-esteem. Dealing with difficult, sometimes nonsensical personalities is a part and parcel of one's job.
• Be prepared for healthy competition and the ability to handle situations in a calm as cow demeanor. If you go ballistic and get into tongue lashing, you are inviting pure trouble. Presence of mind and maintaining composure are virtues few avail of.
• Be modest. Slinging mud on your face is not what I propose to explain. All I am saying is to make an honest effort to highlight your positives, without sounding like a braggart. Sell yourself where, and only when required.
• Keep it Simple! Your attempt at making your portfolio, expressive and impressive, may not reap (m)any benefits. Remember, in this industry, a majority mean business. It is your work that counts and words that matter. If you are worth the effort of employment, you would receive what you wish for.
• Your portfolio should be a succinct copy. A long-drawn draft would encourage the reader to switch-off his gray fuse a tad quicker than you had ever imagined. Required number of words that express your intention would be a sure hit on the nail.

So, it is clear from the above discussion that the salary range of a journalist depends on a number of factors. The above given figures related to the journalist salary range are approximate and can change depending on the qualification and work experience.