Research Summary. After extensive research by the Zippia data science team, we identified these details of reporter salary by state for the United States:
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New Jersey has the highest reporter salary of $57,516
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Alaska has the lowest reporter salary of $30,175
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The national average salary for reporters is $46,667
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The national hourly pay for reporters is $22.44
You can read more on the specific methodology.
Background
In today’s job market, salary remains a top priority for most individuals, including those in the reporting field. As the landscape of journalism continues to evolve, understanding how much you can expect to earn as a reporter in your state is crucial.
While various factors can influence individual salaries, comprehensive data on average salaries for reporters across the U.S. is available, segmented by seniority level. Although your specific city may differ from the state average, these figures provide a valuable benchmark for salary expectations.
As of now, New Jersey boasts the highest average salary for reporters.
Here’s a quick snapshot of the top ten states for reporter salaries:
Now, let’s examine the full ranking of all states and how we derived these figures.
Highest-Paid Reporters By State
| Rank | State | Average Reporter Salary | 10th Percentile | 90th Percentile |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | New Jersey | $57,516 | $35,000 | $93,000 |
| 2 | Kentucky | $53,723 | $34,000 | $84,000 |
| 3 | New York | $53,339 | $32,000 | $86,000 |
| 4 | Maryland | $53,195 | $32,000 | $86,000 |
| 5 | Michigan | $51,105 | $31,000 | $82,000 |
| 6 | Ohio | $50,078 | $31,000 | $80,000 |
| 7 | Delaware | $50,076 | $30,000 | $81,000 |
| 8 | Vermont | $49,271 | $31,000 | $76,000 |
| 9 | Maine | $48,717 | $31,000 | $75,000 |
| 10 | Virginia | $47,513 | $29,000 | $77,000 |
| 11 | Tennessee | $46,912 | $30,000 | $72,000 |
| 12 | North Carolina | $46,270 | $29,000 | $73,000 |
| 13 | Rhode Island | $46,211 | $28,000 | $74,000 |
| 14 | Connecticut | $45,975 | $28,000 | $74,000 |
| 15 | New Mexico | $45,788 | $29,000 | $70,000 |
| 16 | California | $45,506 | $28,000 | $73,000 |
| 17 | Illinois | $45,283 | $28,000 | $71,000 |
| 18 | Pennsylvania | $44,844 | $27,000 | $73,000 |
| 19 | Florida | $44,792 | $28,000 | $70,000 |
| 20 | Nevada | $44,661 | $28,000 | $71,000 |
| 21 | Arkansas | $44,457 | $29,000 | $68,000 |
| 22 | Louisiana | $44,311 | $28,000 | $68,000 |
| 23 | West Virginia | $44,053 | $27,000 | $70,000 |
| 24 | Arizona | $43,688 | $27,000 | $68,000 |
| 25 | New Hampshire | $43,369 | $27,000 | $68,000 |
| 26 | Oklahoma | $43,348 | $28,000 | $65,000 |
| 27 | Massachusetts | $43,234 | $27,000 | $69,000 |
| 28 | Iowa | $43,219 | $27,000 | $67,000 |
| 29 | Minnesota | $42,383 | $26,000 | $66,000 |
| 30 | Washington | $41,531 | $25,000 | $66,000 |
| 31 | Indiana | $41,525 | $26,000 | $65,000 |
| 32 | Alabama | $41,398 | $26,000 | $63,000 |
| 33 | Georgia | $40,901 | $26,000 | $63,000 |
| 34 | Wisconsin | $40,746 | $25,000 | $65,000 |
| 35 | Missouri | $40,661 | $26,000 | $62,000 |
| 36 | Kansas | $40,520 | $26,000 | $61,000 |
| 37 | Nebraska | $40,039 | $26,000 | $61,000 |
| 38 | Mississippi | $39,460 | $25,000 | $60,000 |
| 39 | Oregon | $39,448 | $24,000 | $63,000 |
| 40 | Texas | $39,027 | $25,000 | $60,000 |
| 41 | South Carolina | $38,531 | $24,000 | $60,000 |
| 42 | Wyoming | $38,452 | $25,000 | $57,000 |
| 43 | Utah | $38,125 | $24,000 | $58,000 |
| 44 | North Dakota | $37,232 | $24,000 | $57,000 |
| 45 | Colorado | $36,882 | $24,000 | $55,000 |
| 46 | Hawaii | $36,873 | $25,000 | $54,000 |
| 47 | South Dakota | $36,746 | $23,000 | $56,000 |
| 48 | Idaho | $34,798 | $22,000 | $54,000 |
| 49 | Montana | $33,489 | $21,000 | $51,000 |
| 50 | Alaska | $30,175 | $19,000 | $46,000 |
Methodology: Reporter Salary By State
To gain insights into reporter pay by state, Zippia has compiled data from various reputable sources, including the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), Federal Labor Commission (FLC), and Office of Personnel Management (OPM). This data is supplemented with actual salaries from job postings, allowing our data science team to calculate a weighted average for reporter salaries across states.
We ranked every state based on average annual salary, identifying New Jersey as the state with the highest average salary for reporters.
Reporter Salary By State FAQs
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What is the highest-paid state for reporters?
The highest-paid state for reporters is New Jersey with an average salary of $57,516 per year.
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What city pays reporters the most?
Washington, DC pays reporters the most with an average salary of $60,032 per year.
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What is the worst state for reporters?
The worst state for reporters is Alaska with an average salary of $30,175 per year.
Author
Chris Kolmar is a co-founder of Zippia and the editor-in-chief of the Zippia career advice blog. He has hired over 50 people in his career, been hired five times, and wants to help you land your next job. His research has been featured on the New York Times, Thrillist, VOX, The Atlantic, and a host of local news. More recently, he's been quoted on USA Today, BusinessInsider, and CNBC.
