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Announcer vs on-air host

The differences between announcers and on-air hosts can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both an announcer and an on-air host. Additionally, an announcer has an average salary of $51,862, which is higher than the $45,873 average annual salary of an on-air host.

The top three skills for an announcer include FM, soccer and radio station. The most important skills for an on-air host are adobe audition, phone calls, and FCC.

Announcer vs on-air host overview

AnnouncerOn-Air Host
Yearly salary$51,862$45,873
Hourly rate$24.93$22.05
Growth rate-4%-4%
Number of jobs14610,674
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 72%Bachelor's Degree, 76%
Average age5050
Years of experience44

Announcer vs on-air host salary

Announcers and on-air hosts have different pay scales, as shown below.

AnnouncerOn-Air Host
Average salary$51,862$45,873
Salary rangeBetween $16,000 And $165,000Between $24,000 And $84,000
Highest paying CityBristol, CT-
Highest paying stateMassachusetts-
Best paying companyESPN-
Best paying industryManufacturing-

Differences between announcer and on-air host education

There are a few differences between an announcer and an on-air host in terms of educational background:

AnnouncerOn-Air Host
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 72%Bachelor's Degree, 76%
Most common majorCommunicationCommunication
Most common collegeNorthwestern UniversityNorthwestern University

Announcer vs on-air host demographics

Here are the differences between announcers' and on-air hosts' demographics:

AnnouncerOn-Air Host
Average age5050
Gender ratioMale, 78.2% Female, 21.8%Male, 63.5% Female, 36.5%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 5.0% Unknown, 3.5% Hispanic or Latino, 8.8% Asian, 4.6% White, 77.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5%Black or African American, 5.3% Unknown, 3.4% Hispanic or Latino, 11.2% Asian, 4.3% White, 75.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4%
LGBT Percentage10%10%

Differences between announcer and on-air host duties and responsibilities

Announcer example responsibilities.

  • Assist with on-field activities for NCAA baseball games.
  • Serve as disc jockey and news reporter for FM radio station.
  • Experience in automation, daily newscast, weather updates, extensive production.
  • Perform play-by-play, color commentary roles, and interview for TV and radio broadcasts.
  • Announce play-by-play for volleyball, men's and women's basketball, softball, baseball.
  • Perform play-by-play announcing of high school varsity baseball, soccer and basketball games on the local cable station.
  • Show more

On-air host example responsibilities.

  • Record daily news cast on state topics, prepare promos, program and automate playlists, archive local public affairs shows.
  • Conduct on-air interviews, screen and connect phone calls, and run audio board.
  • Create and run promotions prior to the show.
  • Host and producer of FYI, KLDE FM, weekly public affairs program.
  • Communicate and correspond with listeners online, via email, Snapchat and Instagram.
  • Follow FCC regulations, station and company policies, including implementing station's EAS procedures.
  • Show more

Announcer vs on-air host skills

Common announcer skills
  • FM, 8%
  • Soccer, 6%
  • Radio Station, 6%
  • Radio Commercials, 6%
  • Volleyball, 5%
  • Control Board, 4%
Common on-air host skills
  • Adobe Audition, 16%
  • Phone Calls, 8%
  • FCC, 7%
  • FM, 7%
  • Air Host, 6%
  • Twitter, 6%

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