CNN salaries

Q: Is the pay good at CNN?

Yes, the pay is good at CNN. Compared to the industry average of $51,849 per year, the average annual salary at CNN is $56,236, which is 8.46% higher.

Q: What is the starting pay at CNN?

The starting pay at CNN is $29,000 per year, or $13.94 per hour.

Q: How much does CNN pay an hour?

CNN pays $27.04 an hour, on average.

Q: What benefits does CNN offer?

CNN offers many comprehensive benefits to its employees, this includes entry-level roles. Employees at CNN can expect these benefits: Health, Dental, and Vision Insurance Plans Competitive Salary Life Insurance Disability Insurance Flexible Spending Account (FSA) Health Care On-Site (for certain positions) 401(k) with Company Match Performance Bonus Pension Plan Charitable Gift Matching Maternity and Paternity Leave Family Medical Leave Vacation and Paid Time Off Sick Leave Paid Holidays Bereavement Leave Employee Discount Employee Assistance Program Mobile Phone Discount Diversity Program Professional Development Programs

Zippia score 4.8

CNN salary estimate

$56,236yearly

$27.04 hourly rate

Entry-level salary

$29,000 yearly salary

Updated December 15, 2025

CNN Salary Overview

In 2025, the average salary at CNN is estimated to be $56,236. This figure varies significantly across different roles, departments, and locations within the organization. For instance, positions in journalism, production, and technology tend to offer competitive compensation, reflecting the skills and experience required.

Highest Paying Roles

Some of the top-paying jobs at CNN include senior producers, news anchors, and technical directors. These roles often require extensive industry experience and specialized skills, leading to higher salary brackets.

Regional Salary Differences

Salaries can also differ by location, with major cities like New York and Atlanta offering higher pay rates due to the cost of living and market demand. Understanding these dynamics is crucial for job seekers considering a career at CNN.

Highest paying jobs at CNN

The highest paying jobs at CNN are technical director, senior designer, senior producer, and video journalist. Technical director jobs at CNN earn an average yearly salary of $109,858, CNN senior designer jobs average $104,347, and CNN senior producer jobs average $100,620.

The lowest paying CNN roles include tour guide and security officer. CNN tour guide average salary is $29,837 per year. So while the average CNN salary is $56,236 there is a big variation in pay depending on the role.

Highest paying jobs at CNN

Rank	Job title	Average CNN salary	Hourly rate
1	Technical Director	$109,858	$52.82
2	Senior Designer	$104,347	$50.17
3	Senior Producer	$100,620	$48.38
4	Video Journalist	$97,605	$46.93
5	Sports Anchor	$97,368	$46.81
6	Correspondent	$92,277	$44.36
7	Network Engineer	$90,427	$43.47
8	Software Developer	$90,021	$43.28
9	Systems Administrator	$89,578	$43.07
10	Java Developer	$84,008	$40.39
11	Editor, Freelance	$83,708	$40.24
12	Operations Manager	$80,648	$38.77
13	Studio Control Operator	$79,146	$38.05
14	Project Manager	$78,725	$37.85
15	Account Executive	$76,395	$36.73
16	Broadcast Engineer	$74,025	$35.59
17	Researcher	$73,830	$35.50
18	Writer	$64,463	$30.99
19	Reporter	$63,388	$30.48
20	Freelance Journalist	$61,415	$29.53

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Average CNN salary by state

CNN pays the highest salaries in New York due to higher costs of living and competition in the state.

Rank	State	Average CNN salary	Hourly rate
1	New York	$67,021	$32.22
2	Illinois	$54,420	$26.16
3	Georgia	$52,907	$25.44

How much does CNN pay by location?

The average CNN salary varies by location. CNN salaries are the highest in Foster City, CA, at $68,635 per year. CNN pays the second highest average salary in New York, NY, at $67,063 per year. It's important to factor in the cost of living when negotiating a salary or choosing a place to work.

Highest paying CNN locations

Rank	Location	Average CNN salary	Hourly rate
1	Foster City, CA	$68,635	$33.00
2	New York, NY	$67,063	$32.24
3	Hartford, CT	$65,968	$31.72
4	Washington, DC	$64,841	$31.17
5	Bellevue, WA	$63,994	$30.77
6	Florham Park, NJ	$59,596	$28.65
7	Watertown Town, MA	$59,596	$28.65
8	Woonsocket, RI	$56,708	$27.26
9	Eden Prairie, MN	$55,930	$26.89
10	Chicago, IL	$54,590	$26.25
11	Phoenix, AZ	$53,671	$25.80
12	Atlanta, GA	$53,041	$25.50
13	Philadelphia, PA	$52,968	$25.47
14	Detroit, MI	$52,578	$25.28
15	Charlotte, NC	$50,512	$24.28
16	McKinney, TX	$49,349	$23.73
17	Lauderhill, FL	$43,985	$21.15
18	Flowood, MS	$43,622	$20.97

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CNN salaries by department

Salaries at CNN vary depending on the department you work in. CNN salaries in the engineering department are the highest with an average salary of $84,305. Employees in the it department at CNN receive relatively high salaries as well, with an average salary of $80,024 per year. Departments that don't pay as well at CNN include the facilities and the hospitality/service organizational functions, with employees earning average salaries of $36,085 and $36,339, respectively.

Average CNN salary by department

Rank	Department	Average CNN salary	Hourly rate
1	Engineering	$84,305	$40.53
2	IT	$80,024	$38.47
3	Art/Design	$65,903	$31.68
4	Plant/Manufacturing	$64,726	$31.12
5	Sales	$58,561	$28.15
6	Sports/Entertainment	$55,862	$26.86
7	Marketing	$51,459	$24.74
8	Administrative	$41,660	$20.03
9	Hospitality/Service	$36,340	$17.47
10	Facilities	$36,085	$17.35

How much does CNN pay by department?

Best paying CNN sports/entertainment salaries

Rank	Position	Average CNN salary	Hourly rate
1	Senior Producer	$100,620	$48.38
2	Desk Editor	$60,512	$29.09
3	Assignment Editor	$59,835	$28.77
4	Associate Producer	$52,535	$25.26
5	News Assistant	$50,928	$24.48
6	News Anchor	$45,794	$22.02
7	Production Assistant	$33,079	$15.90
8	Production Internship	$32,081	$15.42

Best paying CNN art/design salaries

Rank	Position	Average CNN salary	Hourly rate
1	Audio Operator	$119,734	$57.56
2	Assistant Art Director	$115,029	$55.30
3	Senior Designer	$104,347	$50.17
4	Video Journalist	$97,605	$46.93
5	Sports Anchor	$97,368	$46.81
6	Editor, Freelance	$83,708	$40.24
7	Creative Services Manager	$81,870	$39.36
8	Studio Control Operator	$79,146	$38.05
9	Motion Graphics Artist	$77,047	$37.04
10	News Specialist	$69,846	$33.58
11	Audio Technician	$68,851	$33.10
12	Writer And Editor	$67,338	$32.37
13	Reporter	$63,388	$30.48
14	Freelance Journalist	$61,415	$29.53
15	Graphic Designer	$60,918	$29.29
16	Freelancer	$59,561	$28.64
17	Graphic Artist	$59,079	$28.40
18	Video Editor	$47,783	$22.97
19	Editorial Assistant	$45,215	$21.74
20	News Writer	$42,798	$20.58

Best paying CNN marketing salaries

Rank	Position	Average CNN salary	Hourly rate
1	Product Owner	$93,307	$44.86
2	Media Manager	$92,691	$44.56
3	Senior Business Analyst	$91,807	$44.14
4	Senior Writer	$90,559	$43.54
5	Digital Producer	$86,398	$41.54
6	Strategic Planning Analyst	$85,465	$41.09
7	Communications Manager	$81,468	$39.17
8	Publicist	$55,414	$26.64
9	Media Coordinator	$47,963	$23.06
10	Public Relations Assistant	$45,302	$21.78
11	Event Coordinator	$43,358	$20.85
12	Marketing Assistant	$41,040	$19.73
13	Public Relations Internship	$31,691	$15.24
14	Marketing Internship	$26,091	$12.54

CNN competitors’ average salaries

Average salaries at CNN competitors, like CBS Sports Network, Univision Holdings, Inc., and ESPN, vary. CBS Sports Network employees earn the highest salaries, with an average yearly salary of $75,685. The average salary at Univision Holdings, Inc. is $65,488 per year, and the average salary at ESPN is $60,383 per year.

Highest paying CNN competitors

Rank	Company name	Zippia score	Average salary
1	CBS Sports Network	4.8	$75,685
2	Univision Holdings, Inc.	4.3	$65,488
3	ESPN	4.6	$60,383
4	The Univision Network Partnership	4.4	$60,363
5	NBCUniversal	4.8	$57,348
6	Fox News	4.1	$56,921
7	NBC International Ltd.	4.2	$51,899
8	Video Production Company	3.7	$51,418
9	Wcbs-tv	3.6	$49,172
10	WTKR News 3	3.8	$48,805
11	ABC News	3.6	$48,260
12	KOIN	3.7	$48,249
13	FOX Sports	4.7	$48,163
14	Nexstar Media Group	4.3	$47,547
15	Wpix-tv	3.6	$47,095
16	The Christian Science Monitor	4.3	$46,740
17	Voice of America	4.6	$44,833
18	Npr	4.8	$43,817
19	TMZ	4.2	$42,521
20	WPXI	3.6	$42,268

Recently added CNN salaries

Job	Location	Date added	Salary
Cloud Solutions Architect	Redmond, WA	03/05/2025	$109,000
Admin	Harris, PA	02/19/2025	$8,508
Admin	Ione, WA	02/19/2025	$100,000
Admin	San Diego, CA	02/18/2025	$118,000
Admin	Cope, SC	02/17/2025	$20,870

What employees say about salary at CNN

Employee reviews

3.0

A zippia user wrote a review on Dec 2020

Pros of working at CNN

it pays very well nowadays.

Cons of working at CNN

loss of mission (from where it started). frightened managers operating out of fear. fear of speaking up on behalf of many employees.

CNN benefits

high salary

Is this useful?

5.0

A zippia user wrote a review on Sep 2019

Pros of working at CNN

Sharing the news with people around the globe.

Cons of working at CNN

The racism

CNN benefits

health care benefits

Is this useful?

5.0

A zippia user wrote a review on May 2019

Pros of working at CNN

Exciting business and very open to experimentation and training staff to succeed.

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Frequently asked questions about CNN salaries

Is the pay good at CNN?

What is the starting pay at CNN?

How much does CNN pay an hour?

What benefits does CNN offer?

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Updated December 15, 2025

Zippia gives an in-depth look into the details of CNN, including salaries, political affiliations, employee data, and more, in order to inform job seekers about CNN. The employee data is based on information from people who have self-reported their past or current employments at CNN. The data on this page is also based on data sources collected from public and open data sources on the Internet and other locations, as well as proprietary data we licensed from other companies. Sources of data may include, but are not limited to, the BLS, company filings, estimates based on those filings, H1B filings, and other public and private datasets. While we have made attempts to ensure that the information displayed are correct, Zippia is not responsible for any errors or omissions or for the results obtained from the use of this information. None of the information on this page has been provided or approved by CNN. The data presented on this page does not represent the view of CNN and its employees or that of Zippia.

CNN may also be known as or be related to CNN, Cable News Network Inc, Cable News Network, Inc., Cnn and Cable News Network.