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Columnist vs freelance reporter

The differences between columnists and freelance reporters can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 1-2 years to become both a columnist and a freelance reporter. Additionally, a freelance reporter has an average salary of $59,035, which is higher than the $50,696 average annual salary of a columnist.

The top three skills for a columnist include student newspaper, opinion pieces and twitter. The most important skills for a freelance reporter are photography, feature stories, and conduct interviews.

Columnist vs freelance reporter overview

ColumnistFreelance Reporter
Yearly salary$50,696$59,035
Hourly rate$24.37$28.38
Growth rate-10%-10%
Number of jobs1,7833,768
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 77%Bachelor's Degree, 81%
Average age4040
Years of experience22

Columnist vs freelance reporter salary

Columnists and freelance reporters have different pay scales, as shown below.

ColumnistFreelance Reporter
Average salary$50,696$59,035
Salary rangeBetween $34,000 And $75,000Between $34,000 And $101,000
Highest paying City--
Highest paying state--
Best paying company--
Best paying industry--

Differences between columnist and freelance reporter education

There are a few differences between a columnist and a freelance reporter in terms of educational background:

ColumnistFreelance Reporter
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 77%Bachelor's Degree, 81%
Most common majorJournalismJournalism
Most common collegeMassachusetts Institute of TechnologyMassachusetts Institute of Technology

Columnist vs freelance reporter demographics

Here are the differences between columnists' and freelance reporters' demographics:

ColumnistFreelance Reporter
Average age4040
Gender ratioMale, 53.2% Female, 46.8%Male, 43.4% Female, 56.6%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 6.4% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 12.7% Asian, 9.7% White, 66.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3%Black or African American, 6.4% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 12.8% Asian, 9.5% White, 66.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3%
LGBT Percentage10%10%

Differences between columnist and freelance reporter duties and responsibilities

Columnist example responsibilities.

  • Share articles via twitter and facebook.
  • Frequent contributor to several British on- and off-line men's magazines.
  • Provide weekly articles on the NBA featuring analysis, news and opinions.
  • Content promotion via social networks (Facebook, twitter, etc .).
  • Focuse on trending topics while providing a solid SEO and social media component.
  • Explain complex NBA concepts and strategies in simple terms through diagram photos and videos.
  • Show more

Freelance reporter example responsibilities.

  • Maintain connections to audience on Facebook by posting breaking news, local news, current events and teases for stories.
  • Design websites using HTML code.
  • Work on web pages in Dreamweaver in HTML and CSS.
  • Lead writer that cover various topics revolving around the NFL season and college draft.
  • Enhance publication's online presence by posting material on the newspaper's website and Facebook pages.
  • Provide coverage for topics around sports with a primary focus on MLS, MLB, and NFL.
  • Show more

Columnist vs freelance reporter skills

Common columnist skills
  • Student Newspaper, 16%
  • Opinion Pieces, 7%
  • Twitter, 6%
  • Mental Health, 6%
  • Feature Stories, 5%
  • News Stories, 5%
Common freelance reporter skills
  • Photography, 16%
  • Feature Stories, 14%
  • Conduct Interviews, 7%
  • News Coverage, 7%
  • Local Events, 7%
  • News Articles, 5%

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