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Columnist vs newspaper reporter

The differences between columnists and newspaper 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 newspaper reporter. Additionally, a columnist has an average salary of $50,696, which is higher than the $49,143 average annual salary of a newspaper reporter.

The top three skills for a columnist include student newspaper, opinion pieces and twitter. The most important skills for a newspaper reporter are news articles, feature stories, and community events.

Columnist vs newspaper reporter overview

ColumnistNewspaper Reporter
Yearly salary$50,696$49,143
Hourly rate$24.37$23.63
Growth rate-10%-10%
Number of jobs1,7832,329
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 77%Bachelor's Degree, 82%
Average age4040
Years of experience22

Columnist vs newspaper reporter salary

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

ColumnistNewspaper Reporter
Average salary$50,696$49,143
Salary rangeBetween $34,000 And $75,000Between $31,000 And $75,000
Highest paying City--
Highest paying state--
Best paying company--
Best paying industry--

Differences between columnist and newspaper reporter education

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

ColumnistNewspaper Reporter
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 77%Bachelor's Degree, 82%
Most common majorJournalismJournalism
Most common collegeMassachusetts Institute of TechnologyMassachusetts Institute of Technology

Columnist vs newspaper reporter demographics

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

ColumnistNewspaper Reporter
Average age4040
Gender ratioMale, 53.2% Female, 46.8%Male, 43.7% Female, 56.3%
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, 12.7% Asian, 9.6% White, 66.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3%
LGBT Percentage10%10%

Differences between columnist and newspaper 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

Newspaper reporter example responsibilities.

  • Create a Facebook page and update statuses regularly to promote the publication.
  • Use NewsEditPro and InDesign software to create attractive news pages nightly prior to deadline.
  • Interview persons of interest, organize event calendars, write regular articles, provide consistent photography, and help paraphrase stock compilations
  • Assist with some editorial functions including final editing of some stories.
  • Revise work to meet editorial approval or to fit time or space requirements.
  • Report from red-carpet events, including: MTV

Columnist vs newspaper reporter skills

Common columnist skills
  • Student Newspaper, 16%
  • Opinion Pieces, 7%
  • Twitter, 6%
  • Mental Health, 6%
  • Feature Stories, 5%
  • News Stories, 5%
Common newspaper reporter skills
  • News Articles, 14%
  • Feature Stories, 13%
  • Community Events, 6%
  • Indesign, 5%
  • Local Events, 5%
  • Conduct Interviews, 5%

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