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Correspondent vs freelance reporter

The differences between correspondents 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 correspondent and a freelance reporter. Additionally, a correspondent has an average salary of $82,217, which is higher than the $59,035 average annual salary of a freelance reporter.

The top three skills for a correspondent include news stories, news coverage and feature stories. The most important skills for a freelance reporter are photography, feature stories, and conduct interviews.

Correspondent vs freelance reporter overview

CorrespondentFreelance Reporter
Yearly salary$82,217$59,035
Hourly rate$39.53$28.38
Growth rate-10%-10%
Number of jobs2,8353,768
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 74%Bachelor's Degree, 81%
Average age4040
Years of experience22

Correspondent vs freelance reporter salary

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

CorrespondentFreelance Reporter
Average salary$82,217$59,035
Salary rangeBetween $50,000 And $134,000Between $34,000 And $101,000
Highest paying CityWashington, DC-
Highest paying stateNew Jersey-
Best paying companyAmerican Broadcasting Company-
Best paying industryMedia-

Differences between correspondent and freelance reporter education

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

CorrespondentFreelance Reporter
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 74%Bachelor's Degree, 81%
Most common majorJournalismJournalism
Most common collegeNorthwestern UniversityMassachusetts Institute of Technology

Correspondent vs freelance reporter demographics

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

CorrespondentFreelance Reporter
Average age4040
Gender ratioMale, 45.0% Female, 55.0%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 correspondent and freelance reporter duties and responsibilities

Correspondent example responsibilities.

  • Lead reporting in Mongolia, representing AFP's regional headquarters in Beijing.
  • Manage constituent relations regarding financial services, housing, budget, judiciary, homeland security, and government oversight issues.
  • Develop Facebook strategy, execute launch and manage content.
  • Handle education, foreign affairs, judiciary and natural resources issues; assist with appropriations requests.
  • Process FHA, VA and correspondent disclosures.
  • Gain knowledge of interviewing, photography, and newsworthiness.
  • 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

Correspondent vs freelance reporter skills

Common correspondent skills
  • News Stories, 17%
  • News Coverage, 11%
  • Feature Stories, 7%
  • Instagram, 6%
  • Financial Statements, 6%
  • Develop Story Ideas, 4%
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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