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Desk reporter vs columnist

The differences between desk reporters and columnists can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 1-2 years to become both a desk reporter and a columnist. Additionally, a desk reporter has an average salary of $72,636, which is higher than the $50,696 average annual salary of a columnist.

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

Desk reporter vs columnist overview

Desk ReporterColumnist
Yearly salary$72,636$50,696
Hourly rate$34.92$24.37
Growth rate-10%-10%
Number of jobs26,3751,783
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 75%Bachelor's Degree, 77%
Average age4040
Years of experience22

Desk reporter vs columnist salary

Desk reporters and columnists have different pay scales, as shown below.

Desk ReporterColumnist
Average salary$72,636$50,696
Salary rangeBetween $42,000 And $123,000Between $34,000 And $75,000
Highest paying City--
Highest paying state--
Best paying company--
Best paying industry--

Differences between desk reporter and columnist education

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

Desk ReporterColumnist
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 75%Bachelor's Degree, 77%
Most common majorJournalismJournalism
Most common collegeMassachusetts Institute of TechnologyMassachusetts Institute of Technology

Desk reporter vs columnist demographics

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

Desk ReporterColumnist
Average age4040
Gender ratioMale, 48.5% Female, 51.5%Male, 53.2% Female, 46.8%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 6.2% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 12.3% Asian, 9.5% White, 67.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3%Black 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%
LGBT Percentage10%10%

Differences between desk reporter and columnist duties and responsibilities

Desk reporter example responsibilities.

  • Report to managing editor as member of editorial staff, contribute to newspaper editorials.
  • Cooperate with metro reporters, graphic designers, and photojournalist to produce daily-base newspaper.
  • Interview up and coming Latino artists which generate significant increase in readership.

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

Desk reporter vs columnist skills

Common desk reporter skills
  • Conduct Interviews, 61%
  • Feature Stories, 39%
Common columnist skills
  • Student Newspaper, 16%
  • Opinion Pieces, 7%
  • Twitter, 6%
  • Mental Health, 6%
  • Feature Stories, 5%
  • News Stories, 5%

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