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The differences between investigative reporters and reporters can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 1-2 years to become both an investigative reporter and a reporter. Additionally, an investigative reporter has an average salary of $65,230, which is higher than the $46,667 average annual salary of a reporter.
The top three skills for an investigative reporter include investigative journalism, investigative stories and facebook. The most important skills for a reporter are news stories, digital marketing, and facebook.
| Investigative Reporter | Reporter | |
| Yearly salary | $65,230 | $46,667 |
| Hourly rate | $31.36 | $22.44 |
| Growth rate | -10% | -10% |
| Number of jobs | 10,813 | 11,179 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 75% | Bachelor's Degree, 81% |
| Average age | 40 | 40 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 2 |
An investigative reporter is a journalist who performs extensive research and analysis to build facts and current events into news stories. To make this possible, they must pursue leads relating to their subject, conduct interviews with witnesses or the people involved, travel to different places to gather pieces of evidence and other source materials, take videos or photographs, and coordinate with experts such as lawyers and doctors when necessary. Moreover, an investigative reporter must keep up with the latest trends in establishing news structures and news writing.
In journalism, a reporter is responsible for relaying truthful and reliable information to the public audience through various mediums such as print and media. A reporter must ensure to gather necessary and factual data that are supported by interviews and comments of those involved, remain unbiased in all aspects, produce a concise and comprehensive informational material within an allotted time, and efficiently coordinate with every staff. Furthermore, a reporter must remain professional at all times and adhere to the policies and regulations set by the company or network.
Investigative reporters and reporters have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Investigative Reporter | Reporter | |
| Average salary | $65,230 | $46,667 |
| Salary range | Between $40,000 And $104,000 | Between $29,000 And $73,000 |
| Highest paying City | New York, NY | Washington, DC |
| Highest paying state | New York | New Jersey |
| Best paying company | HSBC Bank | Citi |
| Best paying industry | Finance | Media |
There are a few differences between an investigative reporter and a reporter in terms of educational background:
| Investigative Reporter | Reporter | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 75% | Bachelor's Degree, 81% |
| Most common major | Journalism | Journalism |
| Most common college | Northwestern University | Massachusetts Institute of Technology |
Here are the differences between investigative reporters' and reporters' demographics:
| Investigative Reporter | Reporter | |
| Average age | 40 | 40 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 49.0% Female, 51.0% | Male, 44.8% Female, 55.2% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 6.4% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 12.7% Asian, 8.6% White, 67.7% 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 Percentage | 10% | 10% |