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Job outlook for journalism instructors in the United States
Are journalism instructor jobs in demand?
Journalism instructor job and salary trends over time
Journalism instructor jobs over time
Journalism instructor job growth rate over time
| Year | # of jobs | % of population |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 1,671 | 0.00% |
| 2020 | 1,738 | 0.00% |
| 2019 | 1,780 | 0.00% |
| 2018 | 1,779 | 0.00% |
| 2017 | 1,759 | 0.00% |
Average journalism instructor salary over time
Journalism instructor salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | $50,079 | $24.08 | +0.6% |
| 2025 | $49,797 | $23.94 | +2.5% |
| 2024 | $48,585 | $23.36 | +3.6% |
| 2023 | $46,893 | $22.54 | +1.3% |
| 2022 | $46,279 | $22.25 | +3.5% |
Journalism instructor jobs by state
Most common states for journalism instructors
| Rank | State | Population | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Colorado | 5,607,154 | 493 | 9% |
| 2 | Wyoming | 579,315 | 45 | 8% |
| 3 | Virginia | 8,470,020 | 576 | 7% |
| 4 | South Carolina | 5,024,369 | 353 | 7% |
| 5 | Delaware | 961,939 | 66 | 7% |
| 6 | Alaska | 739,795 | 52 | 7% |
| 7 | Georgia | 10,429,379 | 657 | 6% |
| 8 | Oregon | 4,142,776 | 249 | 6% |
| 9 | Montana | 1,050,493 | 66 | 6% |
| 10 | North Carolina | 10,273,419 | 501 | 5% |
| 11 | New Jersey | 9,005,644 | 420 | 5% |
| 12 | Iowa | 3,145,711 | 162 | 5% |
| 13 | North Dakota | 755,393 | 34 | 5% |
| 14 | Vermont | 623,657 | 30 | 5% |
| 15 | California | 39,536,653 | 1,675 | 4% |
| 16 | Michigan | 9,962,311 | 402 | 4% |
| 17 | Massachusetts | 6,859,819 | 286 | 4% |
| 18 | Nevada | 2,998,039 | 127 | 4% |
| 19 | New Hampshire | 1,342,795 | 49 | 4% |
| 20 | Rhode Island | 1,059,639 | 42 | 4% |
Journalism Instructor job outlook: Expert opinions
Our panel of journalism instructor experts
College of the Marshall Islands
University of New Hampshire
Southeastern Oklahoma State University
Flagler College
Wayne State University
Murray State University
University of Kansas
Bowling Green State University
Boise State University
Belmont University
Arkansas State University
Montgomery College
Capital University
Wright State University
Arkansas Tech University
Franklin and Marshall College
Kent State University
Youngstown State University
Elon University
University of West Georgia
What general advice would you give to a Journalism Instructor?
Alexander Velasquez: My general advice to any graduate beginning their career in their field is to continue to learn and be a student of your craft. Be open to learning new things because you never know how they will improve your skills and qualifications. For example, I am currently learning video editing. I never thought I would bother to learn video editing, but it makes me a more versatile instructor being able to give students the option of doing video projects, combining and editing them, and having a digital record of what students have learned in the classroom. And given the rise of online learning, it's important nowadays to be an effective instructor both in the traditional in-person format and within the digital landscape.
Tom Alsip
Director of Musical Theatre, Assistant ProfessorUniversity of New Hampshire
Department of Theatre and Dance
What skills stand out on Journalism Instructor resumes?
Tom Alsip: I think the most important skills are the ones that are specific to your job area while still showing that you have a range of things that you can provide to be helpful.
If I am hiring a technical theatre instructor, I want to see that you have specific skills in one specific area (lighting, sound, technical direction) but perhaps a general knowledge of the other areas as well.
The other things that stand out are a balance of skills. I want to see that you have had training in the academic side of your area but also have hands-on skills that you learned in the professional world.
Riley Risso Coker
Director of Theatre, Director of the SPARKS Dance Company, Chapter Sponsor, Alpha Psi Omega Theatre Fraternity, Producing Director – Oklahoma Shakespearean FestivalSoutheastern Oklahoma State University
Department of Art, Communication and Theatre
What skills stand out on Journalism Instructor resumes?
Riley Risso Coker: Professional experience where a wide variety of skills and talents are used within the scope of traditional theatrical training.
What hard/technical skills are most important for Journalism Instructors?
Riley Risso Coker: In my opinion, all theatre majors should have a general understanding of most jobs within a theatre. If a student is a performance major and never spends any time in the technical areas gaining insight into other areas of the theatre, they aren't really getting an entire education. Every theatre major should have at least one other area in the theatre in which they could be employed. In order to be marketable, every actor should be able to work in the box office, or costume shop, or AD/PR office. Coming out of a pandemic, theatres are looking for versatile company members.
Andrea McCook
Associate ProfessorFlagler College
Department of Visual and Performing Arts (in the School of Creative Arts and Letters)
What skills stand out on Journalism Instructor resumes?
Andrea McCook: I think it depends on the institution. Some schools are looking for people with extensive professional credits, especially if the program is a BFA or MFA. Their primary focus tends to be on auditioning and bringing in the highest talent they can in their student body, then showcasing their work at the end of their studies for professionals in the industry. Therefore, faculty who are working professionals have strong connections in the industry and can best share their own experiences.
Other schools, like ours, which is a BA, are more interested in teaching experience, including innovations in types of classes, being student-centered, helping the student grow and develop. We don't audition students and take in whoever is accepted into our program. Therefore, we seek faculty who are committed to helping students discover and develop new skills, preparing them for a wide range of career paths. Of course, someone who also has professional experience combined with teaching is a wonderful candidate. We also want educators who understand and have experience in the industry to help provide connections and opportunities for students.
What soft skills should all Journalism Instructors possess?
Andrea McCook: Understanding how the industry works administratively. Having familiarity with how a theatre company operates and is run, knowing how to fund raise and network, how to do marketing (whether as an artist selling one's own talents or as a company marketing to an audience). Basics of accounting couldn't hurt either.
For performers, we also advocate for teaching artistry. Many theatres have an educational wing, and teaching artists can often find positions working in theatre for young audiences.
What skills stand out on Journalism Instructor resumes?
Perry Farrell: In today's journalism, you will have to write, take pictures and do videos because that is now the nature of the business. The more of those things you can do, the more marketable you are.
What soft skills should all Journalism Instructors possess?
Perry Farrell: You have to be able to build relationships with people and do as much research as you can as far as writing, digital media, social media, and picture taking. Learning the business is essential to figuring out where your talents fit in.
What hard/technical skills are most important for Journalism Instructors?
Perry Farrell: Use a tape recorder, digital media presentations, a camera, phone video, knowing the English language and grammar.
What skills will help Journalism Instructors earn the most?
Perry Farrell: Doing as many skills as possible: print, TV, radio, in front of the camera, behind the camera, Print writing, and radio.
Brent Menchinger
ChairMurray State University
Department of Global Languages and Theatre Arts
What skills stand out on Journalism Instructor resumes?
Brent Menchinger: Flexibility - faculty do more than what is in their training - service, research and creative activity, mentoring, teaching, paperwork. It is important to understand what I was trained to do is probably less than 25% of my job as a teacher/administrator.
What soft skills should all Journalism Instructors possess?
Brent Menchinger: Besides Work Ethic - In theatre and in the academic worlds, both teamwork and collaboration, I think, are most important. However, in academia - thinking outside the box (giving up on the "we have always done it this way" mentality) is important as academia is changing fast.
What hard/technical skills are most important for Journalism Instructors?
Brent Menchinger: What you are trained to do - computer literacy - writing (tons of writing).
What skills will help Journalism Instructors earn the most?
Brent Menchinger: Flexibility and the ability to do more than one thing - however that only helps you get jobs - I have never heard of someone earning more in theatre because they know more unless it is through the process of getting a new job.
Laura Kirk
Associate Teaching ProfessorUniversity of Kansas
Department of Theatre & Dance
What skills stand out on Journalism Instructor resumes?
Laura Kirk: Specialties that fit the area we are trying to fill, and more than one/ so specialized training in more than one area.
What soft skills should all Journalism Instructors possess?
Laura Kirk: Communication, organization, planning - abilities to plan and assess semester arcs of training
What hard/technical skills are most important for Journalism Instructors?
Laura Kirk: Use of software such as Canvas and associated rubrics.
What skills will help Journalism Instructors earn the most?
Laura Kirk: Most jobs can train skills but can't teach character, so evidence of community work, commitment to DEI in a tangible describable way.
Ellen Gorsevski Ph.D.
Associate ProfessorBowling Green State University
School of Media & Communication
What skills stand out on Journalism Instructor resumes?
Ellen Gorsevski Ph.D.: The colleagues who truly shine have plenty of scholarly academic publications to their name and grants successes, but they also need to have a rich variety of broader media publications (i.e., beyond the Ivory Tower) that have a wider reach to audiences laypersons. Also, ideally, they'd have some real-world experience from working in the ever-evolving area of multiplatform media today, including social media.
What soft skills should all Journalism Instructors possess?
Ellen Gorsevski Ph.D.: Many key skills include emotional intelligence, co-cultural and intercultural communication competencies, and interest in pressing for more research, teaching, and service in areas that address historical inequities among BIPOC individuals and communities. Carrying the torch forward of legendary reporters like David Halberstam (and described in his book, The Children) to contemporary advocates of foregrounding ethics of inclusion include luminaries today such as Nikole Hannah-Jones. This sensibility to uphold the democratic principles of the Fourth Estate's responsibility is critically needed now more than ever.
What hard/technical skills are most important for Journalism Instructors?
Ellen Gorsevski Ph.D.: Current skills include facility and aptitude for digital media, social media, real-time reportage, and agility in multifaceted platforms.
What skills will help Journalism Instructors earn the most?
Ellen Gorsevski Ph.D.: Typically branding, marketing, doing high profile speaking engagements such as at major conferences, writing books, and getting exposure and marketability across multiple media channels.
Richard Klautsch Ph.D.
Professor and Department ChairBoise State University
Department of Theatre, Film, and Creative Writing
What skills will help Journalism Instructors earn the most?
Richard Klautsch Ph.D.: The ability to apply your knowledge and experience in specific areas of theatre to film, television, and other areas of media.
Chase Neely
Adjunct Professor, Co-Founder and President of Leverage Creative GroupBelmont University
School of Law
What skills stand out on Journalism Instructor resumes?
Chase Neely: The most important skills start with the resume itself. Is the instructor a good writer? At our company, we post many writing jobs, and you'd be surprised how often the resumes sent in have typographical errors and spelling mistakes in them.
What soft skills should all Journalism Instructors possess?
Chase Neely: As an instructor, you must be able to relate to the student. Express genuine care for what they're experiencing and for how they learn. That genuine care will also help you relate to the professors in your academic area.
What hard/technical skills are most important for Journalism Instructors?
Chase Neely: Attention to detail and time management is crucial to being a successful professor.
What skills will help Journalism Instructors earn the most?
Chase Neely: Advancement at a university is based on your ability to connect with your students, teach them well, and become a valuable member of the academic community. You must write about the craft that you're teaching. You have to participate in surveys like this one - not for your own notoriety, but out of genuine care for the discipline. And maybe I'm a bit naive, but you have to want to help. Adam Grant explains that the world is no longer made for those who take from others in his work on the topic. The world needs people who give - generously and without expectation of return. It's those people who advance further and earn more, especially when they make their desires for advancement known.
Jeffrey McLaughlin
Associate Professor of Theatre Design and TechnologyArkansas State University
Theatre Department
What skills stand out on Journalism Instructor resumes?
Jeffrey McLaughlin: Creative problem-solving: Every show presents unique challenges, so graduating theatre artists are well-versed in finding interesting solutions even though they are still typically young.
Collaboration: Theatre is a team sport; theatre artists must work well together.
Adaptability: Recent graduates will have more experience dealing creatively with change and making the most of the situation, whether Covid-19 or something else.
What soft skills should all Journalism Instructors possess?
Jeffrey McLaughlin: Motivation/Drive: It is essential to be a self-starter if you want to stand out in a crowd.
People skills: Active listening, empathy, keeping cool in stressful situations seem more important than ever.
R. Scott Hengen
Technical Theatre Faculty/Production CoordinatorMontgomery College
Department of Performing Arts
What skills stand out on Journalism Instructor resumes?
R. Scott Hengen: Work experience in LORT theatre would be especially helpful and attractive to prospective employers. Even if the work is as an overhire, having those connections and contacts will prove helpful. With those experiences, basic theatre skills will become evident: knowing stage directions, building and handling materials in any or all of the technical shops, and knowing the employees' jobs in those shops and the production team in general.
What hard/technical skills are most important for Journalism Instructors?
R. Scott Hengen: Basic skills in more than one department are helpful. The more a technician can understand other areas that may overlap, the better the chance of more opportunities. This does not exclude the importance of focusing on one technical area, but the technician who understands how that one area, or several areas, influences each other, the better the technician will understand the collaborative nature of theatre.
What skills will help Journalism Instructors earn the most?
R. Scott Hengen: The combination of both hard and soft skills is best. They work hand-in-hand for the technician to achieve their goals. Hard skills are a great foundation, but without the soft skills needed to collaborate with others, the opportunities to use foundation and advanced skills will be limited.
Will there be an increase or decrease in demand for Journalism Instructors in the next 5 years?
Dan Heaton Ph.D.: Regardless of the continuation of the pandemic, graduates in the field of theatre will be needed. If people have to remain at home during isolation or quarantine, theatre artists will need to create work accessible to people remotely. As this article from American Theatre points out, churches, schools, and theatres are necessary for humans to feel connected, become educated, and hope. Theatre
How would you rate the starting salaries for Journalism Instructors, as well as the prospects for salary advancement?
Dr. Karla Huebner Ph.D.: Salaries are generally low, but now and then, artists and art historians can make good incomes--don't expect to.
What are the biggest trends we'll see in the Journalism Instructor job market given the pandemic?
Sam Strasner: The New York Times reported, early in the pandemic, that 36,000 journalism jobs had been lost in the United States. Poynter observed that later in summer 2020, that figure does not account for freelancers and others who count on their journalism skills supplement their regular income. The rate at which those jobs return and the quality of the opportunities will most likely reflect the pandemic's overall economic recovery. A more robust economy will allow for more advertising expenditures by companies and more subscriptions by consumers. Through it all, the quality will remain paramount. Those who can tell compelling and accurate stories that resonate with an audience will gain access to the best career options.
Will there be an increase or decrease in demand for Journalism Instructors in the next 5 years?
Sam Strasner: I think it depends upon how one defines the field. The data says we are in the middle of a 10-year period that will see a 10.1 percent decline in journalism jobs. I noticed that trend early in my career and pivoted to public relations. Our society needs journalists. It is essential that we have people who are willing to, and have the skills necessary to, do real reporting. I believe there will always be a need for that. The question is how prevalent that need will be. As a result, my recommendation to someone pursuing a journalism degree today would be to focus their electives in some combination of digital marketing, public relations, or another closely related field based on communication. That subtle diversification in skills could be the key to a new graduate getting that first job and beginning a career journey toward whatever their ultimate dream might be.
What general advice would you give to a Journalism Instructor?
David McMahan Ph.D.: Keep open to possibilities beyond the narrow range of what your diploma lists as your major or minor. Whatever job you get trained for today, in 10-20 years, it may be very different. Or it may not exist. Focus on obtaining and maintaining flexibility, critical thinking, creativity, and passion for learning. Being an interesting person is as vital as any credential.
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for Journalism Instructors to find work opportunities?
Dr. Jay Dorfman: There are certainly some states with teacher shortages, but that is often because those states' political or economic climates make them less desirable as a place for teachers to work. If teachers' teaching conditions and salaries were improved, there would be more people interested in entering the profession. That said, I typically tell students that the broader their search for a job can be, the more likely they are to find a good fit.
What experience really stands out on Journalism Instructor resumes?
Dragana Crnjak: Real-life - outside of the classroom - experiences always stand out, such as exhibitions, internships, museum assistantships, public art projects, community projects, etc. We encourage students to participate in many different activities throughout their college years with a range of experiences provided from exhibiting independently, in group exhibits, working on collaborative projects, community public art projects (such as the mural class this semester where students were involved in all stages of decision-making, from sketching and ideation, communication, site preparation, and painting, writing art proposals, etc.), internships, etc. Problem-solving and critical thinking skills are essential to all art projects and processes, and these skills not only contribute well to so many professions and fields, but they are also life-lasting skills that develop creative, engaged, and open-minded thinkers and citizens.
Will there be an increase or decrease in demand for Journalism Instructors in the next 5 years?
Julio Matos: As the industry shifts, so will the methods by which artists are trained. The multihyphenate artist-entrepreneur will continue to thrive, given the need for arts to reflect society and the artist as a mirror of one's strengths and frailties.
What type of skills will young Journalism Instructors need?
Ye Chen Ph.D.: Graduates with educational technology (Ed Tech) degrees commonly work as instructional designers, technology/media specialists, trainers, e-learning developers in k12 school, university, military, company, or government. The skills employers usually want in Ed Tech graduates include:
- Instructional design skills for analyzing instructional needs and designing & developing effective instructional solutions.
- Technical skills in utilizing technology to develop and implement instruction. At the same time, they are expected to understand how to integrate technology into instructional settings in a pedagogically meaningful way.
- Communication skills are essential as their work roles heavily rely on effective communication with content experts, clients, trainees/students, etc. throughout the instructional design process
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for Journalism Instructors to find work opportunities?
Ye Chen Ph.D.: You could go to higheredjobs.com, https://jobs.chronicle.com/, or university websites for a higher ed job, go-to company, or other organization websites (e.g., Google) industry/government jobs; or use LinkedIn, attend job fairs and professional conferences, to search for job opportunities.