Best states for a journalist

Q: What is the best state for journalists?

The best state to be a journalist is New York based on journalist salaries and job opportunities.

Q: What is the highest paying state for journalists?

The highest paying state for journalists is Hawaii based on Zippia’s salary database.

Q: What is the worst state for journalists?

The worst state for journalists is Mississippi, due to a combination of low salaries and few job opportunities.

Quoted expert

Brant Houston

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Do you want to become a journalist at Us Navy, and you wonder what that means or entails? We have the full list of best states for journalists that you can check out, before you begin your journey. Our research shows that New York is the best state in the country for journalists.

New York is the best state for jobs for journalists, and Mississippi is the worst. The most common pay in New York is $79,214, while the median pay in Mississippi is $51,428.If you are currently seeking employment as a journalist, you can find open job positions using Zippia's search tools.

10 best states for journalists in 2026

1. New York
Total journalist jobs: 661
Average annual salary: $79,214
Lowest 10 percent earn: $49,000
Highest 10 percent earn: $127,000
Location Quotient:
2.57
Journalist jobs in New York
2. Vermont
Total journalist jobs: 17
Average annual salary: $70,713
Lowest 10 percent earn: $43,000
Highest 10 percent earn: $115,000
Location Quotient:
1.1
Journalist jobs in Vermont
3. Missouri
Total journalist jobs: 120
Average annual salary: $70,588
Lowest 10 percent earn: $44,000
Highest 10 percent earn: $112,000
Location Quotient:
1.02
Journalist jobs in Missouri
4. New Jersey
Total journalist jobs: 136
Average annual salary: $77,424
Lowest 10 percent earn: $48,000
Highest 10 percent earn: $124,000
Location Quotient:
0.85
Journalist jobs in New Jersey
5. Michigan
Total journalist jobs: 111
Average annual salary: $69,991
Lowest 10 percent earn: $43,000
Highest 10 percent earn: $113,000
Location Quotient:
0.71
Journalist jobs in Michigan
6. Maryland
Total journalist jobs: 250
Average annual salary: $69,892
Lowest 10 percent earn: $43,000
Highest 10 percent earn: $112,000
Location Quotient:
1.96
Journalist jobs in Maryland
7. Kentucky
Total journalist jobs: 34
Average annual salary: $73,921
Lowest 10 percent earn: $45,000
Highest 10 percent earn: $118,000
Location Quotient:
0.46
Journalist jobs in Kentucky
8. North Carolina
Total journalist jobs: 178
Average annual salary: $62,802
Lowest 10 percent earn: $38,000
Highest 10 percent earn: $101,000
Location Quotient:
0.92
Journalist jobs in North Carolina
9. District of Columbia
Total journalist jobs: 180
Average annual salary: $68,966
Lowest 10 percent earn: $42,000
Highest 10 percent earn: $110,000
Location Quotient:
5.34
Journalist jobs in District of Columbia
10. Ohio
Total journalist jobs: 110
Average annual salary: $67,915
Lowest 10 percent earn: $42,000
Highest 10 percent earn: $109,000
Location Quotient:
0.54
Journalist jobs in Ohio

Journalist jobsNear Columbus, OH

How Zippia determines the best states to be a journalist

You can read about how the best state rankings are calculated here.

Detailed list of the best states for a journalist

Rank	State	Average salary	Lowest 10% earn	Population	Job count
1	New York	$79,214	$49,000	19,849,399	661
2	Vermont	$70,713	$43,000	623,657	17
3	Missouri	$70,588	$44,000	6,113,532	120
4	New Jersey	$77,424	$48,000	9,005,644	136
5	Michigan	$69,991	$43,000	9,962,311	111
6	Maryland	$69,892	$43,000	6,052,177	250
7	Kentucky	$73,921	$45,000	4,454,189	34
8	North Carolina	$62,802	$38,000	10,273,419	178
9	District of Columbia	$68,966	$42,000	693,972	180
10	Ohio	$67,915	$42,000	11,658,609	110
11	Maine	$70,071	$42,000	1,335,907	8
12	Illinois	$62,902	$38,000	12,802,023	213
13	Tennessee	$63,690	$39,000	6,715,984	67
14	Virginia	$61,839	$38,000	8,470,020	319
15	Rhode Island	$64,512	$40,000	1,059,639	14
16	Wyoming	$58,091	$36,000	579,315	25
17	Connecticut	$62,913	$39,000	3,588,184	58
18	Delaware	$66,089	$41,000	961,939	13
19	Oregon	$59,771	$37,000	4,142,776	136
20	Minnesota	$62,156	$38,000	5,576,606	93
21	New Mexico	$60,187	$37,000	2,088,070	32
22	North Dakota	$58,249	$35,000	755,393	18
23	Pennsylvania	$59,785	$37,000	12,805,537	160
24	Iowa	$61,073	$37,000	3,145,711	45
25	West Virginia	$59,054	$36,000	1,815,857	23
26	New Hampshire	$61,672	$37,000	1,342,795	24
27	Arkansas	$59,310	$37,000	3,004,279	32
28	Nevada	$59,432	$36,000	2,998,039	30
29	Nebraska	$57,259	$35,000	1,920,076	50
30	California	$58,418	$35,000	39,536,653	734
31	Massachusetts	$57,692	$35,000	6,859,819	217
32	Alaska	$56,657	$36,000	739,795	23
33	Wisconsin	$57,296	$35,000	5,795,483	73
34	Oklahoma	$57,960	$36,000	3,930,864	35
35	Indiana	$57,195	$35,000	6,666,818	64
36	Utah	$55,184	$34,000	3,101,833	62
37	Washington	$56,461	$34,000	7,405,743	159
38	Kansas	$56,186	$35,000	2,913,123	39
39	Arizona	$56,277	$35,000	7,016,270	82
40	Georgia	$54,833	$34,000	10,429,379	147
41	Louisiana	$56,549	$35,000	4,684,333	27
42	Montana	$53,961	$33,000	1,050,493	19
43	Idaho	$53,610	$33,000	1,716,943	26
44	Alabama	$54,600	$33,000	4,874,747	49
45	Colorado	$49,944	$31,000	5,607,154	122
46	South Dakota	$54,557	$33,000	869,666	7
47	Texas	$49,678	$31,000	28,304,596	350
48	Florida	$48,674	$30,000	20,984,400	271
49	Hawaii	$38,335	$27,000	1,427,538	13
50	South Carolina	$52,694	$32,000	5,024,369	43
51	Mississippi	$51,428	$32,000	2,984,100	13

Highest paying states for journalists

Rank	State	Avg. Journalist Salary
1	New York	$79,214
2	Vermont	$70,713
3	Missouri	$70,588
4	New Jersey	$77,424
5	Michigan	$69,991
6	Maryland	$69,892
7	Kentucky	$73,921
8	North Carolina	$62,802
9	District of Columbia	$68,966
10	Ohio	$67,915
11	Maine	$70,071
12	Illinois	$62,902
13	Tennessee	$63,690
14	Virginia	$61,839
15	Rhode Island	$64,512
16	Wyoming	$58,091
17	Connecticut	$62,913
18	Delaware	$66,089
19	Oregon	$59,771
20	Minnesota	$62,156
21	New Mexico	$60,187
22	North Dakota	$58,249
23	Pennsylvania	$59,785
24	Iowa	$61,073
25	West Virginia	$59,054
26	New Hampshire	$61,672
27	Arkansas	$59,310
28	Nevada	$59,432
29	Nebraska	$57,259
30	California	$58,418
31	Massachusetts	$57,692
32	Alaska	$56,657
33	Wisconsin	$57,296
34	Oklahoma	$57,960
35	Indiana	$57,195
36	Utah	$55,184
37	Washington	$56,461
38	Kansas	$56,186
39	Arizona	$56,277
40	Georgia	$54,833
41	Louisiana	$56,549
42	Montana	$53,961
43	Idaho	$53,610
44	Alabama	$54,600
45	Colorado	$49,944
46	South Dakota	$54,557
47	Texas	$49,678
48	Florida	$48,674
49	Hawaii	$38,335
50	South Carolina	$52,694
51	Mississippi	$51,428

Expert opinions on the best states for journalists

Are there any particularly good places in the United States for journalists to find work opportunities?
Brant Houston
Professor and Knight Chair in Investigative & Enterprise Reporting Director of Graduate Studies, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Any place with healthy nonprofit newsrooms and more than 250 (you can find them listed the Institute for Nonprofit News) across the country is an excellent place to look, and the pay is often more than at for-profits these days. One area where there are many nonprofits in Chicago.

Journalist best states FAQs

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Best states for Journalists

Updated January 8, 2025

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Total journalist jobs:	661
Average annual salary:	$79,214
Lowest 10 percent earn:	$49,000
Highest 10 percent earn:	$127,000
Location Quotient:	2.57

Best states for a journalist

10 best states for journalists in 2026

1. New York

2. Vermont

3. Missouri

4. New Jersey

5. Michigan

6. Maryland

7. Kentucky

8. North Carolina

9. District of Columbia

10. Ohio