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The differences between news anchors and journalists can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 2-4 years to become a news anchor, becoming a journalist takes usually requires 1-2 years. Additionally, a journalist has an average salary of $60,828, which is higher than the $43,198 average annual salary of a news anchor.
The top three skills for a news anchor include news content, facebook and twitter. The most important skills for a journalist are news stories, multimedia, and story development.
| News Anchor | Journalist | |
| Yearly salary | $43,198 | $60,828 |
| Hourly rate | $20.77 | $29.24 |
| Growth rate | -10% | -10% |
| Number of jobs | 3,607 | 11,488 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 82% | Bachelor's Degree, 74% |
| Average age | 40 | 40 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 2 |
A news anchor presents and reports the news to the public, usually through television news broadcast or radio. They must keep the people informed of the current events, locally or internationally. They typically coordinate with directors and staff to prepare for broadcast, conduct research, introduce news correspondence, ask questions, utilize or revise scripts, and deliver news articulately and professionally. They may also share insights and commentary, should the segment require. Furthermore, a news anchor must adhere to the station's policies and regulations, including the moral codes of journalism.
A journalist is responsible for creating written correspondence, covering various subjects as the management requires. This task involves a lot of research investigations, conducting interviews, and gathering reliable sources to verify the authenticity of data before releasing the articles on news portals and other social platforms. Journalists should have excellent communication skills, both written and oral, conveying information to the target audience with high accuracy and efficiency. They analyze opinions and testimonies, create eye-catching headlines, and ensure adherence to deadlines.
News anchors and journalists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| News Anchor | Journalist | |
| Average salary | $43,198 | $60,828 |
| Salary range | Between $31,000 And $59,000 | Between $38,000 And $95,000 |
| Highest paying City | - | New York, NY |
| Highest paying state | - | New York |
| Best paying company | - | Bloomberg |
| Best paying industry | - | Finance |
There are a few differences between a news anchor and a journalist in terms of educational background:
| News Anchor | Journalist | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 82% | Bachelor's Degree, 74% |
| Most common major | Journalism | Journalism |
| Most common college | Massachusetts Institute of Technology | Massachusetts Institute of Technology |
Here are the differences between news anchors' and journalists' demographics:
| News Anchor | Journalist | |
| Average age | 40 | 40 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 48.7% Female, 51.3% | Male, 46.6% Female, 53.4% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 6.4% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 12.6% Asian, 9.7% White, 66.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% | Black or African American, 6.4% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 12.6% Asian, 9.6% White, 66.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% |
| LGBT Percentage | 10% | 10% |