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The differences between news assistants and news producers 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 assistant, becoming a news producer takes usually requires 6-12 months. Additionally, a news producer has an average salary of $54,608, which is higher than the $45,462 average annual salary of a news assistant.
The top three skills for a news assistant include assignment desk, video content and b-roll. The most important skills for a news producer are assignment desk, control room, and story development.
| News Assistant | News Producer | |
| Yearly salary | $45,462 | $54,608 |
| Hourly rate | $21.86 | $26.25 |
| Growth rate | -5% | 8% |
| Number of jobs | 7,130 | 11,336 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 82% | Bachelor's Degree, 90% |
| Average age | 44 | 40 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 12 |
News assistants are professionals who are responsible for assisting editorial personnel in a broadcasting newsroom by compiling, dispensing, and filing news stories. These assistants must call people who are involved in news events to obtain more information or arrange for on-air interviews. They must assist in recording, editing, and playing back tapes of news stories using splicing machines and equipment to help columnists or commentators. News assistants must also work in control rooms to direct the presentation of news during the live broadcast.
A News Producer supervises the editorial content of the news to ensure that news stories are produced and presented to the public in a quality manner. They collaborate with the news director to select and prioritize content to make the broadcast more attractive.
News assistants and news producers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| News Assistant | News Producer | |
| Average salary | $45,462 | $54,608 |
| Salary range | Between $33,000 And $62,000 | Between $39,000 And $75,000 |
| Highest paying City | - | New York, NY |
| Highest paying state | - | New York |
| Best paying company | - | The New York Times Company |
| Best paying industry | - | Professional |
There are a few differences between a news assistant and a news producer in terms of educational background:
| News Assistant | News Producer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 82% | Bachelor's Degree, 90% |
| Most common major | Journalism | Journalism |
| Most common college | Northwestern University | Massachusetts Institute of Technology |
Here are the differences between news assistants' and news producers' demographics:
| News Assistant | News Producer | |
| Average age | 44 | 40 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 41.3% Female, 58.7% | Male, 42.9% Female, 57.1% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 3.5% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 7.9% Asian, 7.1% White, 76.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% | Black or African American, 7.8% Unknown, 5.6% Hispanic or Latino, 14.3% Asian, 6.3% White, 65.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 12% | 14% |