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Job outlook for newspaper reporters in the United States
Newspaper reporter job growth summary. After extensive research, interviews, and analysis, Zippia's data science team found that:
The projected newspaper reporter job growth rate is -10% from 2018-2028.
About -5,100 new jobs for newspaper reporters are projected over the next decade.
Newspaper reporter salaries have increased 16% for newspaper reporters in the last 5 years.
There are over 14,105 newspaper reporters currently employed in the United States.
There are 2,329 active newspaper reporter job openings in the US.
The average newspaper reporter salary is $49,143.
Are newspaper reporter jobs in demand?
Newspaper reporter job and salary trends over time
Newspaper reporter jobs over time
Newspaper reporter job growth rate over time
| Year | # of jobs | % of population |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 14,105 | 0.00% |
| 2020 | 15,008 | 0.00% |
| 2019 | 15,917 | 0.00% |
| 2018 | 14,060 | 0.00% |
| 2017 | 14,685 | 0.00% |
Average newspaper reporter salary over time
Newspaper reporter salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $49,143 | $23.63 | +3.5% |
| 2024 | $47,476 | $22.83 | +3.0% |
| 2023 | $46,114 | $22.17 | +4.8% |
| 2022 | $44,001 | $21.15 | +4.1% |
| 2021 | $42,269 | $20.32 | +4.0% |
Newspaper reporter jobs by state
Most common states for newspaper reporters
| Rank | State | Population | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | District of Columbia | 693,972 | 17 | 2% |
| 2 | Iowa | 3,145,711 | 35 | 1% |
| 3 | Nebraska | 1,920,076 | 17 | 1% |
| 4 | West Virginia | 1,815,857 | 10 | 1% |
| 5 | Idaho | 1,716,943 | 9 | 1% |
| 6 | Alaska | 739,795 | 7 | 1% |
| 7 | Montana | 1,050,493 | 6 | 1% |
| 8 | Wyoming | 579,315 | 4 | 1% |
| 9 | North Dakota | 755,393 | 4 | 1% |
| 10 | New York | 19,849,399 | 79 | 0% |
| 11 | Illinois | 12,802,023 | 32 | 0% |
| 12 | Missouri | 6,113,532 | 26 | 0% |
| 13 | Ohio | 11,658,609 | 20 | 0% |
| 14 | Michigan | 9,962,311 | 17 | 0% |
| 15 | Maryland | 6,052,177 | 15 | 0% |
| 16 | Louisiana | 4,684,333 | 11 | 0% |
| 17 | Kentucky | 4,454,189 | 9 | 0% |
| 18 | New Jersey | 9,005,644 | 8 | 0% |
| 19 | New Mexico | 2,088,070 | 5 | 0% |
| 20 | Nevada | 2,998,039 | 5 | 0% |
Newspaper Reporter job outlook: Expert opinions
Our panel of newspaper reporter experts
The University of Findlay
Western Kentucky University
Georgia State University
New Mexico State University
American University
Butler University
University of Oregon
Washington and Lee University
Towson University
University of Nebraska - Lincoln
Belmont University
Miami University
University of Georgia
Indiana University - Purdue University Indianapolis
University of New Mexico
Fairfield University
Buffalo State College
University of North Carolina at Greensboro
What general advice would you give to a Newspaper Reporter?
Amy Rogan: Many think that journalism is dying when in actuality is evolving. There are so many media sites out there that are not actual journalism and yet, our society needs real journalism now more than ever. Misinformation and disinformation spread so quickly, it contaminates the media landscape. But we need journalists willing to build their reputation and their audience so that trained professional journalists drown out the fiction or infotainment.
What Newspaper Reporter skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Amy Rogan: Journalists do a number of things and no two days look alike. Journalists need to have sound, solid news judgement and know their audience and what their audience needs to know. They pitch stories to their editors, producers, or managers, then they research their story topic, find the appropriate interviews and set those up. Once they complete the interviews and gather all their research they then have to craft a story that captures the readers’ or viewers’ attention and serves the community. Typically, that is just one day of work unless you’re working on a special project. Multimedia skills are in high demand because journalists are on so many platforms these days. You need to know how to write for print, digital, and broadcast. And, if you know how to shoot and edit video as well as write, your name goes to the top of the list.
What will help Newspaper Reporters increase their earning potential?
Amy Rogan: People working in journalism probably most dislike the hours and the pay but it’s truly one of the most rewarding fields to work in. It can be stressful but also exciting and challenging. Whether at the local level or a larger stage, it’s truly a service to your community to provide vital information.
What Newspaper Reporter skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Professor Mac McKerral: Fact checking. Ethical use of AI. Getting back to dealing with sources face-to-face. Using literary writing devices to tell great stories.
What general advice would you give to a Newspaper Reporter?
Helen Cauley Ph.D.: The best way is to show you already have experience, and the employer won’t need to train you. An applicant who arrives ready to hit the ground running stands a better chance of getting the job and the top salary over someone who has never been published, taken a photo, put together a video story or – most important! – proved they can meet a deadline under pressure.
What Newspaper Reporter skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Darren Phillips M.A.: First and foremost, I would advise journalists starting out to be curious and to read, read, and read some more. The best storytellers are voracious consumers of information — credible information — and they’re infinitely curious about world events, politics, history, and the like. Knowledge is power. It’s also marketability. Be an expert, or at least know enough about the wider world to be able to bring relevant context and nuance to your work. This requires you to read. For journalism students still in school, this also means taking elective courses in government and economics, geography, and other subjects outside your major that will help you make greater sense of complex topics. Reading and just a life-long commitment to learning are so important.
What will help Newspaper Reporters increase their earning potential?
Darren Phillips M.A.: Maximizing salary potential as a media professional starts with everything I’ve already mentioned. Journalists and even PR and advertising professionals must be extremely well informed on a broad range of topics. This starts with reading and just being a voracious media consumer. This also requires one to think critically, to consume media from disparate sources, to not shy away from contrarian viewpoints, and to work hard and in good faith to synthesize information responsibly. This ties in with maintaining strict allegiance to industry best practices including media ethics. Reputation is everything. Make sure your employers, prospective employers, and clients all understand and appreciate your professional integrity and just your commitment to truth and accuracy. Moreover, embrace change, lean into technological change, and become a bit of a techno geek. Work hard making contacts and building a professional network. Work hard, generally. Hard work goes a long way in any vocation. Beyond that, attend industry conferences, pay close attention to your online presence, curate your social media profiles carefully and put some real time and thought into things like your LinkedIn profile and online portfolio. Lastly, don’t be put off by rejection. Rejection comes with the territory in any competitive career field. Believe in yourself, stay positive, stay open minded, learn all you can, read like crazy, keep grinding, and success will follow eventually.
Assistant Amy Eisman
Assistant ProfessorAmerican University
Arts, Entertainment, And Media Management
What general advice would you give to a Newspaper Reporter?
Assistant Amy Eisman: One skill is easy: be flexible. The technology is changing at lightning speed. At the moment, it helps to be strong at data journalism and understanding emergent technology, such as AI. Topic areas of interest include climate coverage, health and education. It also helps to be a great team player; the speed of news means you rarely work alone. Overall, make sure you embrace the basics in the field: accuracy, fairness, transparency, independence and accountability. Be a solid writer and an even better editor and producer. No one can predict what is next for technology. Employers therefore will look for people who uphold the values of the past, are enthusiastic about the present and are curious about the future.
What general advice would you give to a Newspaper Reporter?
Joseph Valenzano III: Beginning a career must always come with the understanding that your first job is not your career, and it won’t pay you as much as you might think. Maximizing your potential in this scenario depends on many variables, some of which you cannot control. The ones you can control are the quality of your writing samples, having a record of published work in outlets (including the school paper), the clarity of your resume, and the strength of your interview. It also would be helpful to do homework on the market, the employer, and any data on comparisons you can collect. This can help you calibrate your expectations in advance of any offer. One don’t in this process: don’t expect to have a simple 9-5 job; going the extra mile when asked, and even when not asked, can help demonstrate your value to the employer and accelerate the rate of your growth in the industry as well.
What Newspaper Reporter skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Damian Radcliffe: Negotiate. Ask for more money. If that’s not forthcoming, can you negotiate a training budget, more PTO, flexible working hours or the ability to WFH a few days a week? Your negotiating position is often at its strongest when you start in a role and not enough people realize that.
What general advice would you give to a Newspaper Reporter?
K. Megan Hopper Ph.D.: I would advise that graduates should be prepared to be quick on their feet and never expect the same thing from day to day. Also, be prepared and embrace continual learning - learning about the craft as well as learning about various aspects of life and culture - and to always keep an open mind. The job is rarely boring and that is what makes journalism so exciting!
What will help Newspaper Reporters increase their earning potential?
K. Megan Hopper Ph.D.: By diversifying your skill set as much as possible. Being able to competently gather facts and organize them effectively, shoot interesting and impactful video, capture effective soundbites, post on the web with supporting hyperlinking, and being accurate, timely, and ethical at all times.
What Newspaper Reporter skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Kevin Finch: Don't panic. There are lots of jobs available, especially in TV news and in new startups-newsletters, podcasts, web-based operations. But most jobs in communications do not hire a year in advance like some high-level business jobs. You are NOT behind if you don't have a job right now. You'll get one.
Be honest with yourself. Don't apply for jobs you don't really want just for the sake of trying to get something. Picture yourself on the other end of a phone call when a manager says, "Congratulations, you're hired." If the thought makes you nervous or sad, don't apply. Don't waste their time and yours. Sometimes that's about a region of the country where you'd prefer not to live. Sometimes, it's about a particular city, or certain ownership. Whatever your own objection, listen to your inner voice and don't apply.
Bring your family into the conversation. It's YOUR job and your career, but things will go better if you explain what your work hours will be. Some family compromises include asking you to take a job within a two-hour flight of home-or a six-hour car ride. Also, educate them on the likelihood that you may move three times before you're 30. It's the nature of journalism and related careers.
What will help Newspaper Reporters increase their earning potential?
Kevin Finch: Consider your options. Two entry-level jobs may have two very different starting salaries.-because of different sized cities or different corporate pay structures. Don't be desperate and say yes to the first offer without considering those options.
You CAN ask for more money. In my first TV news job when Marconi was young, that ask resulted in just over $250 a year, but it was something. Some places are very rigid. Others have more flexibility.
If they don't budge on salary, how about opportunities for overtime? Or, ask the new boss to pay for your hotel stay to allow you to look for an apartment-or maybe for moving expense money.
Remember this: It's not a life sentence. It's usually a two-year contract. When you apply for your second job, you'll have much more leverage.
What general advice would you give to a Newspaper Reporter?
Pallavi Guha Ph.D.: Mastering all trades, for example, if you are a journalist, you need reporting skills, social media storytelling skills, basic photography/video skills, and editing skills. Using storyboards and graphics such as Canva, and effectively using social media for sourcing, interviews, checking accuracy, and promoting stories will become irreplaceable.
What will help Newspaper Reporters increase their earning potential?
Pallavi Guha Ph.D.: Mastering all trades, for example, if you are journalist, you need reporting skills, social media story telling skills, basic photography/video skills, and editing skills. Using storyboard and graphics such Canva, and effectively using social media for sourcing, interviews, checking accuracy, and promoting stories will become irreplaceable.
Natalie Becerra
Career Development SpecialistUniversity of Nebraska - Lincoln
Journalism
What general advice would you give to a Newspaper Reporter?
Natalie Becerra: Do your research! If you plan to negotiate your salary you need to go in with some research to back up that counteroffer. There are plenty of reliable sites out there to help you determine the market average salary for the type of role you're applying for, while also taking geographic location into consideration. I also encourage students to try and get a rough estimate of their cost of living, especially if they plan to relocate to a larger city, so they can make sure they can make ends meet with the salary they're offered. That research plus evaluating your "value adds" you bring to the role (prestigious education, years of relevant experience, etc.) are all things that you can use to advocate for yourself.
What Newspaper Reporter skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Natalie Becerra: I think some very important skills that will be important to have are resourcefulness and research skills. Especially in the journalism and media industries everything is very trend driven. That means people need to have better research-backed strategies if they want to see long-term, sustainable success. It will be hard to just rely on clickbait and bandwagoning forever, so people should sharpen their research skills and foster a sense of curiosity and resourcefulness to dig deeper and find information for themselves.
Assistant Professor Dorren Robinson
Assistant Professor of JournalismBelmont University
Journalism
What Newspaper Reporter skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Assistant Professor Dorren Robinson: Now more than ever, we need journalists to hold those in power accountable and write unbiased, ethically sourced stories. Journalists can inform, educate and help create a more informed society that leads to a strong democracy. Journalists can uncover corruption, lift up the marginalized and explain complex international issues as well as telling audiences about their local communities.
What general advice would you give to a Newspaper Reporter?
Professor Julia Wallace: First: Be confident. If you don't believe in yourself, others won't. Second: Be resilient. You will face setbacks. Figure out how to bounce back from them in the way that's best for you. Third: Adapt and keep learning. The field is changing fast, and you want to be one step ahead. And finally, be a good ally - help those around you and make your work environment better.
What Newspaper Reporter skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Professor Julia Wallace: Ask for more money. Too often, graduates - particularly women - are too intimidated to ask for more money. That's a mistake. Do your research. Know the range and ask for slightly more. Explain your value. Don't tell a potential employer you need more money. Instead, tell them why you are worth more. All these steps are important in getting the highest salary possible in the beginning, but it also lets the employer know you're paying attention to how much they pay you.
What will help Newspaper Reporters increase their earning potential?
Professor Julia Wallace: As always, the technical skills, such good writing and reporting, matter. Those who know how to use technology (including artificial intelligence) will be best equipped for the future. And, in increasingly collaborative workplaces, being a good team player is critical. Someone can have great skills but if they can't work with others, they won't survive.
Rosemary Pennington
Associate Professor & Area Coordinator of Journalism Miami UniversityMiami University
Journalism
What general advice would you give to a Newspaper Reporter?
Rosemary Pennington: This one is harder, but I do think skill stacking is always a good idea. Someone who can, for example, write well, can work with data, and can take good photos is a more versatile reporter and could demand a higher salary than a reporter entering the field who has gotten really good at just one of those things. Building a deep resume through internships and working in student media can also help as it shows you are an experienced reporter who understands the fundamentals of the profession.
What will help Newspaper Reporters increase their earning potential?
Rosemary Pennington: I think it's important for individuals to cast as wide a net as possible when looking for that first journalism job. The worst thing a new journalist can do right now is cut off options. Apply for TV jobs, online jobs, print jobs -- apply where the jobs are. Most journalism curricula are training graduates to work in a multitude of environments and many employers are willing to provide on the job training around specific skills if the potential employee has a good news foundation. Getting that first job can be the hardest step in building a journalism career, so being open to what media you work in, and where you work, can help you land that first gig.
Dr. Keith Herndon Ph.D.
Professor of Practice and Executive Director of the Cox Institute for Journalism Innovation, Management and Leadership.University of Georgia
Journalism
What will help Newspaper Reporters increase their earning potential?
Dr. Keith Herndon Ph.D.: Don't be afraid to negotiate your starting salary. Young journalists have a lot to offer newsrooms through social media skills and a willingness to adapt to new technologies such as artificial intelligence. Technology skills have value and should not be undersold. Also, young journalism students should not discount the value of their student media and internship experiences. Young journalists must use everything on their resumes to show how they bring value to their position and ask to be compensated fairly for the work they will contribute to the newsroom's success.
What Newspaper Reporter skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Dr. Keith Herndon Ph.D.: Artificial intelligence, or AI, is becoming more relevant to journalism jobs, and in the next few years it will become an essential tool for journalists if it already isn't one. Journalists will increasingly use AI as they prepare interview guides, mine data, search for sources, and edit audio or video stories. Journalists have long been comfortable interviewing human subjects. Journalists now must become comfortable with prompt engineering, which is essentially interviewing the computer. But while AI can help journalists become more productive, journalists must also recognize the ethical challenges that come with using these tools and learn to become more transparent with their audiences about how and why AI tools are deployed in a newsroom.
Rodger Johnson
Visiting Lecturer of Practice in Public RelationsIndiana University - Purdue University Indianapolis
Department of Journalism and Public Relations
What skills will help Newspaper Reporters earn the most?
Rodger Johnson: There seems to be a cult fetish with money and wealth in our culture - this is unhealthy - and leads people to do things with their skills that can be both unethical and unhealthy for them and their audience. It's not about the money; it's about building extraordinary relationships, navigating complicated bureaucracy, uncovering the stories that inform and move people forward toward better lives. The money will be there because one's audience will continue to read and pay for good stories. One may not become a millionaire, but that's not important, so long as they touch lives with the stories they write.
Kate Cunningham
Multimedia communication instructorUniversity of New Mexico
Department of Communication and Journalism
What skills stand out on Newspaper Reporter resumes?
Kate Cunningham: The biggest thing that will stand out on a reporters' resume is experience. Editors who are hiring for a position in the newsroom are looking for someone who has spent time reporting already -- whether they know how to do a difficult interview, find a document, or write a story on deadline. That type of experience lays the groundwork for skills that can be taught and refined later.
At the same time, having what used to be considered "extra" skills like photo and video editing and social media management are also increasingly important for reporters because of the digital and social nature of so much of journalism today. An editor might look more favorably at a resume with those skills if paired with reporting and writing experience.
What skills will help Newspaper Reporters earn the most?
Kate Cunningham: In some cases, more specialized skills like website development or data science can be useful toward earning more. Some newsrooms offer bilingual bonuses for staff with fluency in other languages.
Leadership ability and positions in management also could lead to higher salaries within the field.
Matt Tullis
Director of Digital Journalism, Co-Director of Sports Media, Assistant Professor of Practice of Digital Journalism, Author of Running With Ghosts, Host and Producer of Gangrey: The PodcastFairfield University
College of Arts & Sciences
What skills stand out on Newspaper Reporter resumes?
Matt Tullis: More than anything, what stands for a recent journalism graduate isn't on the resume. It's the clips they have of articles and stories they've written for their student newspaper/website and during their internship. Those in the journalism industry want to see that recent graduates have already worked as reporters while in college. I mentioned clips from an internship, and that is also incredibly important.
What soft skills should all Newspaper Reporters possess?
Matt Tullis: Anyone who wants to do journalism professionally has to be able to talk with people, all sorts of people. They have to be a self-starter; someone who sees an idea and will go after it immediately. And they need to network, even while they are still in college. Follow the journalists you would like to emulate on Twitter. Reach out to them and tell them who you are. And anytime someone from the journalism industry comes to campus, go to their events and talk with them if possible.
What Newspaper Reporter skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Annemarie Franczyk: No one location is better than the rest. The wider the graduates cast their nets, the luckier they will be in landing a job.
What general advice would you give to a Newspaper Reporter?
Annemarie Franczyk: They may be entering an industry that, increasingly, will require practitioners to be highly motivated to work efficiently and effectively, away from an office location. Whatever the students are learning about being a successful remote learner, -- being highly organized, a self-starter, independent worker -- they will need to take that into their future workplaces.
Dr. Anthony Cuda Ph.D.
Associate Professor and Associate HeadUniversity of North Carolina at Greensboro
Department of English
What are the biggest trends we'll see in the Newspaper Reporter job market given the pandemic?
Dr. Anthony Cuda Ph.D.: Obviously work that can be done remotely is at a premium, and writers in particular will benefit from this. Freelance writers have long worked remotely and on their own schedule. The shift now will involve science writers, technical writers, corporate communications professionals-anyone who knows how to put sentences together with clarity, elegance, and professionalism. So the ability to write well-the way that English majors are trained to-is key to capitalizing on the trends.
What Newspaper Reporter skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Dr. Anthony Cuda Ph.D.: I think graduates should always find ways to offer their services to professional organizations-nonprofits, small businesses, even larger firms. If graduates can get a foot in the door with a professional organization-paid or unpaid-and work to hone their writing and communicating skills, they'll be well positioned to pursue a variety of alternative career paths.
What general advice would you give to a Newspaper Reporter?
Dr. Anthony Cuda Ph.D.: Uncertainty abounds, but society is adapting and learning to live in new ways. You'll make yourself essential by proving your adaptability, your willingness to change gears and try new ways of working, but also by proving that you can be both nimble (quick to adapt and change) and rigorously attentive to detail. Attention to detail-the equivalent of rigorous, thorough proofreading in any profession-will set you apart from your peers and get you noticed.