How To Become A Newspaper Writer: What It Is and Career Path

What is a newspaper writer and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

2 min read

Quoted expert

Anna Mae Duane

There is more than meets the eye when it comes to being a newspaper writer. For example, did you know that they make an average of $25.52 an hour? That's $53,083 a year! Between 2018 and 2028, the career is expected to grow -10% and produce -5,100 job opportunities across the U.S.

What general advice would you give to a newspaper writer?

Anna Mae Duane

Professor of English and Director of the Humanities Institute, Website

The idea that English majors are not in demand is a myth—don’t harm your own chances by buying into it! There are numerous studies—and countless employer testimonies—that indicate how valuable your skills as an English major are. English majors consistently find work in a variety of fields, and perhaps even more important, alumni of English departments report that they find their jobs and lives rewarding. According to the National Association of Colleges and Employers, 'what sets two equally qualified job candidates apart can be as simple as who has the better communication skills.' You are, in many ways, ahead of the game in comparison to others in your cohort. I’d also urge English majors to think broadly about their career options. Yes, fields like journalism, publishing and advertising all rely on the skills developed in English departments. But other employers, particularly in tech companies, have realized how valuable English majors can be to their organization. As a recent report in Fortune indicates, top executives in AI at IBM and elsewhere realize that having expertise in the Humanities is an essential component for success in their field.

ScoreNewspaper WriterUS Average

Salary

4.1

Avg. Salary $53,083

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

7.3

Growth rate -10%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

5.5

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.29%

Asian 9.66%

Black or African American 6.36%

Hispanic or Latino 12.58%

Unknown 4.38%

White 66.72%

Gender

female 56.39%

male 43.61%

Age - 38

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 38

Stress level

7.3

Stress level is high

7.1 - high

Complexity level

9.1

Complexity level is advanced

7 - challenging

Work life balance

2.1

Work life balance is very poor

6.4 - fair

Key steps to become a newspaper writer

Explore newspaper writer education requirements

Most common newspaper writer degrees

Bachelor's

73.7 %

Associate

9.9 %

Master's

8.6 %

Start to develop specific newspaper writer skills

Skills	Percentages
Adobe Indesign	15.12%
Editorials	14.89%
Conduct Interviews	14.63%
News Articles	14.32%
Adobe Photoshop	8.98%

Complete relevant newspaper writer training and internships

Accountants spend an average of Less than 1 month on post-employment, on-the-job training. New newspaper writers learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a newspaper writer based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real newspaper writer resumes.

Research newspaper writer duties and responsibilities

Manage the Instagram account, which mean publishing and keeping up to date with the articles.
Proofread all columns before being publish, train new employees, write opinion and news columns.
Create and envision editorials for the publication.
Coordinate and conduct interviews with article subjects, and maintain constant communication with editor-in-chief.

Prepare your newspaper writer resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your newspaper writer resume.

You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a newspaper writer resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

Choose from 10+ customizable newspaper writer resume templates

Build a professional newspaper writer resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your newspaper writer resume.