On-air disc jockey vs radio broadcaster

The differences between on-air disc jockeys and radio broadcasters can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both an on-air disc jockey and a radio broadcaster. Additionally, a radio broadcaster has an average salary of $49,452, which is higher than the $45,326 average annual salary of an on-air disc jockey.

The top three skills for an on-air disc jockey include radio commercials, radio station and FCC. The most important skills for a radio broadcaster are FM, public service announcements, and DJ.

On-air disc jockey vs radio broadcaster overview

	On-Air Disc Jockey	Radio Broadcaster
Yearly salary	$45,326	$49,452
Hourly rate	$21.79	$23.77
Growth rate	-4%	-4%
Number of jobs	3,451	2,182
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 70%	Bachelor's Degree, 67%
Average age	50	50
Years of experience	4	4

On-air disc jockey vs radio broadcaster salary

On-air disc jockeys and radio broadcasters have different pay scales, as shown below.

	On-Air Disc Jockey	Radio Broadcaster
Average salary	$45,326	$49,452
Salary range	Between $23,000 And $86,000	Between $16,000 And $144,000
Highest paying City	-	-
Highest paying state	-	-
Best paying company	-	-
Best paying industry	-	-

Differences between on-air disc jockey and radio broadcaster education

There are a few differences between an on-air disc jockey and a radio broadcaster in terms of educational background:

	On-Air Disc Jockey	Radio Broadcaster
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 70%	Bachelor's Degree, 67%
Most common major	Communication	Communication
Most common college	Northwestern University	Northwestern University

On-air disc jockey vs radio broadcaster demographics

Here are the differences between on-air disc jockeys' and radio broadcasters' demographics:

	On-Air Disc Jockey	Radio Broadcaster
Average age	50	50
Gender ratio	Male, 66.2% Female, 33.8%	Male, 66.7% Female, 33.3%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 4.6% Unknown, 3.1% Hispanic or Latino, 12.1% Asian, 4.7% White, 75.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4%	Black or African American, 5.0% Unknown, 3.8% Hispanic or Latino, 11.9% Asian, 3.9% White, 74.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4%
LGBT Percentage	10%	10%

Differences between on-air disc jockey and radio broadcaster duties and responsibilities

On-air disc jockey example responsibilities.

Manage commercial production, station remotes and appearances, blogging while being on the air mid-days.
Compile weekly reports of station playlists to submit to music journals.
Play music as dictated by upper management or create playlists around specialty formats.
Check and log power output readings for station transmitter to ensure compliance with FCC rules and regulations.
Promote concerts for local venues featuring prominent musical acts via on-air ticket giveaways and on-air interviews with the headlining acts.
Monitor and document transmitter power levels to ensure station is operating within FCC approve guidelines.

Radio broadcaster example responsibilities.

Design locations for cell sites to achieve maximum handover efficiency.
Perform network optimization, design of regional network as well as sanity check on antenna configuration.
Host a show that feature self-created mash-ups and emergent hip-hop with special guest interviews.

On-air disc jockey vs radio broadcaster skills

Common on-air disc jockey skills

Radio Commercials, 10%
Radio Station, 9%
FCC, 8%
R, 8%
Audio Equipment, 7%
Air Personality, 6%

Common radio broadcaster skills

FM, 15%
Public Service Announcements, 8%
DJ, 7%
Conduct Interviews, 6%
On-Air Interviews, 6%
RAN, 5%

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On-Air Disc Jockey
On-Air Disc Jockey vs Radio Broadcaster

Updated January 8, 2025

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