On-air host demographics and statistics in the US
On-air host demographics research summary. Zippia estimates on-air host demographics and statistics in the United States by using a database of 30 million profiles. Our on-air host estimates are verified against BLS, Census, and current job openings data for accuracy. Zippia's data science team found the following key facts about on-air hosts after extensive research and analysis:
- There are over 8,284 on-air hosts currently employed in the United States.
- 36.5% of all on-air hosts are women, while 63.5% are men.
- The average on-air host age is 49 years old.
- The most common ethnicity of on-air hosts is White (75.3%), followed by Hispanic or Latino (11.2%), Black or African American (5.3%) and Asian (4.3%).
- In 2022, women earned 105% of what men earned.
- 10% of all on-air hosts are LGBT.
- On-air hosts are 61% more likely to work at private companies in comparison to public companies.
On this page
On-air host demographics by:
On-air host gender statistics
36.5% of on-air hosts are women and 63.5% of on-air hosts are men.
- Male, 63.5%
- Female, 36.5%
On-air host gender ratio
| Gender | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Male | 63.5% |
| Female | 36.5% |
On-air host gender pay gap
Women earn $1.05 for every $1 earned by men
Male income
$43,245
Female income
$45,544
On-air host gender ratio over time
This data breaks down the percentage of men and women in on-air host positions over time. Currently, 36.5% of on-air hosts are female.
On-air host gender ratio by year
| Year | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 70.21% | 29.79% |
| 2011 | 72.34% | 27.66% |
| 2012 | 71.21% | 28.79% |
| 2013 | 62.66% | 37.34% |
| 2014 | 73.39% | 26.61% |
| 2015 | 65.94% | 34.06% |
| 2016 | 66.61% | 33.39% |
| 2017 | 64.35% | 35.65% |
| 2018 | 61.10% | 38.90% |
| 2019 | 64.49% | 35.51% |
| 2020 | 57.34% | 42.66% |
| 2021 | 63.49% | 36.51% |
On-air host related jobs gender ratio
We compared on-air hosts with similar job titles to see how gender ratios vary. As you can see, public address announcer and track announcer have the biggest gender ratio gaps.
| Job title | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| Paraprofessional Interpreter | 12% | 88% |
| Deaf Interpreter | 15% | 85% |
| Fashion Journalist | 15% | 85% |
| On-Air Host | 63% | 37% |
| Sports Announcer | 91% | 9% |
| Track Announcer | 92% | 8% |
| Public Address Announcer | 93% | 7% |
Male
Female
100%
75%
50%
25%
0%
0%
25%
50%
75%
100%
On-air host demographics by race
The most common ethnicity among on-air hosts is White, which makes up 75.3% of all on-air hosts. Comparatively, 11.2% of on-air hosts are Hispanic or Latino and 5.3% of on-air hosts are Black or African American.
- White, 75.3%
- Hispanic or Latino, 11.2%
- Black or African American, 5.3%
- Asian, 4.3%
- Unknown, 3.4%
- American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5%
On-air host race
| On-air host race | Percentages |
|---|---|
| White | 75.3% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 11.2% |
| Black or African American | 5.3% |
| Asian | 4.3% |
| Unknown | 3.4% |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 0.5% |
On-air host race and ethnicity over time
See how on-air host racial and ethnic diversity trended since 2010 according to the United States Census Bureau data.
On-air host race and ethnicity by year
| Year | White | Black or African American | Asian | Hispanic or Latino |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 67.71% | 9.28% | 4.37% | 14.79% |
| 2011 | 65.35% | 9.74% | 4.58% | 17.72% |
| 2012 | 68.97% | 9.76% | 3.87% | 12.18% |
| 2013 | 66.92% | 8.30% | 4.57% | 16.49% |
| 2014 | 66.29% | 11.44% | 3.15% | 15.41% |
| 2015 | 70.36% | 9.22% | 4.84% | 13.18% |
| 2016 | 70.28% | 8.43% | 3.54% | 14.73% |
| 2017 | 63.99% | 12.36% | 5.25% | 14.03% |
| 2018 | 71.51% | 8.17% | 2.06% | 14.87% |
| 2019 | 70.66% | 8.19% | 3.46% | 13.91% |
| 2020 | 70.32% | 7.97% | 5.00% | 10.90% |
| 2021 | 75.32% | 5.30% | 4.33% | 11.23% |
On-air host wage gap by race
According to our data, asian on-air hosts have the highest average salary compared to other ethnicities. Hispanic or latino on-air hosts have the lowest average salary at $39,711.
| Ethnicity | Salary |
|---|---|
| Unknown | $44,435 |
| White | $42,819 |
| Black or African American | $43,613 |
| Asian | $45,900 |
| Hispanic or Latino | $39,711 |
On-air host age breakdown
The average age of on-air hosts is 40+ years years old, representing 75% of the on-air host population.
On-air host age breakdown
| On-Air Host Years | Percentages |
|---|---|
| 40+ years | 75% |
| 30-40 years | 16% |
| 20-30 years | 9% |
On-air host educational attainment
The most common degree for on-air hosts is bachelor's degree, with 76% of on-air hosts earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are associate degree degree at 12% and associate degree degree at 6%.
- Bachelor's, 76%
- Associate, 12%
- Master's, 6%
- High School Diploma, 3%
- Other Degrees, 3%
On-air hosts by degree level
| On-air host degree | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Bachelor's | 76% |
| Associate | 12% |
| Master's | 6% |
| High School Diploma | 3% |
| Other Degrees | 3% |
On-air host jobs you might like
On-air host wage gap by degree level
According to the data, on-air hosts with a Bachelor's degree earn more than those without, at $50,173 annually. With a Associate degree, on-air hosts earn a median annual income of $40,128 compared to $36,530 for on-air hosts with an High School Diploma degree.
| Education | Salary |
|---|---|
| High School Diploma or Less | $36,530 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $50,173 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $40,128 |
On-air host employment statistics
Most on-air hosts work for a private in the media industry.
Company size where on-air hosts work
Below, you can see the size of companies where on-air hosts work.
On-air host jobs by employer size
| Company size | Percentages |
|---|---|
| < 50 employees | 8% |
| 50 - 100 employees | 24% |
| 100 - 500 employees | 24% |
| 500 - 1,000 employees | 9% |
| 1,000 - 10,000 employees | 25% |
| > 10,000 employees | 9% |
On-air host jobs by company type
Employees with the on-air host job title have their preferences when it comes to working for a company. For instance, most on-air hosts prefer to work at private companies over public companies.
On-air host jobs by sector
| Company type | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Education | 16% |
| Public | 19% |
| Private | 61% |
| Government | 4% |
On-air host jobs by industry
The most common industries for on-air hosts are media, education and professional.
On-air host industry statistics
| Industry | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Media | 44% |
| Education | 15% |
| Fortune 500 | 5% |
| Professional | 5% |
| Finance | 5% |
| Technology | 4% |
| Hospitality | 3% |
| Retail | 3% |
| Transportation | 2% |
| Government | 2% |
| Start-up | 2% |
| Non Profits | 2% |
| Manufacturing | 2% |
| Utilities | 2% |
| Internet | 2% |
| Insurance | 2% |
| Telecommunication | 1% |
| Health Care | 1% |
| Construction | 1% |
On-air host turnover and employment statistics
On-air host unemployment rate over time
The unemployment rate for on-air hosts between 2008 and the most recent data has varied, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
On-air host unemployment rate by year
| Year | On-air host unemployment rate |
|---|---|
| 2010 | 11.99% |
| 2011 | 9.82% |
| 2012 | 7.98% |
| 2013 | 10.12% |
| 2014 | 7.82% |
| 2015 | 5.66% |
| 2016 | 5.43% |
| 2017 | 5.15% |
| 2018 | 2.41% |
| 2019 | 4.05% |
| 2020 | 6.64% |
| 2021 | 3.86% |
Average on-air host tenure
The average on-air host stays at their job for 1-2 years, based on the 1,143 on-air hosts resumes in Zippia's database.
On-air host tenure statistics
| Number of years | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Less than 1 year | 16% |
| 1-2 years | 36% |
| 3-4 years | 16% |
| 5-7 years | 15% |
| 8-10 years | 7% |
| 11+ years | 10% |
On-air host LGBT ratio compared to similar jobs
Review the percent of on-air hosts that are members of the LGBT community. You can see how this compares to similar jobs in the chart below.
| Job title | LGBT | Job openings |
|---|---|---|
| Newspaper Correspondent | 10.10% | 140 |
| On-Air Host | 10.34% | - |
| Speaker | 12.01% | 716 |
| Senior Managing Editor | 12.38% | 9,476 |
| Translator | 14.90% | 1,206 |
| Biographer | 16.36% | 868 |
| Public Address Announcer | 16.36% | 9,474 |
Similar on-air host jobs LGBT demographics
| Profession | Percentages of LGBT | Job openings |
|---|---|---|
| Newspaper Correspondent | 10.10% | 140 |
| Speaker | 12.01% | 716 |
| Senior Managing Editor | 12.38% | 9,476 |
| Translator | 14.90% | 1,206 |
| Biographer | 16.36% | 868 |
| Public Address Announcer | 16.36% | 9,474 |
Foreign languages spoken by on-air hosts
The most common foreign language among on-air hosts is Spanish at 57.4%. The second-most popular foreign language spoken is French at 10.6% and German is the third-most popular at 6.4%.
- Spanish, 57.4%
- French, 10.6%
- German, 6.4%
- Italian, 6.4%
- Hindi, 4.3%
- Other, 14.9%
On-air host languages spoken
| Foreign language | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Spanish | 57.4% |
| French | 10.6% |
| German | 6.4% |
| Italian | 6.4% |
| Hindi | 4.3% |
| Other | 14.9% |
