On-air host vs on-air disc jockey

The differences between on-air hosts and on-air disc jockeys 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 host and an on-air disc jockey. Additionally, an on-air host has an average salary of $45,873, which is higher than the $45,326 average annual salary of an on-air disc jockey.

The top three skills for an on-air host include adobe audition, phone calls and FCC. The most important skills for an on-air disc jockey are radio commercials, radio station, and FCC.

On-air host vs on-air disc jockey overview

	On-Air Host	On-Air Disc Jockey
Yearly salary	$45,873	$45,326
Hourly rate	$22.05	$21.79
Growth rate	-4%	-4%
Number of jobs	10,674	3,451
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 76%	Bachelor's Degree, 70%
Average age	50	50
Years of experience	4	4

On-air host vs on-air disc jockey salary

On-air hosts and on-air disc jockeys have different pay scales, as shown below.

	On-Air Host	On-Air Disc Jockey
Average salary	$45,873	$45,326
Salary range	Between $24,000 And $84,000	Between $23,000 And $86,000
Highest paying City	-	-
Highest paying state	-	-
Best paying company	-	-
Best paying industry	-	-

Differences between on-air host and on-air disc jockey education

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

	On-Air Host	On-Air Disc Jockey
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 76%	Bachelor's Degree, 70%
Most common major	Communication	Communication
Most common college	Northwestern University	Northwestern University

On-air host vs on-air disc jockey demographics

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

	On-Air Host	On-Air Disc Jockey
Average age	50	50
Gender ratio	Male, 63.5% Female, 36.5%	Male, 66.2% Female, 33.8%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 5.3% Unknown, 3.4% Hispanic or Latino, 11.2% Asian, 4.3% White, 75.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4%	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%
LGBT Percentage	10%	10%

Differences between on-air host and on-air disc jockey duties and responsibilities

On-air host example responsibilities.

Record daily news cast on state topics, prepare promos, program and automate playlists, archive local public affairs shows.
Conduct on-air interviews, screen and connect phone calls, and run audio board.
Create and run promotions prior to the show.
Host and producer of FYI, KLDE FM, weekly public affairs program.
Communicate and correspond with listeners online, via email, Snapchat and Instagram.
Follow FCC regulations, station and company policies, including implementing station's EAS procedures.

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.

On-air host vs on-air disc jockey skills

Common on-air host skills

Adobe Audition, 16%
Phone Calls, 8%
FCC, 7%
FM, 7%
Air Host, 6%
Twitter, 6%

Common on-air disc jockey skills

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

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On-Air Host
On-Air Host vs On-Air Disc Jockey

Updated January 8, 2025

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