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On-air personality vs on-air disc jockey

The differences between on-air personalities 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 personality and an on-air disc jockey. Additionally, an on-air disc jockey has an average salary of $45,326, which is higher than the $42,380 average annual salary of an on-air personality.

The top three skills for an on-air personality include facebook, FCC and twitter. The most important skills for an on-air disc jockey are radio commercials, radio station, and FCC.

On-air personality vs on-air disc jockey overview

On-Air PersonalityOn-Air Disc Jockey
Yearly salary$42,380$45,326
Hourly rate$20.38$21.79
Growth rate-4%-4%
Number of jobs1,5073,451
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 67%Bachelor's Degree, 70%
Average age5050
Years of experience44

On-air personality vs on-air disc jockey salary

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

On-Air PersonalityOn-Air Disc Jockey
Average salary$42,380$45,326
Salary rangeBetween $23,000 And $76,000Between $23,000 And $86,000
Highest paying City--
Highest paying state--
Best paying company--
Best paying industry--

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

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

On-Air PersonalityOn-Air Disc Jockey
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 67%Bachelor's Degree, 70%
Most common majorCommunicationCommunication
Most common collegeNorthwestern UniversityNorthwestern University

On-air personality vs on-air disc jockey demographics

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

On-Air PersonalityOn-Air Disc Jockey
Average age5050
Gender ratioMale, 64.4% Female, 35.6%Male, 66.2% Female, 33.8%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 5.4% Unknown, 3.2% Hispanic or Latino, 11.5% Asian, 4.2% 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 Percentage10%10%

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

On-air personality example responsibilities.

  • Record daily news cast on state topics, prepare promos, program and automate playlists, archive local public affairs shows.
  • Interact with listeners at local promotional events and through the station's Facebook page.
  • Air liners, jingles, and sweepers.
  • Copy writing, production, and remotes.100.9 FM (KPNC )
  • Work nights on FM AC/News station, both live and voice-tracked.
  • Cover NBA, NFL, and NCAA topics in a professional studio.
  • Show more

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.
  • Show more

On-air personality vs on-air disc jockey skills

Common on-air personality skills
  • Facebook, 9%
  • FCC, 8%
  • Twitter, 8%
  • Live Events, 7%
  • Wide Orbit, 7%
  • Control Board, 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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