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On-air personality vs talk show host

The differences between on-air personalities and talk show hosts 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 a talk show host. Additionally, a talk show host has an average salary of $49,582, 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 a talk show host are radio station, hot topics, and FCC.

On-air personality vs talk show host overview

On-Air PersonalityTalk Show Host
Yearly salary$42,380$49,582
Hourly rate$20.38$23.84
Growth rate-4%-4%
Number of jobs1,50710,048
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 67%Bachelor's Degree, 75%
Average age5050
Years of experience44

What does an on-air personality do?

On-Air personalities are celebrities with a platform on broadcast media. They are usually radio hosts hosting a talk show, a podcast, or even a music program. On-Air Personalities are influential people whose opinions are revered by their loyal followers. They recommend fashion items, music, places, or events, mostly depending on their advertising partners. On-Air personalities usually invite guests to their program. They would talk about different topics related to a theme or the main genre of the program. They should be engaging, good communicators, and confident.

What does a talk show host do?

Talk show hosts deliver their services on the radio or television. They run a 'talk show' by inviting visitors to entertain the audience by discussing various topics with the talk show host. In general, these professionals run the radio show or television, talk to the audience, talk to the guests, and provide entertainment to all individuals. However, to be a talk show host, you must possess a well-groomed and good look and easily catch the audience's attention. Mostly, the salaries earned by talk show hosts vary from one to another.

On-air personality vs talk show host salary

On-air personalities and talk show hosts have different pay scales, as shown below.

On-Air PersonalityTalk Show Host
Average salary$42,380$49,582
Salary rangeBetween $23,000 And $76,000Between $24,000 And $100,000
Highest paying City--
Highest paying state--
Best paying company--
Best paying industry--

Differences between on-air personality and talk show host education

There are a few differences between an on-air personality and a talk show host in terms of educational background:

On-Air PersonalityTalk Show Host
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 67%Bachelor's Degree, 75%
Most common majorCommunicationCommunication
Most common collegeNorthwestern UniversityNorthwestern University

On-air personality vs talk show host demographics

Here are the differences between on-air personalities' and talk show hosts' demographics:

On-Air PersonalityTalk Show Host
Average age5050
Gender ratioMale, 64.4% Female, 35.6%Male, 68.3% Female, 31.7%
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, 5.7% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 9.9% Asian, 4.0% White, 76.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4%
LGBT Percentage10%10%

Differences between on-air personality and talk show host 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

Talk show host example responsibilities.

  • Feature as DJ of the month every year for KSDB.
  • Host a weekly radio show and curate weekly song playlists.
  • Help in maintaining social media outlets for the station like Facebook.
  • Produce and appear in daily videos on line and on facebook.
  • Brainstorm and plan promotions for concert ticket giveaways and pre-concert parties in parking lots of venues
  • Provide a play-by-play narrative of games with analysis, statistics, stories, rules and sports history.
  • Show more

On-air personality vs talk show host skills

Common on-air personality skills
  • Facebook, 9%
  • FCC, 8%
  • Twitter, 8%
  • Live Events, 7%
  • Wide Orbit, 7%
  • Control Board, 6%
Common talk show host skills
  • Radio Station, 11%
  • Hot Topics, 11%
  • FCC, 9%
  • FM, 6%
  • Adobe Audition, 6%
  • On-Air Content, 5%

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