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The differences between political reporters and journalists can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 1-2 years to become both a political reporter and a journalist. Additionally, a journalist has an average salary of $60,828, which is higher than the $60,535 average annual salary of a political reporter.
The top three skills for a political reporter include facebook, news stories and state politics. The most important skills for a journalist are news stories, multimedia, and story development.
| Political Reporter | Journalist | |
| Yearly salary | $60,535 | $60,828 |
| Hourly rate | $29.10 | $29.24 |
| Growth rate | -10% | -10% |
| Number of jobs | 10,677 | 11,488 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 81% | Bachelor's Degree, 74% |
| Average age | 40 | 40 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 2 |
Political reporters must have knowledge of media production, communication skills, strong attention to detail, the ability to accept criticism, the ability to work well under pressure, and strong ambition. In addition, those seeking this career must have a bachelor's degree in journalism or communication. Political reporters provide voters with information to formulate their own opinions on community, local, or national matters.
A journalist is responsible for creating written correspondence, covering various subjects as the management requires. This task involves a lot of research investigations, conducting interviews, and gathering reliable sources to verify the authenticity of data before releasing the articles on news portals and other social platforms. Journalists should have excellent communication skills, both written and oral, conveying information to the target audience with high accuracy and efficiency. They analyze opinions and testimonies, create eye-catching headlines, and ensure adherence to deadlines.
Political reporters and journalists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Political Reporter | Journalist | |
| Average salary | $60,535 | $60,828 |
| Salary range | Between $38,000 And $95,000 | Between $38,000 And $95,000 |
| Highest paying City | - | New York, NY |
| Highest paying state | - | New York |
| Best paying company | - | Bloomberg |
| Best paying industry | - | Finance |
There are a few differences between a political reporter and a journalist in terms of educational background:
| Political Reporter | Journalist | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 81% | Bachelor's Degree, 74% |
| Most common major | Journalism | Journalism |
| Most common college | Massachusetts Institute of Technology | Massachusetts Institute of Technology |
Here are the differences between political reporters' and journalists' demographics:
| Political Reporter | Journalist | |
| Average age | 40 | 40 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 56.8% Female, 43.2% | Male, 46.6% Female, 53.4% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 6.3% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 12.4% Asian, 9.4% White, 67.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% | Black or African American, 6.4% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 12.6% Asian, 9.6% White, 66.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% |
| LGBT Percentage | 10% | 10% |