Radio announcer vs on-air disc jockey

The differences between radio announcers 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 a radio announcer and an on-air disc jockey. Additionally, a radio announcer has an average salary of $45,608, which is higher than the $45,326 average annual salary of an on-air disc jockey.

The top three skills for a radio announcer include radio commercials, public service announcements and FM. The most important skills for an on-air disc jockey are radio commercials, radio station, and FCC.

Radio announcer vs on-air disc jockey overview

	Radio Announcer	On-Air Disc Jockey
Yearly salary	$45,608	$45,326
Hourly rate	$21.93	$21.79
Growth rate	-4%	-4%
Number of jobs	2,870	3,451
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 62%	Bachelor's Degree, 70%
Average age	50	50
Years of experience	4	4

Radio announcer vs on-air disc jockey salary

Radio announcers and on-air disc jockeys have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Radio Announcer	On-Air Disc Jockey
Average salary	$45,608	$45,326
Salary range	Between $21,000 And $98,000	Between $23,000 And $86,000
Highest paying City	Boston, MA	-
Highest paying state	Nevada	-
Best paying company	WGBH	-
Best paying industry	Internet	-

Differences between radio announcer and on-air disc jockey education

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

	Radio Announcer	On-Air Disc Jockey
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 62%	Bachelor's Degree, 70%
Most common major	Communication	Communication
Most common college	Northwestern University	Northwestern University

Radio announcer vs on-air disc jockey demographics

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

	Radio Announcer	On-Air Disc Jockey
Average age	50	50
Gender ratio	Male, 65.2% Female, 34.8%	Male, 66.2% Female, 33.8%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 5.1% Unknown, 3.5% Hispanic or Latino, 11.6% Asian, 4.5% White, 74.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5%	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 radio announcer and on-air disc jockey duties and responsibilities

Radio announcer example responsibilities.

Manage local and network programming, system monitoring, ensure broadcast operations, FCC license
Manage and develop music playlists and setting up contests, promotions, and other marketing-relate projects.
Design locations for cell sites to achieve maximum handover efficiency.
Follow and enforce FCC regulations and station and company policies.
Arrange music playlists on-air, interview guests, and provide interpretation.
Radio announcer DJ broadcasting music, news, radio shows and weather.

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.

Radio announcer vs on-air disc jockey skills

Common radio announcer skills

Radio Commercials, 17%
Public Service Announcements, 8%
FM, 7%
Audio Equipment, 5%
Program Content, 4%
Radio Program, 4%

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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Radio Announcer vs On-Air Disc Jockey

Updated January 8, 2025

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