Radio host vs on-air disc jockey

The differences between radio 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 a radio host and an on-air disc jockey. Additionally, a radio host has an average salary of $46,944, which is higher than the $45,326 average annual salary of an on-air disc jockey.

The top three skills for a radio host include audio board, FM and twitter. The most important skills for an on-air disc jockey are radio commercials, radio station, and FCC.

Radio host vs on-air disc jockey overview

	Radio Host	On-Air Disc Jockey
Yearly salary	$46,944	$45,326
Hourly rate	$22.57	$21.79
Growth rate	-4%	-4%
Number of jobs	12,568	3,451
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 71%	Bachelor's Degree, 70%
Average age	50	50
Years of experience	4	4

Radio host vs on-air disc jockey salary

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

	Radio Host	On-Air Disc Jockey
Average salary	$46,944	$45,326
Salary range	Between $25,000 And $87,000	Between $23,000 And $86,000
Highest paying City	-	-
Highest paying state	-	-
Best paying company	-	-
Best paying industry	-	-

Differences between radio host and on-air disc jockey education

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

	Radio Host	On-Air Disc Jockey
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 71%	Bachelor's Degree, 70%
Most common major	Communication	Communication
Most common college	Northwestern University	Northwestern University

Radio host vs on-air disc jockey demographics

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

	Radio Host	On-Air Disc Jockey
Average age	50	50
Gender ratio	Male, 60.7% Female, 39.3%	Male, 66.2% Female, 33.8%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 5.7% Unknown, 3.3% Hispanic or Latino, 13.6% Asian, 4.3% White, 72.6% 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 radio host and on-air disc jockey duties and responsibilities

Radio host example responsibilities.

Founded, host and manage one of the main radio programmes for Kairi Fm, a leading radio station in Dominica.
Learned FCC regulations, how to use live radio equipment, create show content, review albums for radio hosts
Broadcast live over FM radio and online.
Air timed commercial breaks and appropriate PSAs and promos.
Utilize a radio control panel as an on-air disc jockey.
Arrange ticket giveaways, merchandise promotions and personal appearances by the artists.

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 host vs on-air disc jockey skills

Common radio host skills

Audio Board, 9%
FM, 8%
Twitter, 6%
Adobe Audition, 6%
DJ, 6%
Instagram, 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 Host vs On-Air Disc Jockey

Updated January 8, 2025

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