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Reporter vs columnist

The differences between reporters and columnists can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 1-2 years to become both a reporter and a columnist. Additionally, a columnist has an average salary of $50,696, which is higher than the $46,667 average annual salary of a reporter.

The top three skills for a reporter include news stories, digital marketing and facebook. The most important skills for a columnist are student newspaper, opinion pieces, and twitter.

Reporter vs columnist overview

ReporterColumnist
Yearly salary$46,667$50,696
Hourly rate$22.44$24.37
Growth rate-10%-10%
Number of jobs11,1791,783
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 81%Bachelor's Degree, 77%
Average age4040
Years of experience22

Reporter vs columnist salary

Reporters and columnists have different pay scales, as shown below.

ReporterColumnist
Average salary$46,667$50,696
Salary rangeBetween $29,000 And $73,000Between $34,000 And $75,000
Highest paying CityWashington, DC-
Highest paying stateNew Jersey-
Best paying companyCiti-
Best paying industryMedia-

Differences between reporter and columnist education

There are a few differences between a reporter and a columnist in terms of educational background:

ReporterColumnist
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 81%Bachelor's Degree, 77%
Most common majorJournalismJournalism
Most common collegeMassachusetts Institute of TechnologyMassachusetts Institute of Technology

Reporter vs columnist demographics

Here are the differences between reporters' and columnists' demographics:

ReporterColumnist
Average age4040
Gender ratioMale, 44.8% Female, 55.2%Male, 53.2% Female, 46.8%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 6.4% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 12.7% Asian, 9.7% White, 66.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3%Black or African American, 6.4% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 12.7% Asian, 9.7% White, 66.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3%
LGBT Percentage10%10%

Differences between reporter and columnist duties and responsibilities

Reporter example responsibilities.

  • Report to managing editor as member of editorial staff, contribute to newspaper editorials.
  • Edit and revise press releases and submissions; proofread large amount of copy.
  • Use social media (i.e Twitter, Facebook) to relay 'trouble-spots' to local drivers.
  • Cover NFL, MLB, NBA, NASCAR and general sports news events for as Dallas-based free-lance reporter.
  • Report and write for metro, arts, lifestyle, real estate, and regional sections of major daily newspaper.
  • Cover local government, environmental issues and write features in addition to photography and pagination for twice-weekly newspaper.
  • Show more

Columnist example responsibilities.

  • Share articles via twitter and facebook.
  • Frequent contributor to several British on- and off-line men's magazines.
  • Provide weekly articles on the NBA featuring analysis, news and opinions.
  • Content promotion via social networks (Facebook, twitter, etc .).
  • Focuse on trending topics while providing a solid SEO and social media component.
  • Explain complex NBA concepts and strategies in simple terms through diagram photos and videos.
  • Show more

Reporter vs columnist skills

Common reporter skills
  • News Stories, 12%
  • Digital Marketing, 10%
  • Facebook, 6%
  • Twitter, 6%
  • Photography, 5%
  • Feature Stories, 4%
Common columnist skills
  • Student Newspaper, 16%
  • Opinion Pieces, 7%
  • Twitter, 6%
  • Mental Health, 6%
  • Feature Stories, 5%
  • News Stories, 5%

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