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Reporter vs sports editor

The differences between reporters and sports editors can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 1-2 years to become a reporter, becoming a sports editor takes usually requires 2-4 years. Additionally, a sports editor has an average salary of $50,996, 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 sports editor are sports coverage, adobe indesign, and news stories.

Reporter vs sports editor overview

ReporterSports Editor
Yearly salary$46,667$50,996
Hourly rate$22.44$24.52
Growth rate-10%-5%
Number of jobs11,1795,845
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 81%Bachelor's Degree, 85%
Average age4044
Years of experience24

What does a reporter do?

In journalism, a reporter is responsible for relaying truthful and reliable information to the public audience through various mediums such as print and media. A reporter must ensure to gather necessary and factual data that are supported by interviews and comments of those involved, remain unbiased in all aspects, produce a concise and comprehensive informational material within an allotted time, and efficiently coordinate with every staff. Furthermore, a reporter must remain professional at all times and adhere to the policies and regulations set by the company or network.

What does a sports editor do?

A Sports Editor is responsible for writing and editing sports and sports accessories. They assist reporters in writing and improving their work.

Reporter vs sports editor salary

Reporters and sports editors have different pay scales, as shown below.

ReporterSports Editor
Average salary$46,667$50,996
Salary rangeBetween $29,000 And $73,000Between $33,000 And $77,000
Highest paying CityWashington, DC-
Highest paying stateNew Jersey-
Best paying companyCiti-
Best paying industryMedia-

Differences between reporter and sports editor education

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

ReporterSports Editor
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 81%Bachelor's Degree, 85%
Most common majorJournalismJournalism
Most common collegeMassachusetts Institute of TechnologyNorthwestern University

Reporter vs sports editor demographics

Here are the differences between reporters' and sports editors' demographics:

ReporterSports Editor
Average age4044
Gender ratioMale, 44.8% Female, 55.2%Male, 85.2% Female, 14.8%
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, 3.8% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 8.7% Asian, 6.1% White, 76.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3%
LGBT Percentage10%12%

Differences between reporter and sports editor 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

Sports editor example responsibilities.

  • Achieve a strong visible social media presence to 9,000 plus followers on affiliate GameTimePA twitter.
  • Achieve worldwide coverage with one particular article criticizing racism in soccer.
  • Proofread and copy-edite all stories in sports section.
  • Use Facebook insights to measure audience engagement and health of posts.
  • Run twitter account during basketball and football games, updating scores periodically.
  • Beat writer for the UK women's basketball team and UK women's volleyball team.
  • Show more

Reporter vs sports editor skills

Common reporter skills
  • News Stories, 12%
  • Digital Marketing, 10%
  • Facebook, 6%
  • Twitter, 6%
  • Photography, 5%
  • Feature Stories, 4%
Common sports editor skills
  • Sports Coverage, 11%
  • Adobe Indesign, 8%
  • News Stories, 5%
  • Feature Stories, 5%
  • Editorial Content, 5%
  • Twitter, 5%

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