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Anchor salary
Average anchor salary
$70,715
Understanding Anchor Salaries
The average salary for an Anchor in the United States is approximately $70,715 per year, translating to about $34 per hour. This figure can vary based on factors such as location, experience, and the specific network or station. For instance, anchors in major metropolitan areas often earn more due to higher living costs and demand for skilled professionals.
Salary by State
Anchors in states like California and New York typically earn some of the highest salaries in the industry. Employers in these regions recognize the competitive nature of the field and offer attractive compensation packages to attract top talent. Additionally, the evolving landscape of digital media opens up new avenues for anchors, enhancing earning potential.
Career Advancement
Experience plays a significant role in salary progression. New anchors may start with lower salaries, but as they gain experience and build a reputation, their earnings can increase substantially. Pursuing advanced roles, such as Senior Anchor or News Director, can lead to even higher salaries. Exploring job opportunities and networking within the industry can also help anchors find positions that offer competitive pay.
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Where can an Anchor earn more?
Anchor salary estimates from across the web
Average anchor salary by state
The average anchor salary in New York, New Jersey, and Vermont are the highest in the U.S. The lowest average anchor salary states are Georgia, Mississippi, and South Carolina.
- State view
- County view
Highest paying states for anchors
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | New York | $106,870 | $51.38 |
| 2 | Vermont | $97,821 | $47.03 |
| 3 | Maryland | $93,029 | $44.73 |
| 4 | New Jersey | $105,049 | $50.50 |
| 5 | Michigan | $93,872 | $45.13 |
| 6 | Missouri | $84,555 | $40.65 |
| 7 | District of Columbia | $91,515 | $44.00 |
| 8 | Connecticut | $86,947 | $41.80 |
| 9 | Maine | $96,868 | $46.57 |
| 10 | Rhode Island | $89,635 | $43.09 |
| 11 | Kentucky | $88,642 | $42.62 |
| 12 | Ohio | $88,143 | $42.38 |
| 13 | Oregon | $80,079 | $38.50 |
| 14 | Virginia | $80,669 | $38.78 |
| 15 | Utah | $76,507 | $36.78 |
| 16 | Pennsylvania | $80,579 | $38.74 |
| 17 | Delaware | $88,669 | $42.63 |
| 18 | Illinois | $80,088 | $38.50 |
| 19 | New Hampshire | $85,376 | $41.05 |
| 20 | West Virginia | $76,035 | $36.56 |
| 21 | Nevada | $79,245 | $38.10 |
| 22 | Massachusetts | $80,018 | $38.47 |
| 23 | Wyoming | $72,392 | $34.80 |
| 24 | North Carolina | $74,712 | $35.92 |
| 25 | Minnesota | $78,441 | $37.71 |
| 26 | Iowa | $75,293 | $36.20 |
| 27 | New Mexico | $73,782 | $35.47 |
| 28 | Wisconsin | $73,928 | $35.54 |
| 29 | Washington | $72,493 | $34.85 |
| 30 | North Dakota | $69,940 | $33.63 |
| 31 | Tennessee | $72,406 | $34.81 |
| 32 | California | $71,792 | $34.52 |
| 33 | Nebraska | $69,502 | $33.41 |
| 34 | Idaho | $71,788 | $34.51 |
| 35 | Alaska | $68,771 | $33.06 |
| 36 | Arkansas | $69,634 | $33.48 |
| 37 | Oklahoma | $70,880 | $34.08 |
| 38 | Indiana | $71,532 | $34.39 |
| 39 | Colorado | $62,547 | $30.07 |
| 40 | Montana | $67,059 | $32.24 |
| 41 | Arizona | $65,574 | $31.53 |
| 42 | Kansas | $67,684 | $32.54 |
| 43 | South Dakota | $66,459 | $31.95 |
| 44 | Georgia | $60,289 | $28.99 |
| 45 | Texas | $55,259 | $26.57 |
| 46 | Florida | $50,817 | $24.43 |
| 47 | Alabama | $61,456 | $29.55 |
| 48 | Louisiana | $63,476 | $30.52 |
| 49 | Hawaii | $36,952 | $17.77 |
| 50 | Mississippi | $59,043 | $28.39 |
| 51 | South Carolina | $57,114 | $27.46 |
Highest paying cities for anchors
The highest-paying cities for anchors are New York, NY, Southfield, MI, and Baltimore, MD.
| Rank | City | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | New York, NY | $107,307 | $51.59 |
| 2 | Southfield, MI | $94,281 | $45.33 |
| 3 | Baltimore, MD | $93,370 | $44.89 |
| 4 | Lancaster, OH | $87,366 | $42.00 |
| 5 | Kansas City, MO | $84,149 | $40.46 |
| 6 | Philadelphia, PA | $80,976 | $38.93 |
| 7 | Park Ridge, IL | $80,794 | $38.84 |
| 8 | Boston, MA | $79,840 | $38.38 |
| 9 | Durham, NC | $78,611 | $37.79 |
| 10 | Salt Lake City, UT | $76,375 | $36.72 |
| 11 | Indianapolis, IN | $71,055 | $34.16 |
| 12 | Anchorage, AK | $68,360 | $32.87 |
| 13 | Grand Junction, CO | $67,872 | $32.63 |
| 14 | Los Angeles, CA | $67,023 | $32.22 |
| 15 | Phoenix, AZ | $66,190 | $31.82 |
| 16 | Billings, MT | $65,631 | $31.55 |
| 17 | Amarillo, TX | $62,857 | $30.22 |
| 18 | Gainesville, GA | $62,028 | $29.82 |
| 19 | Dothan, AL | $59,885 | $28.79 |
| 20 | North Charleston, SC | $55,622 | $26.74 |
Anchor salary details
An anchor's salary ranges from $41,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $119,000 at the 90th percentile.
What is an anchor's salary?
| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $119,000 | $9,917 | $57 |
| 75th Percentile | $93,000 | $7,750 | $45 |
| Average | $70,715 | $5,893 | $34 |
| 25th Percentile | $53,000 | $4,417 | $25 |
| 10th Percentile | $41,000 | $3,417 | $20 |
Highest paying anchor jobs
The highest paying types of anchors are sports reporter, correspondent, and journalist.
| Job title | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Staff Writer | $44,844 | $3,737 | $21.56 | 80,547 |
| News Writer | $45,129 | $3,761 | $21.70 | 17,010 |
| Journalist | $60,828 | $5,069 | $29.24 | 11,488 |
| Editing Internship | $35,035 | $2,920 | $16.84 | 49,315 |
| Sports Internship | $30,137 | $2,511 | $14.49 | 48,236 |
| Sports Reporter | $96,119 | $8,010 | $46.21 | 4,296 |
Top companies hiring anchors now:
Which companies pay anchors the most?
Anchor salaries at The Walt Disney Company and Bloomberg are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average anchor salary at companies like Fox News and Ford Motor are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Walt Disney Company | $127,913 | $61.50 |
| 2 | Bloomberg | $125,070 | $60.13 |
| 3 | Fox News | $120,013 | $57.70 |
| 4 | Ford Motor | $113,702 | $54.66 |
| 5 | Hubbell | $111,531 | $53.62 |
| 6 | NBCUniversal | $108,716 | $52.27 |
| 7 | Univision Holdings, Inc. | $103,161 | $49.60 |
| 8 | Mayor Ethan Berkowitz | $94,563 | $45.46 |
| 9 | Sinclair Broadcast Group | $93,589 | $44.99 |
| 10 | Altimetrik | $86,206 | $41.45 |
| 11 | Nexstar Media Group | $84,641 | $40.69 |
| 12 | Chicago Public Media | $82,601 | $39.71 |
| 13 | Gray Television | $82,340 | $39.59 |
| 14 | Time Warner Cable Enterprises LLC | $79,602 | $38.27 |
| 15 | The E.W. Scripps Company | $78,501 | $37.74 |
| 16 | Audacy | $76,512 | $36.78 |
| 17 | Univision Communications | $72,960 | $35.08 |
| 18 | Bahakel Communications | $69,374 | $33.35 |
| 19 | iHeartMedia | $68,472 | $32.92 |
| 20 | TransparentBusiness | $66,493 | $31.97 |
Wage gap by gender, race and education
Anchor salary trends
The average anchor salary has risen by $14,636 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average anchor earned $56,079 annually, but today, they earn $70,715 a year. That works out to a 16% change in pay for anchors over the last decade.
Compare anchor salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Average anchor salary over time
Compare anchor salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
Anchor salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | $70,700 | $34.00 | +3.4% |
| 2025 | $68,300 | $32.84 | +2.9% |
| 2024 | $66,400 | $31.90 | +4.6% |
| 2023 | $63,300 | $30.44 | +3.9% |
| 2022 | $60,800 | $29.24 | +3.9% |
Recently added anchor salaries
| Company | Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Univision Holdings | Anchor & Editorial Lead | San Jose, CA | 06/30/2025 | $100,000 |
| Anchor Packaging LLC | LJE Exclusive Relocating To Anchor @ Jonesboro VIA LJE Recruiter | Jonesboro, AR | 06/29/2025 | $33,392 |
| Univision Communications Inc. | Anchor & Editorial Lead | San Jose, CA | 06/26/2025 | $100,000 |
| Multco | Team Anchor Provider | Portland, OR | 06/25/2025 | $64,197 |
| University of Portland | Anchor Leader 2025 | Portland, OR | 06/22/2025 | $33,288 |
| Bennington Public Schools | Preschool Paraprofessional-Anchor Pointe Elementary | Nora, NE | 06/15/2025 | $34,957 |
| Tegna | Msj/Anchor | Sacramento, CA | 05/29/2025 | $70,000 |
| University of Portland Portal | Anchor Leader 2025 | Portland, OR | 05/11/2025 | $33,288 |
| Hubbard Broadcasting | Anchor/Reporter | Albany, NY | 04/30/2025 | $50,000 |
| Sinclair Broadcast Group | Anchor/Reporter | Pasco, WA | 04/28/2025 | $35,479 |
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