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Investigative reporter salary
Average investigative reporter salary
$65,230
Average Investigative Reporter Salary
As of October 2025, the average salary for an Investigative Reporter is $65,230 per year, translating to about $31 per hour. This figure reflects a range of factors including experience, geographic location, and the specific industry in which the reporter is employed. For instance, reporters in major metropolitan areas often earn higher wages compared to those in smaller markets.
Salary Variations by State
In states like California and New York, salaries can exceed the national average, reflecting the high demand for investigative journalism in these regions. Conversely, reporters in areas with fewer media outlets may see lower pay. It's essential for aspiring reporters to consider these factors when evaluating potential job offers.
Career Opportunities
Investigative Reporters can find lucrative opportunities in various fields, including television news, print journalism, and digital media. Specializing in investigative reporting can lead to advanced positions and higher salaries over time. Understanding the salary landscape and making informed career decisions will significantly impact one's professional journey in this rewarding field.
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Where can an Investigative Reporter earn more?
Investigative reporter salary estimates from across the web
Average investigative reporter salary by state
The highest-paying states for investigative reporters are New York, New Jersey, and Vermont. The lowest average investigative reporter salary states are Mississippi, Montana, and South Dakota.
- State view
- County view
Highest paying states for investigative reporters
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | New York | $91,129 | $43.81 |
| 2 | Vermont | $81,932 | $39.39 |
| 3 | District of Columbia | $85,610 | $41.16 |
| 4 | New Jersey | $88,795 | $42.69 |
| 5 | Washington | $80,710 | $38.80 |
| 6 | Maryland | $78,342 | $37.66 |
| 7 | Massachusetts | $76,897 | $36.97 |
| 8 | California | $77,736 | $37.37 |
| 9 | Rhode Island | $76,094 | $36.58 |
| 10 | Maine | $81,733 | $39.29 |
| 11 | Michigan | $77,235 | $37.13 |
| 12 | Pennsylvania | $74,416 | $35.78 |
| 13 | Missouri | $72,182 | $34.70 |
| 14 | Kentucky | $75,719 | $36.40 |
| 15 | Illinois | $71,577 | $34.41 |
| 16 | Wisconsin | $71,243 | $34.25 |
| 17 | Delaware | $74,713 | $35.92 |
| 18 | Connecticut | $73,478 | $35.33 |
| 19 | Ohio | $73,760 | $35.46 |
| 20 | New Hampshire | $72,506 | $34.86 |
| 21 | New Mexico | $67,940 | $32.66 |
| 22 | Virginia | $68,378 | $32.87 |
| 23 | North Carolina | $66,418 | $31.93 |
| 24 | Oregon | $65,642 | $31.56 |
| 25 | Nevada | $70,444 | $33.87 |
| 26 | West Virginia | $64,366 | $30.95 |
| 27 | Wyoming | $59,857 | $28.78 |
| 28 | Iowa | $62,106 | $29.86 |
| 29 | Tennessee | $64,419 | $30.97 |
| 30 | Utah | $60,764 | $29.21 |
| 31 | North Dakota | $60,227 | $28.96 |
| 32 | Arizona | $64,065 | $30.80 |
| 33 | Minnesota | $64,252 | $30.89 |
| 34 | Arkansas | $61,748 | $29.69 |
| 35 | Oklahoma | $62,106 | $29.86 |
| 36 | Louisiana | $62,633 | $30.11 |
| 37 | Nebraska | $57,943 | $27.86 |
| 38 | Alaska | $56,950 | $27.38 |
| 39 | Colorado | $58,468 | $28.11 |
| 40 | Texas | $59,615 | $28.66 |
| 41 | Indiana | $59,743 | $28.72 |
| 42 | Idaho | $57,326 | $27.56 |
| 43 | Hawaii | $45,882 | $22.06 |
| 44 | Kansas | $58,026 | $27.90 |
| 45 | Georgia | $59,054 | $28.39 |
| 46 | Florida | $54,047 | $25.98 |
| 47 | Montana | $54,709 | $26.30 |
| 48 | Alabama | $56,581 | $27.20 |
| 49 | South Dakota | $54,537 | $26.22 |
| 50 | South Carolina | $53,599 | $25.77 |
| 51 | Mississippi | $54,853 | $26.37 |
Highest paying cities for investigative reporters
The highest-paying cities for investigative reporters are New York, NY, Bergenfield, NJ, and Washington, DC.
| Rank | City | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | New York, NY | $91,401 | $43.94 |
| 2 | Bergenfield, NJ | $89,122 | $42.85 |
| 3 | Washington, DC | $85,614 | $41.16 |
| 4 | Sacramento, CA | $83,038 | $39.92 |
| 5 | Baltimore, MD | $78,568 | $37.77 |
| 6 | Needham, MA | $76,985 | $37.01 |
| 7 | Cleveland, OH | $75,628 | $36.36 |
| 8 | Grand Rapids, MI | $75,457 | $36.28 |
| 9 | New Haven, CT | $73,676 | $35.42 |
| 10 | Saint Louis, MO | $73,305 | $35.24 |
| 11 | Chicago, IL | $72,071 | $34.65 |
| 12 | Green Bay, WI | $71,986 | $34.61 |
| 13 | Arlington, VA | $69,861 | $33.59 |
| 14 | Las Vegas, NV | $69,780 | $33.55 |
| 15 | Durham, NC | $68,432 | $32.90 |
| 16 | Albuquerque, NM | $68,185 | $32.78 |
| 17 | Knoxville, TN | $66,753 | $32.09 |
| 18 | Phoenix, AZ | $64,191 | $30.86 |
| 19 | Austin, TX | $59,835 | $28.77 |
| 20 | Bismarck, ND | $59,320 | $28.52 |
Investigative reporter salary details
An investigative reporter's salary ranges from $40,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $104,000 at the 90th percentile.
What is an investigative reporter's salary?
| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $104,000 | $8,667 | $50 |
| 75th Percentile | $83,000 | $6,917 | $40 |
| Average | $65,230 | $5,436 | $31 |
| 25th Percentile | $50,000 | $4,167 | $24 |
| 10th Percentile | $40,000 | $3,333 | $19 |
Highest paying investigative reporter jobs
The highest paying types of investigative reporters are sports reporter, managing editor, and writer.
| Job title | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Journalist | $60,828 | $5,069 | $29.24 | 11,488 |
| Technical Editor | $61,717 | $5,143 | $29.67 | 78,423 |
| Editor | $52,107 | $4,342 | $25.05 | 15,115 |
| Managing Editor | $89,060 | $7,422 | $42.82 | 16,781 |
| Editorial Internship | $32,356 | $2,696 | $15.56 | 51,667 |
| Editing Internship | $35,035 | $2,920 | $16.84 | 49,315 |
Top companies hiring investigative reporters now:
Which companies pay investigative reporters the most?
Investigative reporter salaries at HSBC Bank and Informa Plc are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average investigative reporter salary at companies like Pro Publica, Inc. and Nexstar Media Group are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | HSBC Bank | $112,720 | $54.19 |
| 2 | Informa Plc | $96,375 | $46.33 |
| 3 | Pro Publica, Inc. | $93,460 | $44.93 |
| 4 | Nexstar Media Group | $85,100 | $40.91 |
| 5 | ACLU of Illinois | $84,109 | $40.44 |
| 6 | The Walt Disney Company | $81,804 | $39.33 |
| 7 | Medical Billing | $76,911 | $36.98 |
| 8 | The E.W. Scripps Company | $74,073 | $35.61 |
| 9 | Sinclair Broadcast Group | $66,684 | $32.06 |
| 10 | CalMatters | $65,062 | $31.28 |
| 11 | Mergermarket | $62,688 | $30.14 |
| 12 | TEGNA | $58,961 | $28.35 |
| 13 | Gray Television | $55,780 | $26.82 |
| 14 | WTTW | $55,710 | $26.78 |
| 15 | American Public Media Group | $55,530 | $26.70 |
| 16 | Middle East Broadcasting Network | $52,634 | $25.30 |
| 17 | Florida Gulf Coast University | $52,277 | $25.13 |
| 18 | Gannett | $48,279 | $23.21 |
| 19 | Hearst | $43,643 | $20.98 |
| 20 | McClatchy | $43,535 | $20.93 |
Wage gap by gender, race and education
Investigative reporter salary trends
The average investigative reporter salary has risen by $13,501 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average investigative reporter earned $51,729 annually, but today, they earn $65,230 a year. That works out to a 16% change in pay for investigative reporters over the last decade.
Compare investigative reporter salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Average investigative reporter salary over time
Compare investigative reporter salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
Investigative reporter salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $65,200 | $31.36 | +3.4% |
| 2024 | $63,000 | $30.30 | +2.9% |
| 2023 | $61,200 | $29.43 | +4.6% |
| 2022 | $58,400 | $28.08 | +3.9% |
| 2021 | $56,100 | $26.97 | +3.9% |
Recently added investigative reporter salaries
| Company | Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Warner Bros Discovery Inc. | Reporter/Producer, Osint Visual Investigations | Washington, DC | 06/28/2025 | $77,840 |
| Warner Bros Discovery Inc. | Reporter/Producer, Osint Visual Investigations | Atlanta, GA | 06/28/2025 | $77,840 |
| Warner Bros Discovery Inc. | Reporter/Producer, Visual Investigations | New York, NY | 06/27/2025 | $77,840 |
| The E.W. Scripps Company | Investigative Reporter, Kmgh | Denver, CO | 06/17/2025 | $125,000 |
| South Dakota News Watch | Statehouse Investigative Reporter | Pierre, SD | 05/30/2025 | $65,000 |
| Hubbard Broadcasting | Investigative Reporter | Albany, NY | 05/26/2025 | $60,000 |
| Dow Jones | Investigative Reporter | New York, NY | 05/18/2025 | $170,000 |
| Consumer Reports | Investigative Reporter (Position) | Yonkers, NY | 05/17/2025 | $100,000 |
| Hearst | Investigative Reporter | Baltimore, MD | 05/10/2025 | $83,400 |
| Sinclair Broadcast Group | Investigative Reporter | Bakersfield, CA | 04/28/2025 | $36,523 |
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