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News director salary
Average news director salary
$57,534
Average Salary for News Directors
The role of a News Director is crucial in shaping the editorial direction and overall content of news programming. As of October 2025, the average salary for a news director stands at $57,534 annually. This figure represents the mean earnings across various regions and market sizes. Salaries can significantly differ based on the size of the media organization and the region of employment.
Factors Influencing Salary
Several factors play a role in determining the salary of a news director:
- Location: News directors in larger markets, such as Los Angeles and New York, often command higher salaries due to the cost of living and competitive job market.
- Experience: Directors with extensive experience and a proven track record can negotiate higher salaries.
- Market Size: Larger stations typically offer better compensation compared to smaller local stations.
Overall, this salary data illustrates the potential earnings and career trajectory for news directors, providing valuable insights for individuals considering a career in broadcast journalism.
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Where can a News Director earn more?
News director salary estimates from across the web
Average news director salary by state
The highest-paying states for news directors are New York, Massachusetts, and California. The lowest average news director salary states are Nebraska, Missouri, and South Carolina.
- State view
- County view
Highest paying states for news directors
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | New York | $100,786 | $48.45 |
| 2 | Massachusetts | $77,639 | $37.33 |
| 3 | California | $76,571 | $36.81 |
| 4 | New Jersey | $73,760 | $35.46 |
| 5 | Connecticut | $68,932 | $33.14 |
| 6 | District of Columbia | $67,346 | $32.38 |
| 7 | Washington | $66,720 | $32.08 |
| 8 | Vermont | $60,455 | $29.06 |
| 9 | Maryland | $65,857 | $31.66 |
| 10 | Oregon | $60,558 | $29.11 |
| 11 | New Hampshire | $62,966 | $30.27 |
| 12 | Georgia | $58,868 | $28.30 |
| 13 | Pennsylvania | $57,277 | $27.54 |
| 14 | Nevada | $59,763 | $28.73 |
| 15 | Rhode Island | $57,935 | $27.85 |
| 16 | Delaware | $60,561 | $29.12 |
| 17 | Alaska | $58,126 | $27.95 |
| 18 | Alabama | $50,836 | $24.44 |
| 19 | Wyoming | $52,161 | $25.08 |
| 20 | Texas | $52,892 | $25.43 |
| 21 | Oklahoma | $49,364 | $23.73 |
| 22 | Michigan | $54,537 | $26.22 |
| 23 | Maine | $54,711 | $26.30 |
| 24 | Florida | $52,143 | $25.07 |
| 25 | West Virginia | $50,412 | $24.24 |
| 26 | New Mexico | $52,789 | $25.38 |
| 27 | Louisiana | $45,644 | $21.94 |
| 28 | Arizona | $49,978 | $24.03 |
| 29 | Idaho | $51,848 | $24.93 |
| 30 | South Dakota | $50,815 | $24.43 |
| 31 | Tennessee | $49,782 | $23.93 |
| 32 | Minnesota | $50,271 | $24.17 |
| 33 | Virginia | $47,091 | $22.64 |
| 34 | Mississippi | $45,052 | $21.66 |
| 35 | Montana | $50,486 | $24.27 |
| 36 | Utah | $50,636 | $24.34 |
| 37 | Iowa | $43,666 | $20.99 |
| 38 | Illinois | $45,468 | $21.86 |
| 39 | Hawaii | $45,589 | $21.92 |
| 40 | Indiana | $47,285 | $22.73 |
| 41 | Arkansas | $40,065 | $19.26 |
| 42 | Kentucky | $46,651 | $22.43 |
| 43 | North Carolina | $45,350 | $21.80 |
| 44 | Colorado | $45,983 | $22.11 |
| 45 | Kansas | $47,604 | $22.89 |
| 46 | North Dakota | $46,471 | $22.34 |
| 47 | Nebraska | $42,728 | $20.54 |
| 48 | South Carolina | $42,193 | $20.29 |
| 49 | Wisconsin | $40,471 | $19.46 |
| 50 | Missouri | $42,359 | $20.36 |
| 51 | Ohio | $38,985 | $18.74 |
Highest paying cities for news directors
The highest-paying cities for news directors are New York, NY, San Diego, CA, and Washington, DC.
| Rank | City | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | New York, NY | $100,853 | $48.49 |
| 2 | San Diego, CA | $74,366 | $35.75 |
| 3 | Washington, DC | $67,413 | $32.41 |
| 4 | Pasco, WA | $65,485 | $31.48 |
| 5 | Reno, NV | $61,869 | $29.74 |
| 6 | Savannah, GA | $59,020 | $28.38 |
| 7 | Juneau, AK | $58,739 | $28.24 |
| 8 | Flint, MI | $54,796 | $26.34 |
| 9 | El Paso, TX | $54,621 | $26.26 |
| 10 | Tallahassee, FL | $52,619 | $25.30 |
| 11 | Salt Lake City, UT | $50,483 | $24.27 |
| 12 | Memphis, TN | $49,292 | $23.70 |
| 13 | Norfolk, VA | $47,103 | $22.65 |
| 14 | Indianapolis, IN | $47,095 | $22.64 |
| 15 | Grand Junction, CO | $46,632 | $22.42 |
| 16 | Urban Honolulu, HI | $45,627 | $21.94 |
| 17 | Sioux City, IA | $43,220 | $20.78 |
| 18 | Lincoln, NE | $42,711 | $20.53 |
News director salary details
A news director's salary ranges from $36,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $90,000 at the 90th percentile.
What is a news director's salary?
| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $90,000 | $7,500 | $43 |
| 75th Percentile | $73,000 | $6,083 | $35 |
| Average | $57,534 | $4,795 | $28 |
| 25th Percentile | $45,000 | $3,750 | $22 |
| 10th Percentile | $36,000 | $3,000 | $17 |
Highest paying news director jobs
The highest paying types of news directors are director, deputy program director, and senior program officer.
| Job title | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Program Supervisor | $45,460 | $3,788 | $21.86 | 65,551 |
| Director Of After School Program | $49,648 | $4,137 | $23.87 | 94,858 |
| Director Of Program Development | $69,014 | $5,751 | $33.18 | 131,077 |
| Program Director | $80,664 | $6,722 | $38.78 | 82,810 |
| Sports Director | $61,211 | $5,101 | $29.43 | 13,106 |
| Director | $113,489 | $9,457 | $54.56 | 230,711 |
Top companies hiring news directors now:
Which companies pay news directors the most?
News director salaries at The Washington Post and Fox News are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average news director salary at companies like Sinclair Broadcast Group and Nexstar Media Group are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Washington Post | $103,520 | $49.77 |
| 2 | Fox News | $79,309 | $38.13 |
| 3 | Sinclair Broadcast Group | $77,834 | $37.42 |
| 4 | Nexstar Media Group | $69,236 | $33.29 |
| 5 | The E.W. Scripps Company | $66,441 | $31.94 |
| 6 | Gray Television | $63,473 | $30.52 |
| 7 | Paramount | $59,127 | $28.43 |
| 8 | WMSN FOX 47 News, Madison | $58,806 | $28.27 |
| 9 | Outside In | $58,537 | $28.14 |
| 10 | Townsquare Media | $58,151 | $27.96 |
| 11 | Syracuse University | $57,733 | $27.76 |
| 12 | KERA | $56,812 | $27.31 |
| 13 | TEGNA | $56,121 | $26.98 |
| 14 | ViacomCBS | $55,153 | $26.52 |
| 15 | Sdsu Foundation | $54,013 | $25.97 |
| 16 | University of Nebraska System | $51,859 | $24.93 |
| 17 | Livingston | $49,262 | $23.68 |
| 18 | VICE | $49,245 | $23.68 |
| 19 | BuzzFeed | $48,330 | $23.24 |
| 20 | Corporation for Public Broadcasting | $46,210 | $22.22 |
Wage gap by gender, race and education
News director salary trends
The average news director salary has risen by $4,323 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average news director earned $53,211 annually, but today, they earn $57,534 a year. That works out to a 8% change in pay for news directors over the last decade.
Compare news director salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Average news director salary over time
Compare news director salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
News director salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | $57,500 | $27.66 | +2.6% |
| 2025 | $56,000 | $26.94 | +3.7% |
| 2024 | $54,000 | $25.95 | +0.1% |
| 2023 | $53,900 | $25.93 | +0.9% |
| 2022 | $53,400 | $25.69 | +3.5% |
Recently added news director salaries
| Company | Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nbcuniversal | Director-Planning, Msnbc Newsgathering | New York, NY | 06/29/2025 | $180,000 |
| Corporation for Public Broadcasting | News Director | Ketchikan, AK | 06/29/2025 | $55,022 |
| Corporation for Public Broadcasting | News Director | Lincoln, NE | 06/18/2025 | $80,000 |
| Dow Jones | Photography Director, WSJ. Magazine and Style News | New York, NY | 06/14/2025 | $145,000 |
| Gray Television | News Director-Wbng | Johnson City, NY | 06/05/2025 | $70,000 |
| Gray Media | News Director-Wbng | Johnson City, NY | 06/05/2025 | $70,000 |
| Tegna | News Director | Buffalo, NY | 06/01/2025 | $135,000 |
| Corporation for Public Broadcasting | News Director | Ketchikan, AK | 05/28/2025 | $55,022 |
| Neighborhood Assistance Corp. of America | Naca News Director | Boston, MA | 05/28/2025 | $80,000 |
| All | Goldderby: News Director | New York, NY | 05/26/2025 | $110,000 |
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