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Video journalist salary
Average video journalist salary
$68,280
Average Video Journalist Salary
As of October 2025, the average salary for a video journalist is around $68,280 per year. This figure reflects the earnings of professionals in various locations and sectors across the country. Factors influencing salary include geographical location, level of experience, and specific job responsibilities. For example, video journalists in metropolitan areas often earn more due to higher living costs and demand for local news coverage.
Where Can Video Journalists Earn More?
Certain states and cities offer higher salaries for video journalists. For instance, states like California and New York typically present more lucrative opportunities due to the concentration of media companies and production studios. Additionally, experience plays a significant role; seasoned video journalists can command higher salaries, especially in larger markets.
Salary Insights
When analyzing trends, it’s evident that as the demand for digital content rises, video journalists are becoming increasingly valuable. The transition from traditional media to online platforms has opened up diverse job opportunities, further impacting salary potential. Therefore, aspiring video journalists should consider location and specialization to maximize their earning potential.
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Where can a Video Journalist earn more?
Video journalist salary estimates from across the web
Average video journalist salary by state
The highest-paying states for video journalists are New York, New Jersey, and Washington. The lowest average video journalist salary states are South Dakota, Alabama, and South Carolina.
- State view
- County view
Highest paying states for video journalists
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | New York | $95,638 | $45.98 |
| 2 | Michigan | $82,521 | $39.67 |
| 3 | District of Columbia | $90,696 | $43.60 |
| 4 | Washington | $91,773 | $44.12 |
| 5 | Vermont | $87,518 | $42.08 |
| 6 | Maryland | $82,957 | $39.88 |
| 7 | New Jersey | $93,298 | $44.85 |
| 8 | Maine | $87,223 | $41.93 |
| 9 | Ohio | $78,494 | $37.74 |
| 10 | Pennsylvania | $78,504 | $37.74 |
| 11 | Kentucky | $81,653 | $39.26 |
| 12 | Connecticut | $76,991 | $37.01 |
| 13 | Massachusetts | $80,681 | $38.79 |
| 14 | Missouri | $75,538 | $36.32 |
| 15 | Rhode Island | $79,506 | $38.22 |
| 16 | Tennessee | $67,947 | $32.67 |
| 17 | Nevada | $74,006 | $35.58 |
| 18 | North Carolina | $70,493 | $33.89 |
| 19 | Oregon | $74,005 | $35.58 |
| 20 | Illinois | $76,863 | $36.95 |
| 21 | Delaware | $78,857 | $37.91 |
| 22 | Virginia | $72,718 | $34.96 |
| 23 | Alaska | $69,702 | $33.51 |
| 24 | North Dakota | $65,556 | $31.52 |
| 25 | New Hampshire | $76,728 | $36.89 |
| 26 | West Virginia | $68,495 | $32.93 |
| 27 | Utah | $65,373 | $31.43 |
| 28 | California | $67,890 | $32.64 |
| 29 | Arkansas | $63,162 | $30.37 |
| 30 | Iowa | $66,002 | $31.73 |
| 31 | Minnesota | $69,803 | $33.56 |
| 32 | New Mexico | $70,558 | $33.92 |
| 33 | Wisconsin | $64,841 | $31.17 |
| 34 | Arizona | $67,001 | $32.21 |
| 35 | Oklahoma | $63,122 | $30.35 |
| 36 | Louisiana | $62,966 | $30.27 |
| 37 | Texas | $61,149 | $29.40 |
| 38 | Colorado | $60,693 | $29.18 |
| 39 | Nebraska | $60,760 | $29.21 |
| 40 | Idaho | $64,323 | $30.92 |
| 41 | Wyoming | $64,269 | $30.90 |
| 42 | Georgia | $61,277 | $29.46 |
| 43 | Indiana | $63,870 | $30.71 |
| 44 | Alabama | $57,715 | $27.75 |
| 45 | Mississippi | $55,460 | $26.66 |
| 46 | Kansas | $59,927 | $28.81 |
| 47 | Montana | $60,870 | $29.26 |
| 48 | Florida | $55,067 | $26.47 |
| 49 | South Carolina | $56,496 | $27.16 |
| 50 | South Dakota | $58,578 | $28.16 |
| 51 | Hawaii | $45,797 | $22.02 |
Highest paying cities for video journalists
The highest-paying cities for video journalists are New York, NY, Washington, DC, and Lansing, MI.
| Rank | City | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | New York, NY | $96,166 | $46.23 |
| 2 | Washington, DC | $90,744 | $43.63 |
| 3 | Lansing, MI | $81,973 | $39.41 |
| 4 | Toledo, OH | $78,864 | $37.92 |
| 5 | San Diego, CA | $64,144 | $30.84 |
| 6 | Little Rock, AR | $62,646 | $30.12 |
| 7 | San Antonio, TX | $61,685 | $29.66 |
| 8 | Atlanta, GA | $61,449 | $29.54 |
| 9 | Panama City, FL | $54,979 | $26.43 |
Video journalist salary details
A video journalist's salary ranges from $41,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $112,000 at the 90th percentile.
What is a video journalist's salary?
| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $112,000 | $9,333 | $54 |
| 75th Percentile | $88,000 | $7,333 | $42 |
| Average | $68,280 | $5,690 | $33 |
| 25th Percentile | $52,000 | $4,333 | $25 |
| 10th Percentile | $41,000 | $3,417 | $20 |
Highest paying video journalist jobs
The highest paying types of video journalists are executive producer, producer, and web producer.
| Job title | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Photographer | $33,968 | $2,831 | $16.33 | 1,772 |
| Photographer, Editor | $51,131 | $4,261 | $24.58 | 11,039 |
| Freelance Producer | $62,218 | $5,185 | $29.91 | 9,703 |
| Camera Operator | $43,609 | $3,634 | $20.97 | 26,006 |
| News Producer | $54,608 | $4,551 | $26.25 | 11,336 |
| Web Producer | $68,376 | $5,698 | $32.87 | 17,519 |
How would you rate the starting salaries for video journalists, as well as the prospects for salary advancement?
Paul Mitchell Ph.D.
Coordinator of Recruitment and Retention, University of Nevada - Reno
Top companies hiring video journalists now:
Which companies pay video journalists the most?
Video journalist salaries at The New York Times Company and Dow Jones are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average video journalist salary at companies like The Univision Network Partnership and C-SPAN are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | The New York Times Company | $123,014 | $59.14 |
| 2 | Dow Jones | $104,599 | $50.29 |
| 3 | The Univision Network Partnership | $91,963 | $44.21 |
| 4 | C-SPAN | $91,601 | $44.04 |
| 5 | Condé Nast | $84,515 | $40.63 |
| 6 | Univision Communications | $76,831 | $36.94 |
| 7 | Sdsu Foundation | $64,231 | $30.88 |
| 8 | Gray Television | $60,763 | $29.21 |
| 9 | Gannett | $52,553 | $25.27 |
Wage gap by gender, race and education
Video journalist salary trends
The average video journalist salary has risen by $14,133 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average video journalist earned $54,147 annually, but today, they earn $68,280 a year. That works out to a 16% change in pay for video journalists over the last decade.
Compare video journalist salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Average video journalist salary over time
Compare video journalist salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
Video journalist salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | $68,300 | $32.83 | +3.4% |
| 2025 | $66,000 | $31.71 | +2.9% |
| 2024 | $64,100 | $30.80 | +4.6% |
| 2023 | $61,100 | $29.39 | +3.9% |
| 2022 | $58,700 | $28.23 | +3.9% |
Recently added video journalist salaries
| Company | Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The New York Times Company | Senior Video Journalist, Podcast Video | New York, NY | 06/14/2025 | $122,529 |
| Dow Jones | Senior Video Journalist | New York, NY | 06/13/2025 | $125,000 |
| Nexstar Media | (Khon2) Video News Journalist | Urban Honolulu, HI | 06/13/2025 | $39,653 |
| Nexstar Media Group Inc. | (Khon2) Video News Journalist | Urban Honolulu, HI | 06/12/2025 | $39,653 |
| The New York Times Company | Senior Video Journalist, Reporter Video | New York, NY | 05/27/2025 | $124,980 |
| AP | Global Religion Videojournalist | Los Angeles, CA | 05/13/2025 | $52,046 |
| Golf Ranch | Golf Video Journalist | Dallas, TX | 05/13/2025 | $50,000 |
| The New York Times Company | Video Journalist, L.A. Bureau | Los Angeles, CA | 04/28/2025 | $113,271 |
| The New York Times Company | Senior Video Journalist, News & Enterprise | New York, NY | 04/28/2025 | $124,980 |
| Nexstar Media | (Khon2) Video News Journalist | Urban Honolulu, HI | 04/03/2025 | $39,653 |
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