How To Become A Television Reporter: What It Is and Career Path

What is a television reporter and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

2 min read

Quoted expert

Rachel Estabrook

There is more than meets the eye when it comes to being a television reporter. For example, did you know that they make an average of $27.48 an hour? That's $57,148 a year! Between 2018 and 2028, the career is expected to grow -10% and produce -5,100 job opportunities across the U.S.

What general advice would you give to a television reporter?

Rachel Estabrook

News Director, Colorado Public Radio

For a graduate beginning their career, I'd recommend a few things. Most importantly, be hungry. Go doggedly after whatever stories most interest you. Take time to build sources, by taking people out to coffee (when that's safe to do) and checking in with them regularly to ask what's up in their world. Follow your interests, even if they lead somewhere that traditional journalism outlets haven't always gone; given the summer of protests and focus on racial equity, traditional outlets are hungrier than ever for stories they haven't historically told. Be humble while also being confident; know that you have a lot to offer and your approach is valuable, but that you also have a lot to learn.

ScoreTelevision ReporterUS Average

Salary

4.5

Avg. Salary $57,148

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

7.3

Growth rate -10%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

5.5

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.29%

Asian 9.68%

Black or African American 6.38%

Hispanic or Latino 12.63%

Unknown 4.38%

White 66.63%

Gender

female 56.15%

male 43.85%

Age - 38

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 38

Stress level

7.3

Stress level is high

7.1 - high

Complexity level

9.1

Complexity level is advanced

7 - challenging

Work life balance

2.1

Work life balance is very poor

6.4 - fair

Key steps to become a television reporter

Explore television reporter education requirements

Most common television reporter degrees

Bachelor's

80.1 %

Master's

11.5 %

Associate

5.8 %

Start to develop specific television reporter skills

Skills	Percentages
Conduct Interviews	63.06%
News Coverage	12.96%
News Packages	8.63%
Feature Stories	7.86%
Press Conferences	7.49%

Complete relevant television reporter training and internships

Accountants spend an average of Less than 1 month on post-employment, on-the-job training. New television reporters learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a television reporter based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real television reporter resumes.

Research television reporter duties and responsibilities

Report to managing editor as member of editorial staff, contribute to newspaper editorials.
Interview persons of interest, organize event calendars, write regular articles, provide consistent photography, and help paraphrase stock compilations
Create multiple PL/SQL store procedures for generating daily and monthly reports for different medical requirements.

Prepare your television reporter resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your television reporter resume.

You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a television reporter resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

Choose from 10+ customizable television reporter resume templates

Build a professional television reporter resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your television reporter resume.

Apply for television reporter jobs

Now it's time to start searching for a television reporter job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

Browse job boards for relevant postings
Consult your professional network
Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
Watch out for job scams

How do television reporters rate their job?

-/5

5 stars

4 stars

3 stars

2 stars

1 star

Television reporter reviews

A zippia user wrote a review on Sep 2019

Pros

Every day was different, you meet a lot of new people, the events covered could be very exciting

Cons

Physically demanding, low pay and part time positions available to those just starting out, no health insurance, competitive, pressure to be available on call despite terms of contract