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Best states for a writer/reporter
Quoted expert
Cristina Calhoon
- Rank 1 - 10
- 11 - 20
- 21 - 30
- 31 - 40
- 41 - 51
Not all states present equal opportunity for employees, and when it comes to writer/reporter jobs, it's no different. We know how hard job search can be, and in order to make your life a little easier, we have the information you need in order to determine where you might want to start your job search. Our research shows that District of Columbia is the best state in the country for writer/reporters.
To do that, we looked at the most recent data we have available for the following criteria -- average annual wages, and availability of jobs for writer/reporters.District of Columbia is the best state, and Fort Lee is the city with the highest pay for writer/reporters.
10 best states for writer/reporters in 2025
1. District of Columbia
Total writer/reporter jobs: 201 Average annual salary: $77,544 Lowest 10 percent earn: $48,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $124,000 Location Quotient: 4.39
2. Vermont
Total writer/reporter jobs: 27 Average annual salary: $72,514 Lowest 10 percent earn: $46,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $112,000 Location Quotient: 1.29
3. New Jersey
Total writer/reporter jobs: 230 Average annual salary: $76,261 Lowest 10 percent earn: $48,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $120,000 Location Quotient: 1.06
4. Washington
Total writer/reporter jobs: 222 Average annual salary: $73,433 Lowest 10 percent earn: $46,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $115,000 Location Quotient: 1.11
5. New York
Total writer/reporter jobs: 788 Average annual salary: $69,616 Lowest 10 percent earn: $43,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $110,000 Location Quotient: 2.25
6. Maryland
Total writer/reporter jobs: 320 Average annual salary: $68,934 Lowest 10 percent earn: $43,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $110,000 Location Quotient: 1.85
7. Massachusetts
Total writer/reporter jobs: 347 Average annual salary: $65,765 Lowest 10 percent earn: $42,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $102,000 Location Quotient: 1.38
8. Michigan
Total writer/reporter jobs: 144 Average annual salary: $69,145 Lowest 10 percent earn: $43,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $109,000 Location Quotient: 0.68
9. Rhode Island
Total writer/reporter jobs: 32 Average annual salary: $64,968 Lowest 10 percent earn: $41,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $102,000 Location Quotient: 0.97
10. Illinois
Total writer/reporter jobs: 317 Average annual salary: $64,958 Lowest 10 percent earn: $41,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $102,000 Location Quotient: 0.97
Writer/reporter jobsNear Columbus, OH
How Zippia determines the best states to be a writer/reporter
You can read about how the best state rankings are calculated here.
Detailed list of the best states for a writer/reporter
| Rank | State | Average salary | Lowest 10% earn | Population | Job count |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | District of Columbia | $77,544 | $48,000 | 693,972 | 201 |
| 2 | Vermont | $72,514 | $46,000 | 623,657 | 27 |
| 3 | New Jersey | $76,261 | $48,000 | 9,005,644 | 230 |
| 4 | Washington | $73,433 | $46,000 | 7,405,743 | 222 |
| 5 | New York | $69,616 | $43,000 | 19,849,399 | 788 |
| 6 | Maryland | $68,934 | $43,000 | 6,052,177 | 320 |
| 7 | Massachusetts | $65,765 | $42,000 | 6,859,819 | 347 |
| 8 | Michigan | $69,145 | $43,000 | 9,962,311 | 144 |
| 9 | Rhode Island | $64,968 | $41,000 | 1,059,639 | 32 |
| 10 | Illinois | $64,958 | $41,000 | 12,802,023 | 317 |
| 11 | Maine | $71,689 | $46,000 | 1,335,907 | 14 |
| 12 | Delaware | $65,117 | $40,000 | 961,939 | 31 |
| 13 | Missouri | $64,093 | $41,000 | 6,113,532 | 129 |
| 14 | Pennsylvania | $64,629 | $40,000 | 12,805,537 | 238 |
| 15 | Kentucky | $67,983 | $42,000 | 4,454,189 | 43 |
| 16 | Ohio | $65,629 | $41,000 | 11,658,609 | 152 |
| 17 | Nevada | $59,208 | $37,000 | 2,998,039 | 70 |
| 18 | Virginia | $60,713 | $37,000 | 8,470,020 | 408 |
| 19 | New Hampshire | $62,581 | $40,000 | 1,342,795 | 37 |
| 20 | North Carolina | $58,926 | $36,000 | 10,273,419 | 245 |
| 21 | Connecticut | $62,900 | $39,000 | 3,588,184 | 77 |
| 22 | Oregon | $57,823 | $36,000 | 4,142,776 | 193 |
| 23 | Minnesota | $59,323 | $37,000 | 5,576,606 | 145 |
| 24 | West Virginia | $57,337 | $35,000 | 1,815,857 | 26 |
| 25 | Tennessee | $57,837 | $36,000 | 6,715,984 | 88 |
| 26 | North Dakota | $55,818 | $36,000 | 755,393 | 20 |
| 27 | Wyoming | $52,508 | $34,000 | 579,315 | 33 |
| 28 | New Mexico | $55,600 | $35,000 | 2,088,070 | 44 |
| 29 | Iowa | $56,208 | $35,000 | 3,145,711 | 66 |
| 30 | Utah | $52,878 | $34,000 | 3,101,833 | 103 |
| 31 | Wisconsin | $54,888 | $34,000 | 5,795,483 | 115 |
| 32 | Alaska | $53,730 | $39,000 | 739,795 | 31 |
| 33 | California | $53,856 | $33,000 | 39,536,653 | 1,062 |
| 34 | Nebraska | $51,520 | $33,000 | 1,920,076 | 66 |
| 35 | Arkansas | $53,922 | $34,000 | 3,004,279 | 40 |
| 36 | Idaho | $51,916 | $33,000 | 1,716,943 | 40 |
| 37 | Indiana | $53,560 | $33,000 | 6,666,818 | 98 |
| 38 | Oklahoma | $52,582 | $34,000 | 3,930,864 | 49 |
| 39 | Georgia | $52,954 | $33,000 | 10,429,379 | 186 |
| 40 | Arizona | $52,236 | $33,000 | 7,016,270 | 109 |
| 41 | Montana | $50,511 | $32,000 | 1,050,493 | 30 |
| 42 | Louisiana | $52,523 | $33,000 | 4,684,333 | 30 |
| 43 | Texas | $49,902 | $31,000 | 28,304,596 | 440 |
| 44 | Colorado | $49,999 | $32,000 | 5,607,154 | 139 |
| 45 | Kansas | $50,756 | $32,000 | 2,913,123 | 51 |
| 46 | South Dakota | $49,916 | $32,000 | 869,666 | 15 |
| 47 | Hawaii | $33,575 | $25,000 | 1,427,538 | 23 |
| 48 | Alabama | $49,887 | $31,000 | 4,874,747 | 56 |
| 49 | Florida | $47,150 | $29,000 | 20,984,400 | 330 |
| 50 | South Carolina | $47,760 | $30,000 | 5,024,369 | 71 |
| 51 | Mississippi | $47,250 | $30,000 | 2,984,100 | 18 |
Highest paying states for writer/reporters
| Rank | State | Avg. Writer/Reporter Salary |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | District of Columbia | $77,544 |
| 2 | Vermont | $72,514 |
| 3 | New Jersey | $76,261 |
| 4 | Washington | $73,433 |
| 5 | New York | $69,616 |
| 6 | Maryland | $68,934 |
| 7 | Massachusetts | $65,765 |
| 8 | Michigan | $69,145 |
| 9 | Rhode Island | $64,968 |
| 10 | Illinois | $64,958 |
| 11 | Maine | $71,689 |
| 12 | Delaware | $65,117 |
| 13 | Missouri | $64,093 |
| 14 | Pennsylvania | $64,629 |
| 15 | Kentucky | $67,983 |
| 16 | Ohio | $65,629 |
| 17 | Nevada | $59,208 |
| 18 | Virginia | $60,713 |
| 19 | New Hampshire | $62,581 |
| 20 | North Carolina | $58,926 |
| 21 | Connecticut | $62,900 |
| 22 | Oregon | $57,823 |
| 23 | Minnesota | $59,323 |
| 24 | West Virginia | $57,337 |
| 25 | Tennessee | $57,837 |
| 26 | North Dakota | $55,818 |
| 27 | Wyoming | $52,508 |
| 28 | New Mexico | $55,600 |
| 29 | Iowa | $56,208 |
| 30 | Utah | $52,878 |
| 31 | Wisconsin | $54,888 |
| 32 | Alaska | $53,730 |
| 33 | California | $53,856 |
| 34 | Nebraska | $51,520 |
| 35 | Arkansas | $53,922 |
| 36 | Idaho | $51,916 |
| 37 | Indiana | $53,560 |
| 38 | Oklahoma | $52,582 |
| 39 | Georgia | $52,954 |
| 40 | Arizona | $52,236 |
| 41 | Montana | $50,511 |
| 42 | Louisiana | $52,523 |
| 43 | Texas | $49,902 |
| 44 | Colorado | $49,999 |
| 45 | Kansas | $50,756 |
| 46 | South Dakota | $49,916 |
| 47 | Hawaii | $33,575 |
| 48 | Alabama | $49,887 |
| 49 | Florida | $47,150 |
| 50 | South Carolina | $47,760 |
| 51 | Mississippi | $47,250 |
Expert opinions on the best states for writer/reporters
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for writer/reporters to find work opportunities?
Cristina Calhoon
Senior Career Instructor, Undergraduate Advisor, University of Oregon
The skills that Classics graduates learn (good communication skills, careful, clear, and well organized oral and written presentation; research, comparison, and analysis of ancient sources; linguistic proficiency in more than one language) make them flexible and adaptable. Graduate school is the goal of many of our graduates, who complete law and medical degrees in prestigious programs throughout the nation.
Some also do very well in business school, where the breadth of their academic background, the adaptability of their skills, and their analytical and communication proficiency make them highly competitive with respect to graduates from strictly pre-professional programs.
In addition to occupations in all levels of education, academic research, and archeology, some Classics graduates have also established careers in management, public relations, fundraising, administration, as well as a library, archival, and museum work, while some have also created opportunities for themselves in computer occupations, arts, and media.
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Updated January 8, 2025