News Analysts, Reporters, and Journalists: Salary, Job Outlook & How to Become One (2026 Parent Guide)
Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media · SOC 27-3023 · O*NET 27-3023.00
Narrate or write news stories, reviews, or commentary for print, broadcast, or other communications media such as newspapers, magazines, radio, or television. May collect and analyze information through interview, investigation, or observation.
News Analysts, Reporters, and Journalists fall under the Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media category in the U.S. occupational classification. News Analysts, Reporters, and Journalists earn a median salary of $62,200 per year, ranking in the top 48% of all U.S. occupations. The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects -5.9% job growth through 2035, projected to lose jobs through 2035. Entry into this field typically requires a bachelor's degree, with specific licensing or certification depending on the state and employer. For parents whose teenager is exploring this path, the most actionable step is mapping the education requirements to specific colleges and majors before junior year — not waiting until application season.
What do news analysts, reporters, and journalists earn?
The median annual wage for news analysts, reporters, and journalists is $62,200. That puts news analysts, reporters, and journalists at #400 on the BLS ranked list of all U.S. occupations by median pay. This salary is above the U.S. median for individual workers and reflects a stable, credentialed occupation. Actual pay varies meaningfully by state, employer type, and years of experience — entry-level salaries are typically 30–40% below the median, while top-decile earners often exceed it by 50% or more.
| 10th percentile (entry-level) | $36,240 |
| 25th percentile | $45,370 |
| 50th percentile (median) | $62,200 |
| 75th percentile | $98,450 |
| 90th percentile (top earners) | $144,140 |
| Median hourly wage | $29.91/hr |
Is news analysts, reporters, and journalists a growing career?
The 10-year outlook for news analysts, reporters, and journalists is -5.9%, projected to lose jobs through 2035. Employment is projected to move from approximately 47K positions in 2024 to 44K in 2034, a net change of <1K. A declining outlook does not mean the field is disappearing; it means automation, demographics, or substitution effects are shrinking the pool of openings. Students entering a declining field should plan for adjacent skills that transfer to growing roles.
What do news analysts, reporters, and journalists do every day?
According to O*NET task surveys of working news analysts, reporters, and journalists, these are the core responsibilities most professionals perform. This is what your teen would actually be doing in this role.
- 1.Report news stories for publication or broadcast, describing the background and details of events.
- 2.Investigate breaking news developments, such as disasters, crimes, or human-interest stories.
- 3.Arrange interviews with people who can provide information about a story.
- 4.Establish and maintain relationships with individuals who are credible sources of information.
- 5.Gather information and develop perspectives about news subjects through research, interviews, observation, and experience.
- 6.Research a story's background information to provide complete and accurate information.
- 7.Analyze and interpret news and information received from various sources to broadcast the information.
- 8.Conduct taped or filmed interviews or narratives.
Top skills for news analysts, reporters, and journalists
O*NET ranks these as the most important skills for this occupation, on a 1–5 importance scale derived from worker surveys.
What education does my child need to become news analysts, reporters, and journalist?
The standard path into news analysts, reporters, and journalists begins with a bachelor's degree in a related field, followed by entry-level experience or internships during college. For parents helping a teen prepare, the highest-leverage step before junior year is identifying colleges and programs that feed reliably into this occupation — Solyo's college search lets parents filter by major and admissions data side by side.
Related careers your child might also consider
How parents help teens explore careers like this
Solyo helps parents map a teen's interests to specific careers, then back to the colleges and majors that lead there. Salary, outlook, and education data come from BLS and O*NET — the same sources high school counselors use — but presented for the parent's planning lens, not the student's exploration view.
Common questions parents ask about news analysts, reporters, and journalists
What is the median salary for news analysts, reporters, and journalists?
The median annual salary for news analysts, reporters, and journalists is $62,200 according to the latest Bureau of Labor Statistics data.
Is news analysts, reporters, and journalists a growing career?
BLS projects -5.9% growth for news analysts, reporters, and journalists from 2025 through 2035, which is declining growth projected to lose jobs through 2035.
What education does my child need to become news analysts, reporters, and journalist?
The typical entry path requires a bachelor's degree, plus any state licensure or certification specific to the role. Programs that align well with this career can be filtered inside Solyo's college search.
What careers are similar to news analysts, reporters, and journalists?
Related occupations within the Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media category share education paths and skill profiles, so they're a useful starting set when a teen is uncertain. The "Related careers" section below lists nearby options.
Salary data sourced from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment Statistics program. Skills, tasks, and education distribution from the O*NET database. Job outlook from the BLS Employment Projections 2025–2035 release.