Becoming a News Anchor via Online Education?

At the very least, online education can help you lay a foundation and/or open up alternate career paths. Kaplan University, one of the highest ranking online schools, is a US school (accredited) offering media courses to train individuals to become top-notch interactive media designers, media designers, reporters, news reporters, news anchors, journalists, media specialists, etc. Currently, according to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics there are 35,130 people employed as radio and television announcers alone in America, and their average annual salary is $41,590. Broadcast news analysts make on average $67,990 per year and there are about 5,820 of them employed today. Colleges and universities like Kaplan University that provide online education are successfully launching workers into this field.

Typical Work Locations for a News Anchor
  • at a crime scene
  • in a t.v. studio
  • at the Whitehouse
  • in Iraq
  • in a conflict zone
  • in front of a camera
  • at a corner store
  • at a gas station
  • at the scene of a natural disaster
  • at a high school
Potential Advantages and Benefits of Working as a News Anchor
  • travel to interesting places
  • receive high pay
  • receive free clothing
  • work indoors and outdoors
  • work on differing assignments
  • meet interesting and newsworthy people
  • help inform the public of news
  • work in television
  • become a local celebrity
  • showcase worthy causes
Potential Drawbacks
  • strange hours
  • public scrutiny
  • damaged hair
  • getting old in a youth driven profession
  • work long hours
  • unwanted local recognition
  • news not a family friendly career
  • body image expectations
  • internet based news media making television news obsolete
  • focus on negative news leads to depressing lifestyle
Related Professions to Consider
  • Morning Anchor
  • Multimedia Journalist
  • Assistant News Director
  • Talk Producer
  • Web Content Provider
  • Project Coordinator
  • Part Time Weather
  • Criminal Justice Reporter
  • Reporter Sport
  • General Assignment Reporter
Possible Interview Questions When Applying to be a News Anchor
  • In what situations do you think written communication is better than verbal ones?
  • Who was your favorite person to interview and why?
  • How would you rate your spelling?
  • Tell me about all the forms of writing you like to engage in?
  • How do you rate active listening and in what situations?
  • How do you rate your current performances?
  • Our sports team is doing great have you been watching them?
  • What are the three qualities you look for in every story you write?
  • What are the qualifications that qualify you for this job?
  • What could you improve upon in your writing style?
Common Collaborating Professions
  • copywriter
  • editor
  • camera operator
  • makeup artist
  • wardrobe assistant
  • lighting engineer
  • sound engineer
  • meteorologist
  • sports reporter
  • traffic reporter
News Anchor Training books News Anchor (More) Popular books Potential Companies to Work For Common College Majors
  • Journalism
  • English
  • Political Science
  • Communications
  • Literature
  • Broadcast Journalism
  • Public Relations
  • Business Management
  • Government Studies
  • Finance

News Anchor Salary Information

Category: Radio and television announcers

Total # Employed in the US 35,130
Average Hourly Wage: $19.99/hr
Hourly Wage Range
PERCENTILE
10%25%50%75%90%
$7.73 $9.32 $13.23 $20.33 $36.7
Average Yearly Salary $41,590
Yearly Salary Range
PERCENTILE
10%25%50%75%90%
$16,070 $19,390 $27,520 $42,290 $76,340
Employment Demographics
% OF WORKERS WITH
< High School Diploma High School Diploma Some College Associate Degree Bachelor Degree Master Degree Doctoral Degree
3.8% 21.1% 30.4% 9.9% 28.4% 5.0% 1.4%
Radio and television announcers — WAGES BY STATE, SORTED BY SALARY
STATEAverage Hourly WageAverage Annual Salary
North Dakota $29.09/hr $60,500
Arkansas $26.38/hr $54,860
Missouri $26.36/hr $54,820
Colorado $26.15/hr $54,380
Oklahoma $26.04/hr $54,150
Connecticut $23.58/hr $49,040
New York $22.48/hr $46,750
Hawaii $22.41/hr $46,620
Guam $21.76/hr $45,270
Delaware $21.43/hr $44,580
Mississippi $20.48/hr $42,590
Wyoming $20.16/hr $41,940
Tennessee $19.83/hr $41,240
Washington $19.47/hr $40,490
New Hampshire $18.54/hr $38,560
Nebraska $17.8/hr $37,030
Iowa $17.76/hr $36,940
South Dakota $16.96/hr $35,290
Oregon $16.58/hr $34,490
Michigan $16.21/hr $33,730
Utah $15.87/hr $33,010
Alabama $15.81/hr $32,880
Kentucky $15.3/hr $31,820
District of Columbia $15.2/hr $31,620
New Mexico $15.18/hr $31,570
Alaska $15.15/hr $31,520
Ohio $14.74/hr $30,660
Pennsylvania $14.72/hr $30,620
South Carolina $14.44/hr $30,030
North Carolina $14.42/hr $29,990
Montana $14.35/hr $29,840
Louisiana $13.98/hr $29,070
Puerto Rico $13.54/hr $28,160
West Virginia $13.41/hr $27,890
Maine $13.28/hr $27,620
Massachusetts $13.24/hr $27,540
California $13.18/hr $27,420
Wisconsin $12.96/hr $26,950
New Jersey $11.9/hr $24,760
Nevada $11.75/hr $24,440
Maryland $11.66/hr $24,240
Indiana $11.46/hr $23,850


Category: Broadcast news analysts

Total # Employed in the US 5,820
Average Hourly Wage: $32.69/hr
Hourly Wage Range
PERCENTILE
10%25%50%75%90%
$11.92 $15.59 $24.23 $39.02 $66.68
Average Yearly Salary $67,990
Yearly Salary Range
PERCENTILE
10%25%50%75%90%
$24,790 $32,430 $50,400 $81,170 $138,690
Employment Demographics
% OF WORKERS WITH
< High School Diploma High School Diploma Some College Associate Degree Bachelor Degree Master Degree Doctoral Degree
0.2% 3.2% 9.8% 3.6% 59.8% 21.1% 2.3%
Broadcast news analysts — WAGES BY STATE, SORTED BY SALARY
STATEAverage Hourly WageAverage Annual Salary
Hawaii $52.16/hr $108,500
Connecticut $47.32/hr $98,420
Wisconsin $40.8/hr $84,860
Kansas $38.96/hr $81,030
Wyoming $38.49/hr $80,060
Idaho $37.42/hr $77,840
South Carolina $35.51/hr $73,860
South Dakota $34.39/hr $71,530
Oklahoma $34.08/hr $70,880
North Dakota $34.08/hr $70,900
New York $33.92/hr $70,550
Florida $32.16/hr $66,890
Mississippi $31.61/hr $65,760
Nevada $31.19/hr $64,880
Tennessee $30.96/hr $64,390
Kentucky $30.34/hr $63,100
Alabama $30.03/hr $62,450
Louisiana $29.98/hr $62,350
Massachusetts $28.97/hr $60,260
Arkansas $28.69/hr $59,680
Washington $28.05/hr $58,340
New Jersey $27.62/hr $57,450
New Hampshire $27.07/hr $56,300
Delaware $26.85/hr $55,850
Montana $26.73/hr $55,600
Oregon $26.39/hr $54,900
Utah $26.31/hr $54,730
Nebraska $25.1/hr $52,220
California $23.49/hr $48,870
Iowa $22.09/hr $45,940
New Mexico $21.87/hr $45,500
West Virginia $19.19/hr $39,920
Maryland $16.95/hr $35,250


Media Programs by State & City