Becoming a Reporter via Online Education?

At the very least, online education can help you lay a foundation and/or open up alternate career paths. Ashford University, one of the highest ranking online schools, is a US school (accredited) offering journalism courses to train individuals to become top-notch journalists, media journalists, investigative journalists, broadcast journalists, photojournalists, newspaper photojournalists, etc. Currently, according to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics there are 46,130 people employed as reporters and correspondents alone in America, and their average annual salary is $43,270. Colleges and universities like Ashford University that provide online education are successfully launching workers into this field.

Typical Work Locations for a Reporter
  • education institution
  • media firm
  • news channel
  • publication firm
  • government agency
  • music firm
  • travel firm
  • investigation agency
  • police department
  • court
Potential Advantages and Benefits of Working as a Reporter
  • meet many celebrities
  • have a lot of human contact
  • write freely
  • be on television
  • interview people
  • get recognition
  • work as a professional
  • kind of become a celebrity yourself
  • meet politicians
  • get access to places many people can not
Potential Drawbacks
  • liability to get facts correct
  • pressure to produce
  • bias in the workplace
  • be available always
  • varies from day to day
  • get pushed and shoved
  • getting lawsuits
  • watch wording carefully
  • keep up to date on culture
  • getting stories you don't want
Related Professions to Consider
  • Investigative Reporter
  • Services Reporting Analyst
  • Court Reporter
  • Financial Regulation Reporter
  • Commodities & Energy Asset Class Reporter
  • Reporter WGCL
  • Video Journalist
  • SIGINT Analyst
  • Weekend Anchor
  • Health Reporter
Possible Interview Questions When Applying to be a Reporter
  • What do you think of our strategy?
  • What is your experience?
  • How well do you manage yourself in a high pace high stress environment?
  • Which magazines do you read?
  • Can you describe what job has the court reporter to do?
  • Do you feel that you should know the shorthand?
  • How helpful is the digital sound recorder?
  • What is your typing speed?
  • Is now a good time to talk or is another time better?
  • Suppose something happens to your right hand and you cannot work for one month What will you do?
Common Collaborating Professions
  • Journalist
  • Anchor
  • News Reporter
  • Editor
  • News Analysts
  • Court Reporter
  • Media Reporter
  • Press Reporter
  • Broadcaster
  • Weather Reporter
Reporter Training books Reporter (More) Popular books Potential Companies to Work For Common College Majors
  • corrections
  • court reporting
  • crime scenes investigation
  • criminal justice
  • economic crime
  • homeland security
  • justice administration
  • law
  • law enforcement
  • public safety

Reporter Salary Information

Category: Reporters and correspondents

Total # Employed in the US 46,130
Average Hourly Wage: $20.8/hr
Hourly Wage Range
PERCENTILE
10%25%50%75%90%
$9.45 $12.25 $16.52 $24.62 $35.91
Average Yearly Salary $43,270
Yearly Salary Range
PERCENTILE
10%25%50%75%90%
$19,650 $25,480 $34,360 $51,210 $74,700
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%
Reporters and correspondents — WAGES BY STATE, SORTED BY SALARY
STATEAverage Hourly WageAverage Annual Salary
Florida $36.03/hr $74,950
Oklahoma $29.03/hr $60,390
North Dakota $27.49/hr $57,180
Guam $26.4/hr $54,920
Virginia $25.6/hr $53,260
Connecticut $23.94/hr $49,800
North Carolina $23/hr $47,830
New York $22.76/hr $47,340
Mississippi $22.26/hr $46,300
Hawaii $22.1/hr $45,960
Missouri $22.09/hr $45,950
Massachusetts $21.93/hr $45,620
Delaware $21.48/hr $44,680
Idaho $21.08/hr $43,840
Colorado $20.79/hr $43,250
Indiana $20.73/hr $43,120
District of Columbia $20.62/hr $42,900
New Hampshire $20.17/hr $41,950
Montana $19.57/hr $40,710
Arkansas $19.3/hr $40,150
Oregon $19.11/hr $39,760
Nebraska $18.78/hr $39,060
Kansas $18.59/hr $38,670
Wyoming $18.47/hr $38,420
Puerto Rico $18.18/hr $37,800
Utah $17.9/hr $37,230
South Dakota $17.73/hr $36,870
Maryland $17.72/hr $36,850
Michigan $17.4/hr $36,180
South Carolina $17.26/hr $35,900
Washington $17.25/hr $35,880
Maine $17.04/hr $35,450
Alaska $16.84/hr $35,020
Kentucky $16.83/hr $35,000
Tennessee $16.71/hr $34,760
Iowa $16.6/hr $34,530
Nevada $15.66/hr $32,580
Alabama $15.58/hr $32,410
Wisconsin $15.31/hr $31,840
Ohio $15.26/hr $31,740
California $14.75/hr $30,690
New Jersey $14.66/hr $30,480
New Mexico $14.48/hr $30,120
Louisiana $13.89/hr $28,890
West Virginia $12.96/hr $26,960
Pennsylvania $12.72/hr $26,450


Journalism Programs by State & City