‘I have no idea how my pay was determined. It feels completely arbitrary.’

A study of journalist pay in New Jersey offers findings that will likely be familiar to journalists in other states, too.

The Center for Cooperative Media at Montclair State University surveyed journalists across the state. It received 28 usable responses — a small sample and one that should therefore be “considered exploratory and illustrative, rather than statistically generalizable to the entire population of journalists in New Jersey,” the report’s authors (Joe Amditis, Amanda Alicea, and Colleen Sullivan) note. (The median salary of the 28 respondents was $69,500.)

The authors found four primary themes:

1. Pay vs. cost of living: A pervasive sense that journalistic salaries are fundamentally misaligned with New Jersey’s high cost of living, making it difficult to afford basic necessities, save for the future, or justify staying in the profession.

“The salary does not reflect the cost of living in New Jersey. It’s becoming increasingly difficult to rationalize staying in a job I love when I can barely afford rent.”

“My pay would be considered decent in many states, but in NJ, it’s a struggle. I live paycheck to paycheck with no room for savings or unexpected expenses.”

2. Lack of transparency: Widespread frustration with opaque pay structures. Journalists expressed that the absence of clear salary bands and open communication about compensation fosters distrust, fuels suspicion of inequity, and makes it impossible to assess their own market value.

“There is zero transparency about pay in my newsroom. We have no idea what the salary range is for our own jobs, let alone others. It creates a really toxic environment of suspicion.”

“I have no idea how my pay was determined. It feels completely arbitrary. Without transparency, you’re left to assume the worst about whether you’re being paid fairly compared to your peers.”

3. Stagnant growth and limited progression: A feeling of being professionally and financially “stuck,” with few or unclear opportunities for salary growth or career advancement. Many journalists noted that significant pay increases are often only possible by leaving for another company.

“There is no clear path for advancement. Raises are minimal and infrequent. The only way to get a meaningful pay bump is to change jobs, which punishes loyalty.”

“After five years, I’m making only marginally more than when I started. The career ladder seems to be missing several rungs.”

4. Arbitrary differences across media types: The perception that compensation varies arbitrarily and unfairly between different types of media outlets (e.g., legacy print vs. digital startup) and between different roles (e.g., reporter vs. editor) without a clear connection to skill, experience, or workload.

“It’s frustrating to see similar roles at a digital-native outlet paying significantly more than at a legacy newspaper, even when the workload is comparable.”

“There’s a sense that some beats or platforms are valued more than others, and the pay reflects that, but it’s never explicitly stated why.”

The report also rounds up the latest data on journalism salaries across the United States. Nationally, as in New Jersey, journalism profession is characterized by “significant financial disparities,” the authors note:

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reports a national median wage of $60,280 for news analysts, reporters, and journalists, yet this figure masks a vast range in earnings. The lowest 10% of earners make less than $34,590, while the top 10% exceed $162,430 (BLS: News Analysts, Reporters, and Journalists, 2024). Research from the University of Iowa notes that while average salaries can top $100,000, the median of $57,500 more accurately reflects the typical journalist’s earnings (University of Iowa School of Journalism and Mass Communication, 2024).

Compensation is heavily influenced by a journalist’s specialization and the sector in which they work. For instance, business journalists command a significant salary premium, earning a median of $75,599, at least 31% more than their peers in general assignments as of 2024 (Reynolds Center for Business Journalism, 2024).

In contrast, the nonprofit news sector, while experiencing rapid growth, has historically offered lower pay. However, recent trends show a dramatic positive shift, with average reporter salaries in the nonprofit news sector increasing by 41% between 2020 and 2022, from $58,858 to $82,943 (Institute for Nonprofit News, 2024; Oct. 2024). Meanwhile, salaries in traditional broadcast journalism have struggled to keep pace with inflation, with television salaries rising just 3.2% in 2024 (Papper et. al, 2025).

You can read the full study here.