In United States of America, published freelance rates for a reporter are $63–$100 a piece.
Freelance
$63–$100 a piece
Sources
5 documents
What reporter work in United States of America pays, according to the documents that set rates there, each quoted as printed. How the pay guide works →
What the published rates say
Piece or item
Foreign wrapAIR · Recommended rates · 1 Sep 2019
$79–$100
Domestic wrapAIR · Recommended rates · 1 Sep 2019
$71–$90
Foreign voicerAIR · Recommended rates · 1 Sep 2019
$71–$90
Domestic voicerAIR · Recommended rates · 1 Sep 2019
$63–$80
Word
Writing, work-for-hire journalism, per word (median range)EFA · Survey · 24 Mar 2026
$0.40–$0.50
Print articles, per commissioned wordNWU · Publisher’s rates
$0.40
Web articles, per commissioned wordNWU · Publisher’s rates
$0.25
Year
Mean annual wage, nationalBLS · Official statistics · 1 May 2025
$102,460
Senior reporters and senior content editorsNewsGuild of New York · Collective agreement · 3 Nov 2025
$75,000
Median annual wage, nationalBLS · Official statistics · 1 May 2025
$62,200
Hour
Writing, work-for-hire journalism, per hour (median range)EFA · Survey · 24 Mar 2026
$75–$85
Mean hourly wage, nationalBLS · Official statistics · 1 May 2025
$49.26
Median hourly wage, nationalBLS · Official statistics · 1 May 2025
$29.91
Week
Average reporter top minimum across 134 contracts, weeklyTNG-CWA · Collective agreement · 1 Jan 2026
$1,272.49
What reporter job ads in United States of America offer
Open marketWhat employers offered in public job ads over the last 12 months, from 465 job ads with pay. These figures come from the open job market, not from journalist.net, and we do not check them.
ReporterOn staff
$75,150.40 a year
ReporterOn staff
$28.84 an hour
ReporterOther or not stated
$75,000 a year
ReporterOther or not stated
$29.92 an hour
ReporterOn staff
$405 a day
ReporterFreelance
$37.50 an hour
ReporterOther or not stated
$9,000 a month
Journalism jobs in United States of America →
The middle figure of the ads for each job, with the middle half of them. Shown only where at least 3 employers posted ads with pay and none posted more than half of them.
Each published rate as a day's pay
On staff · 6 figures
$62,200 a year
$49.26 an hour
Freelance · 1 figure
$75–$85 an hour
US$ a day at the ECB rate for the month. A month is 12 payments over 260 working days, or 13 or 14 where the agreement says so; a year is 260 days; a shift counts as a day.
| Type of work | What | As printed | US$ a day | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| On staff | Median annual wage, national | $62,200 a year | $239.23 | BLS · Official statistics · 1 May 2025 |
| On staff | Median hourly wage, national | $29.91 an hour | $239.27 | BLS · Official statistics · 1 May 2025 |
| On staff | Average reporter top minimum across 134 contracts, weekly | $1,272.49 a week | $254.49 | TNG-CWA · Collective agreement · 1 Jan 2026 |
| On staff | Senior reporters and senior content editors | $75,000 a year | $288.46 | NewsGuild of New York · Collective agreement · 3 Nov 2025 |
| On staff | Mean annual wage, national | $102,460 a year | $394.07 | BLS · Official statistics · 1 May 2025 |
| On staff | Mean hourly wage, national | $49.26 an hour | $394.08 | BLS · Official statistics · 1 May 2025 |
| Freelance | Writing, work-for-hire journalism, per hour (median range) | $75–$85 an hour | $639.99 | EFA · Survey · 24 Mar 2026 |
Every figure, as printed
Open a row for the wording in the document and its dates.
Printed
Journalism | 40.0¢–50.0¢DocumentEFA editorial rate chart, 2026 (median rate ranges) · Survey StatusIn force · 24 Mar 2026
Printed
Journalism | $75.00–$85.00DocumentEFA editorial rate chart, 2026 (median rate ranges) · Survey StatusIn force · 24 Mar 2026
Printed
This year, the average reporter top minimum pay was $1,272.49.DocumentAverage NewsGuild reporter top minimum, 1 Jan 2026 · Collective agreement StatusIn force · 1 Jan 2026
Printed
62200 (annual median wage, 2025)DocumentBLS occupational wages: news analysts, reporters and journalists (SOC 27-3023), May 2025 · Official statistics StatusIn force · 1 May 2025
Printed
29.91 (hourly median wage, 2025)DocumentBLS occupational wages: news analysts, reporters and journalists (SOC 27-3023), May 2025 · Official statistics StatusIn force · 1 May 2025
Printed
102460 (annual mean wage, 2025)DocumentBLS occupational wages: news analysts, reporters and journalists (SOC 27-3023), May 2025 · Official statistics StatusIn force · 1 May 2025
Printed
49.26 (hourly mean wage, 2025)DocumentBLS occupational wages: news analysts, reporters and journalists (SOC 27-3023), May 2025 · Official statistics StatusIn force · 1 May 2025
Printed
Domestic Voicer: $63 - $80DocumentAIR recommended rates for public radio features and news spots, Sep 2019 · Recommended rates StatusIn force · 1 Sep 2019
Printed
Domestic Wrap: $71 - $90DocumentAIR recommended rates for public radio features and news spots, Sep 2019 · Recommended rates StatusIn force · 1 Sep 2019
Printed
Foreign Voice: $71 - $90DocumentAIR recommended rates for public radio features and news spots, Sep 2019 · Recommended rates StatusIn force · 1 Sep 2019
Printed
Foreign Wrap: $79 - $100DocumentAIR recommended rates for public radio features and news spots, Sep 2019 · Recommended rates StatusIn force · 1 Sep 2019
Printed
Web articles will be paid at minimum $.25 per commissioned wordDocumentThe Nation freelancer agreement (negotiated with the NWU), last updated May 2025 · Publisher’s rates StatusIn force
Printed
Print articles will be paid at minimum $.40 per commissioned wordDocumentThe Nation freelancer agreement (negotiated with the NWU), last updated May 2025 · Publisher’s rates StatusIn force
Printed
$75,000 for senior reporters and senior content editorsDocumentDaily News (New York) first contract: salary minimums, tentative agreement of 3 Nov 2025 · Collective agreement StatusIn talks · 3 Nov 2025
Printed
New York Times … 2,042.17 (1/1/23)DocumentNewsGuild reporter top minimum weekly wages by employer, 1 Jan 2023 · Collective agreement StatusReplaced or expired · 1 Jan 2023
Printed
Dow Jones Wall Street Journal … 1,602.00 (1/1/23)DocumentNewsGuild reporter top minimum weekly wages by employer, 1 Jan 2023 · Collective agreement StatusReplaced or expired · 1 Jan 2023
Printed
Los Angeles Times … 2,236.78 (1/1/23)DocumentNewsGuild reporter top minimum weekly wages by employer, 1 Jan 2023 · Collective agreement StatusReplaced or expired · 1 Jan 2023
Printed
Consumer Reports … 2,563.07 (1/1/23)DocumentNewsGuild reporter top minimum weekly wages by employer, 1 Jan 2023 · Collective agreement StatusReplaced or expired · 1 Jan 2023
Printed
Fact Set (previously Standard & Poors) … 2,641.54 (1/1/23)DocumentNewsGuild reporter top minimum weekly wages by employer, 1 Jan 2023 · Collective agreement StatusReplaced or expired · 1 Jan 2023
Printed
Thomson-Reuters U.S. … 2,509.59 (1/1/23)DocumentNewsGuild reporter top minimum weekly wages by employer, 1 Jan 2023 · Collective agreement StatusReplaced or expired · 1 Jan 2023
Printed
The Guardian U.S. … 1,924.59 (1/1/23)DocumentNewsGuild reporter top minimum weekly wages by employer, 1 Jan 2023 · Collective agreement StatusReplaced or expired · 1 Jan 2023
Printed
Agence France Presse U.S. … 1,626.97 (1/1/23)DocumentNewsGuild reporter top minimum weekly wages by employer, 1 Jan 2023 · Collective agreement StatusReplaced or expired · 1 Jan 2023
Printed
Associated Press … 1,391.63 (1/1/23)DocumentNewsGuild reporter top minimum weekly wages by employer, 1 Jan 2023 · Collective agreement StatusReplaced or expired · 1 Jan 2023
Printed
Boston Globe … 1,468.98 (1/1/23)DocumentNewsGuild reporter top minimum weekly wages by employer, 1 Jan 2023 · Collective agreement StatusReplaced or expired · 1 Jan 2023
Printed
Minneapolis Star Tribune … 1,497.71 (1/1/23)DocumentNewsGuild reporter top minimum weekly wages by employer, 1 Jan 2023 · Collective agreement StatusReplaced or expired · 1 Jan 2023
Printed
San Francisco Chronicle … 1,408.00 (1/1/23)DocumentNewsGuild reporter top minimum weekly wages by employer, 1 Jan 2023 · Collective agreement StatusReplaced or expired · 1 Jan 2023
Printed
Chicago Sun Times … 1,387.56 (1/1/23)DocumentNewsGuild reporter top minimum weekly wages by employer, 1 Jan 2023 · Collective agreement StatusReplaced or expired · 1 Jan 2023
Printed
Philadelphia Inquirer & Daily News … 1,337.42 (1/1/23)DocumentNewsGuild reporter top minimum weekly wages by employer, 1 Jan 2023 · Collective agreement StatusReplaced or expired · 1 Jan 2023
Printed
Denver Post … 1,331.00 (1/1/23)DocumentNewsGuild reporter top minimum weekly wages by employer, 1 Jan 2023 · Collective agreement StatusReplaced or expired · 1 Jan 2023
Printed
Seattle Times … 1,083.30 (1/1/23)DocumentNewsGuild reporter top minimum weekly wages by employer, 1 Jan 2023 · Collective agreement StatusReplaced or expired · 1 Jan 2023
Printed
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette … 1,172.36 (1/1/23)DocumentNewsGuild reporter top minimum weekly wages by employer, 1 Jan 2023 · Collective agreement StatusReplaced or expired · 1 Jan 2023
Printed
Toledo Blade … 732.24 (1/1/23)DocumentNewsGuild reporter top minimum weekly wages by employer, 1 Jan 2023 · Collective agreement StatusReplaced or expired · 1 Jan 2023
Printed
Average Reporter Top Minimum … January 2023 $ 1,208.33DocumentNewsGuild reporter top minimum weekly wages by employer, 1 Jan 2023 · Collective agreement StatusReplaced or expired · 1 Jan 2023
Questions people ask
In United States of America, published freelance rates for a reporter are $63–$100 a piece.
AIR, BLS, EFA, NWU, NewsGuild of New York, TNG-CWA, in 7 documents.
$75,150.40 a year in the middle of the ads from the last 12 months: middle half $65,000–$100,000 · 277 ads.
A reporter's minimum nearby
Lowest staff minimum in each country's agreements, as US$ a day.
About this data. These rates are compiled from publicly available sources and quoted as printed, with their date. We do not guarantee the accuracy of any figure. For information only: Journalist.net does not recommend or set rates. How we count