Side-by-side distribution
Journalist
$71,334
median · per year, annualized USD
- Disclosing
- 32.3%
- Live roles
- 133
Photographer
$49,500
median · per year, annualized USD
- Disclosing
- 59.7%
- Live roles
- 186
Highest-paying jobs
Opinion Journalist
Freelance Multimedia Journalist
Senior Video Journalist, NYT Magazine
Senior Video Journalist, Reporter Video
Senior Video Journalist, International
Senior Video Journalist, Podcast Video, Popcast
Senior Video Journalist, Cinematography (Temp)
Video Journalist, Visual Investigations
Video Journalist, International
Video Journalist, NYT Cooking
Highest-paying jobs
Freelance Photographer
Freelance Photographer
Freelance Photographer
Freelance Photographer
Freelance Photographer
Freelance Photographer
Freelance Photographer
Freelance Photographer
Freelance Photographer
Freelance Photographer
Top companies hiring
| Company | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
|
The New York Times
|
$138,490 | 9 |
Nexstar Media Group
|
$38,480 | 9 |
TEGNA Inc.
|
$48,901 | 8 |
| NC News Corp Australia | $102,500 | 3 |
FOX
|
$80,007 | 3 |
|
The Washington Post
|
$118,099 | 2 |
|
Cheddar
|
$182,000 | 1 |
AirGarage
|
$120,000 | 1 |
Top companies hiring
| Company | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
CoStar Group
|
$49,500 | 44 |
| CO Cox | $39,302 | 13 |
|
Treatwell
|
$156,697 | 11 |
|
FOX
|
$85,098 | 6 |
|
Nexstar Media Group
|
$41,600 | 5 |
|
TEGNA Inc.
|
$70,720 | 3 |
CACI
|
$100,175 | 2 |
Kith
|
$87,500 | 2 |
Journalist salary by location
| Location | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
| New York | $133,813 | 10 |
Photographer salary by location
| Location | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
| New York | $52,000 | 3 |
Journalist vs Photographer: which pays more?
The median for Journalist is $71,334 per year (typically $46,800–$120,000), versus $49,500 for Photographer ($49,500–$54,875). That puts Journalist about 44% ahead at the median.
Both figures are computed live from active listings on JobsRadar and normalized to annualized USD, so Journalist and Photographer are compared on equal terms regardless of the currency each role was originally posted in. Only roles that publish a salary range feed the medians; numbers refresh every few hours as new roles post and older ones close, so this comparison reflects the market right now rather than a fixed survey. Use it as a directional benchmark when weighing one path against the other.