Side-by-side distribution
Journalist
$83,200
median · per year, annualized USD
- Disclosing
- 31.8%
- Live roles
- 129
Writer
$85,000
median · per year, annualized USD
- Disclosing
- 55.2%
- Live roles
- 1,153
Highest-paying jobs
Journalist/Writer
Opinion Journalist
Freelance Multimedia Journalist
Senior Data Journalist
Senior Video Journalist, NYT Magazine
Senior Video Journalist, Opinion
Senior Video Journalist, Podcast Video, Popcast
Senior Video Journalist, Reporter Video
Senior Video Journalist, International
Senior Video Journalist, Live Video Production
Highest-paying jobs
Freelance Finance Content Writer
Freelance Business Writer
Freelance Finance Content Writer
Freelance Business Writer
Executive Communications Writer
Freelance Writer/Stock Analyst
Technical Writer
Educator/ Assessor Writer
Journalist/Writer
Lawyer/Legal Writer
Top companies hiring
| Company | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
|
The New York Times
|
$138,490 | 10 |
TEGNA Inc.
|
$57,502 | 5 |
Nexstar Media Group
|
$37,440 | 5 |
| NC News Corp Australia | $97,500 | 4 |
FOX
|
$80,007 | 3 |
| FT Financial Times | $88,750 | 2 |
TelevisaUnivision
|
$72,625 | 2 |
|
micro1
|
$239,200 | 1 |
Top companies hiring
| Company | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
Mondelez International
|
$36,400 | 242 |
NoGigiddy
|
$42,640 | 44 |
Anduril Industries
|
$130,500 | 21 |
Northrop Grumman
|
$83,499 | 12 |
Leidos
|
$92,163 | 10 |
| SH Syneos Health | $128,150 | 8 |
CACI
|
$109,700 | 8 |
Grafana Labs
|
$113,851 | 6 |
Journalist salary by location
| Location | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
| New York | $138,490 | 13 |
Writer salary by location
| Location | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
| Singapore | $239,200 | 4 |
| New York | $91,000 | 53 |
| San Francisco | $91,000 | 17 |
| Boston | $90,000 | 8 |
| Chicago | $80,441 | 16 |
| London | $69,632 | 5 |
| Toronto | $66,356 | 7 |
| Austin | $55,120 | 9 |
| Los Angeles | $53,061 | 14 |
| Seattle | $42,640 | 6 |
Journalist vs Writer: which pays more?
The median for Journalist is $83,200 per year (typically $60,500–$124,636), versus $85,000 for Writer ($49,608–$118,601). That puts Writer about 2% ahead at the median.
Both figures are computed live from active listings on JobsRadar and normalized to annualized USD, so Journalist and Writer 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.