Reynold Center survey: Biz journalist make nearly $30k more than peers

Business journalists in the United States earn nearly $30,000 more than their peers and boast widespread salary increases, according to a recent survey by the Phoenix-based Donald W. Reynolds National Center for Business Journalism.

A total of 254 journalists completed the SABEW supported survey, with 244 respondents reporting their salary.

The median salary for business reporters was $78,260, with over 71% reporting that their salary had increased over the past year.

“SABEW is pleased to see that the salaries for business journalists have risen in the past year, as business journalists are integral in explaining what is happening in the economy and the markets and why it is happening,” said Desiree Hanford, SABEW’s president, in a statement. “SABEW is grateful to the Reynolds Center for its continued excellent work in benchmarking the industry salary and demographic data. The Center’s work is another reminder of how important business journalism is and why mentoring, recruiting and promoting a diverse and inclusive workforce is crucial, as is eliminating pay gaps.”

Key findings from the survey include:

• The median annual salary for business reporters and correspondents was $78,260  – well above the average journalist’s salary reported by the BLS at $48,370 in May 2021.

• The median salary for reporters under the age of 30 was $64,705, indicating business journalism as a great place to start your career.

• Younger reporters are more likely to be female and from diverse backgrounds which presents an optimistic outlook for a more representative field of business journalists in the coming years.  

The survey results can be found here.