Half of freelance biz journalists saw increase in pay in 2011

Nearly half of the freelance business journalists who responded to an informal online survey said that their compensation has risen in the past 12 months.

A third of those whose salaries have risen say that they have been more aggressive in finding new clients, according to the survey, conducted by the Society of American Business Editors and Writers.

The survey received 56 responses during the last two months and examines the conditions of working as a freelance business journalist. SABEW, which is headquartered at Arizona State University’s Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communications, conducts the freelance survey annually.

“These results are encouraging for business journalists who rely on various media organizations for a living,” said Kevin Noblet, SABEW’s president and a managing editor at Dow Jones Newswires. “It confirms that industry conditions are improving, helping freelancers across the country.”

The typical freelance business journalist has been their own boss from four to 10 years and is more likely to live in the Northeast or on the Pacific coast, according to the survey. And they worked full time for more than 10 years as a business journalist for a media organization before going into freelancing.

The survey found that the average freelance business journalist made between $30,000 and $35,000, up from the $25,000 to $30,000 range found in 2010. However, 14 freelance business journalists replied that they made more than $80,000, and six said they made more than $100,000.

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