One might think that a journalist makes a good amount of money because they supply the world with its news; however, journalists make around the same as teachers do. I believe that journalists are underpaid and should be given more credit for all their work.

I want to be a journalist and when I found out how much they get paid, I was a little shocked. I thought that journalists would make at least a little more than what they do. The average salary for a journalist today is $39,571 per year. They go through a lot to get the information that they supply, so it’s crazy to think that they make so little.

The location for any job plays a large role in how much the employees get paid. This is very true for journalists. When looking at pay by state, journalists make more money based on what region of the country they are in. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, journalists who live in the Northeast make the most with New York, having the highest journalist salary of $62,140 per year. Those who live in the Midwest and Central U.S. make the least with Nebraska recording the lowest salary of $25,420 per year.

Although it may seem like it, location isn’t the only factor in how much a journalist makes. Since there are many types of journalism, certain branches make more than others. Television and radio journalists make on average $50,640 per year, and if they are hired by a cable television company, then they can make around $57,050 per year. However, paper media journalists only make around $40,590, according to a 2012 Bureau of Labor Statistics survey.

It makes sense for paper media journalists to make less than others because of social media on the rise. Today no one wants to read a newspaper; they would rather get their news from their phone. Even older generations have switched to getting the majority of their news from television.

After writing this, I realized that if I, or anyone else, wants a good salary as a journalist, then I should move to a region of the country where they pay well. I could also join a branch of journalism that is more popular, such as online media. I still believe that the average salary should be raised for those who don’t have the ability to move somewhere to get better pay.