Journalism

Communication & Journalism

Journalism graduates with a bachelor's typically earned about $54,060, measured a few years after finishing (median across US programs, College Scorecard).
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Median earnings by degree level

Earnings range across schools, by degree levelEach row is a degree level: the bar is the middle half of schools' program medians (25th to 75th percentile) and the dot is the overall median. Bachelor's median $54,060, $48,190 to $59,604; Master's median $71,658, $60,191 to $79,708.$48k$64k$80kBachelor's$54,060Master's$71,658
DegreeMedian earningsTypical rangeSchoolsClear the bar
Bachelor's Degree$54,060$48,190 to $59,60419897%
Master's Degree$71,658$60,191 to $79,70824100%

"Clear the bar" is the share of programs whose graduates out-earn a typical high-school graduate (the federal earnings-premium test). Typical range is the 25th to 75th percentile of program medians.

Job outlook

Projected employment growth +1% (2024 to 2034), about 50,500 openings a year across the occupations this field commonly leads to.

OccupationMedian payGrowthOpenings/yr
Writers and Authors$72,270+3.6%13,400
Photographers$42,520+1.8%12,700
Editors$75,260+0.6%9,800
News Analysts, Reporters, and Journalists$60,280-3.9%4,100
Film and Video Editors$70,980+4%3,600
Communications Teachers, Postsecondary$77,800+2.1%2,700

Occupation pay and outlook: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS wages, Employment Projections). A field maps to several occupations, and the same occupations serve many majors, so these are the jobs this major commonly leads to, not positions reserved for its graduates; the openings should not be added up across majors.

Earnings source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (release 2026-06-10), median earnings of graduates measured up to four years after completing. Figures describe past graduates and are never a promise. Method: methodology. Report an error.