Broadcast Announcers and Radio Disc Jockeys Salaries by State

Mean and median pay, wage percentiles, employment, and top-paying metro areas for broadcast announcers and radio disc jockeyss across the U.S. Source: BLS OEWS May 2025 (data.bls.gov OEWS tool /OESServices/combo/table, all-occupation crawl by area).

National mean salary $78,720 ≈ $38/hr
National median salary $47,340
Total employment 21,240 nationwide

Job Outlook, 2024–2034

Source: BLS Employment Projections 2024-2034.

Projected growth -5.5% Decline
Annual openings 2,300 per year (avg)
Employment 2024→2034 24,100 → 22,800 (-1,300)
Typical entry education Bachelor's degree

Salary Map

Brighter tiles = higher average pay; dashed tiles have no data. Click a state for details.

💰 Top 5 Highest-Paying States

  1. New York$182,810
  2. New Jersey$125,080
  3. Nevada$121,090
  4. Massachusetts$98,750
  5. Florida$95,660

📉 5 Lowest-Paying States

  1. Arkansas$35,340
  2. West Virginia$36,310
  3. Montana$37,110
  4. Kansas$38,410
  5. Wyoming$40,420
#StateMeanMedian Hourlyvs. U.S.Employment
1 New York $182,810 $81,310 $88 +132.2% 1,460
2 New Jersey $125,080 $70,800 $60 +58.9% 190
3 Nevada $121,090 $60,460 $58 +53.8% 160
4 Massachusetts $98,750 $60,200 $47 +25.4% 280
5 Florida $95,660 $56,360 $46 +21.5% 990
6 Maryland $92,840 $74,480 $45 +17.9% 290
7 Colorado $92,440 $50,660 $44 +17.4% 310
8 Arizona $86,570 $47,930 $42 +10% 410
9 Texas $83,670 $49,050 $40 +6.3% 960
10 North Carolina $78,110 $47,910 $38 -0.8% 830
11 Hawaii $77,360 $51,030 $37 -1.7% 140
12 Utah $73,440 $46,080 $35 -6.7% 190
13 Washington $69,180 $44,420 $33 -12.1% 620
14 Michigan $69,110 $46,640 $33 -12.2% 650
15 Rhode Island $68,800 $55,110 $33 -12.6% 90

Top-Paying Metro Areas

Highest median pay among 127 metro areas.

#Metro areaMedianMeanEmployment
1 New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ $124,810 $230,140 1,090
2 San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA $88,030 $111,990 260
3 Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX $83,680 $99,980 120
4 Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH $79,310 $124,580 180
5 Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV $75,710 $108,340 290
6 Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD $71,350 $88,740 120
7 Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL $70,110 $132,390 340
8 Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD $69,310 $92,940 280
9 Bloomington, IN $67,450 $75,210 360
10 Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood, IN $66,140 $68,230 320

Pay by Industry

Highest-paying industries employing broadcast announcers and radio disc jockeyss (BLS OEWS, by median).

#IndustryMedianMeanEmployment
1 Independent Artists, Writers, and Performers $122,200 $122,910 470
2 Sporting Goods, Hobby, Musical Instrument, Book, and Miscellaneous Retailers $105,140 $105,250
3 Sectors 44 and 45 - Retail Trade $105,140 $110,550
4 Promoters of Performing Arts, Sports, and Similar Events $102,760 $147,210 70
5 Management, Scientific, and Technical Consulting Services $97,270 $96,250
6 Performing Arts, Spectator Sports, and Related Industries $92,580 $117,040 1,340
7 Sector 71 - Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation $84,070 $111,820 1,470
8 Television Broadcasting Stations $77,980 $101,500 680
9 Spectator Sports $73,720 $111,740 770
10 Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations $68,600 $81,620 50
11 Sector 81 - Other Services (except Public Administration) $68,600 $81,620 50
12 Educational Services, State Government Owned $66,140 $67,770 930

Workforce Deep-Dive

Distribution and demographics from Census ACS (2023, self-reported). Wage figures here are ACS averages and run lower than the authoritative BLS wages above; use them for shape, not exact pay.

Annual wage distribution

< $10K
10,864
$10-20k
1,369
$20-30k
2,175
$30-40k
1,725
$40-50k
3,128
$50-60k
3,259
$60-70k
2,121
$70-80k
1,070
$80-90k
1,732
$90-100k
630
$100-110k
795
$110-120k
473
$120-130k
363
$130-140k
70
$150-160k
593
$160-170k
303
$170-180k
111
$180-190k
11
$190-200k
199
$200k+
2,328

Pay by age band

16-24
$13,909
25-34
$95,229
35-44
$62,521
45-54
$72,306
55-64
$90,727
65+
$46,156

Education level

Bachelors Degree
$82,666
1 or more years of college credit, no degree
$56,877
Associates Degree
$50,098
Regular high school diploma
$46,952
Some college, but less than 1 year
$53,186
Masters Degree
$75,613
Professional degree
$77,218
Grade 11
$6,358
12th grade - no diploma
$3,894
GED or alternative credential
$13,671
Grade 10
$56,005
No schooling completed
$9,748
Grade 4
$14,273
Doctorate degree
$60,571
Grade 8
$28,966

Full-time vs part-time

Full-time
17,489 · $98,521
Part-time
7,709 · $37,673

Race / ethnicity

White
$65,807
Black
$52,034
Two or More Races
$73,507
Asian
$98,798
Other
$24,667
American Indian
$13,483
Alaska Native
$40,781

Top fields of study

Communications
$65,542
Journalism
$179,471
Mass Media
$38,918
Music
$41,936
Criminal Justice And Fire Protection
$194,799
Psychology
$75,679
Business Management And Administration
$93,032
Political Science And Government
$2,493

Frequently Asked Questions

How much do broadcast announcers and radio disc jockeys make in the U.S.?

The median broadcast announcers and radio disc jockeys salary in the United States is $47,340 per year (mean $78,720), and about 80% earn between $28,190 and $138,440.

How much do broadcast announcers and radio disc jockeys make per hour?

Roughly $38 per hour, based on a mean annual wage of $78,720 and 2,080 work hours per year.

Which state pays broadcast announcers and radio disc jockeys the most?

New York has the highest average pay for broadcast announcers and radio disc jockeys at $182,810 per year (median $81,310).

What is the job outlook for broadcast announcers and radio disc jockeys?

Employment is projected to change -5.5% from 2024 to 2034 (Decline), with about 2,300 openings per year.

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Common U.S. search queries related to this occupation.

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