Explore national salary, projected growth, education requirements, and career opportunities across the United States.
A concise view of this occupation’s national scale, compensation, and projected demand.
National median annual wage for this occupation.
Estimated jobs currently supported nationwide.
Projected employment change through 2034.
Estimated openings created each year.
The typical education, prior experience, and on-the-job training associated with entry into this career.
Bachelor's degree
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These are the highest-rated capabilities associated with success in this occupation. Scores are derived from occupational skill analysis and are measured on a 100-point scale.
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Explore the states and metropolitan areas offering the strongest combination of salary, employment, demand, and long-term opportunity.
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Understand the salary, outlook, education, and geographic opportunities shaping this career.
Broadcast announcers and radio disc jockeys work in a field where communication, creativity, and on-air presence are central. Nationally, there are about 24,000 people employed in this occupation, with a national median annual salary of $45,680. The role typically calls for strong speaking and listening abilities, creativity and innovation, and solid writing and reading skills. Interpersonal skills, customer service, and adaptability also play an important part, along with problem solving, critical and analytical thinking, and comfort with computers and information technology. While projected employment growth is -5.5%, there are still about 2,000 annual openings, reflecting ongoing turnover and replacement needs. People interested in this path might also want to explore related options such as disc jockeys (except radio), film and video editors, news analysts, reporters, and journalists, probation officers and correctional treatment specialists, or computer user support specialists as alternative directions for their communication and analytical strengths.
For broadcast announcers and radio disc jockeys, the national median annual salary is $45,680, but pay can vary significantly by location. Among the top states by opportunity score, median salaries range from $44,400 in Virginia and $44,420 in Washington to $60,200 in Massachusetts and $81,310 in New York. At the metro level, differences are even more pronounced. The New York-Newark-Jersey City metro stands out with a median salary of $124,810, while the San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont area reports $88,030 and Washington-Arlington-Alexandria offers $75,710. Boston-Cambridge-Newton has a median of $79,310, compared with $44,580 in Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue. These figures show that salary potential can vary widely, and states and metros with higher median pay may offer stronger earning potential for experienced professionals who match local employer needs.
This occupation has national employment of about 24,000 broadcast announcers and radio disc jockeys. Projected employment growth is -5.5%, indicating a decline in overall employment levels over the projection period. However, there are still an estimated 2,000 annual openings. These openings can reflect a combination of job changes, retirements, and other turnover, even when total employment is projected to decrease. The -5.5% growth projection appears consistently in the top states and top metro areas listed, indicating a similar directional trend in those regions as well. For someone entering or advancing in this career, these numbers suggest that while competition for roles may be present, there will continue to be opportunities to move into available positions each year, particularly for candidates who bring the mix of communication, creativity, technology comfort, and analytical skills highlighted for this field.
Location plays a major role in opportunity for broadcast announcers and radio disc jockeys. Among states, Massachusetts and New York have the highest CareerGPS opportunity scores, at 65.87 and 65.78 respectively. New York combines a relatively high median salary of $81,310 with employment of 1,460, while Massachusetts offers $60,200 with 280 employed. Colorado, Washington, and Virginia also appear as strong options, with opportunity scores between 54.96 and 56.97 and median salaries clustered around the mid-$40,000s to low-$50,000s. At the metro level, the New York-Newark-Jersey City area stands out with an opportunity score of 77.27, a median salary of $124,810, and employment of 1,090. San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont and Washington-Arlington-Alexandria also offer relatively high median salaries of $88,030 and $75,710. Boston-Cambridge-Newton shows a median salary of $79,310, while Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue has a lower median salary of $44,580 but the highest employment level among the listed metros at 420.
The typical education requirement for broadcast announcers and radio disc jockeys is a bachelor’s degree. This level of education supports the broad mix of communication, analytical, and technical skills that are important in the field. Strong speaking and listening skills underpin on-air and audience-facing work, while writing and reading skills support clear, accurate content. Creativity and innovation are central for developing engaging material, and adaptability helps professionals respond to changing situations and formats. Comfort with computers and information technology is also highlighted, suggesting the importance of working effectively with modern tools in this occupation. Being detail oriented and having solid problem solving and decision-making skills contribute to handling day-to-day tasks accurately. Interpersonal abilities and customer service skills support relationships with audiences, colleagues, and other stakeholders. Critical and analytical thinking help professionals assess information and make sound judgments, making this mix of education and skills a solid foundation for success in the role or in related paths such as the listed similar occupations.
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