27 Series · SOC 27-3011
Broadcast Announcers and Radio Disc Jockeys Salary
National pay, percentile range, growth outlook, and state-by-state detail from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS survey (May 2025).
- $47,340
- Median / year
- $138,440
- Top 10% earn
- -5.5%
- Growth '23–'33
- 21,240
- US workers
Broadcast Announcers and Radio Disc Jockeys earn a median of $47,340 per year.
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS survey, the median annual wage is $47,340, based on the most recent survey of employers. Reported pay ranges from $28,190 (10th percentile) to $138,440 (90th percentile) nationally, across roughly 21,240 US workers. New York pays the most ($81,310), since pay varies by state and metro area.
The pay verdict
Broadcast Announcers and Radio Disc Jockeys earn a median of $47,340, putting them below the typical US occupation and higher than 26% of the 825 occupations with a published BLS median. Within Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media, it ranks #30 of 36 by median pay. Employment is projected to fall 5.5% by 2033.
- $47,340
- Median annual wage
- Top 74%
- of 825 US occupations with published wages
- #30 of 36
- in Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media
- 4.9×
- 90th-to-10th pay spread
Highest-paying state: New York at $81,310. Typical entry-level education: Bachelor's degree.
Broadcast Announcers and Radio Disc Jockeys (SOC 27-3011) pays a national median of $47,340 per year according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey released in May 2025. Full-range compensation stretches from $28,190 at the 10th percentile to $138,440 at the 90th, with a mean of $78,720 indicating a right-skew where top earners pull the average above the midpoint. An estimated 21,240 Americans work in this occupation across 48 reporting states and 115 metro areas.
BLS Employment Projections forecast a -5.5% change in employment from 2024 to 2034, which the agency classifies as declining relative to the 5% all-occupations baseline. About 2,300 openings are projected per year, combining new positions with replacement needs from retirements and occupation-switchers. Typical entry-level preparation is Bachelor's degree. The BLS Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries (CFOI) and Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses (SOII) produce a workplace-safety grade of A for this role, with a fatality rate of 0.6 per 100,000 and injury rate of 0.5 per 100.
Geographic variation matters as much as the headline median. New York pays the highest state median at $81,310, which is +72% above the national figure. The top metro is New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ at $124,810 - metro premiums typically reflect higher cost of living, industry concentration, or specialized employer demand. When using this page for negotiation or career planning, pair the national median with the state and metro rows below, remember that BLS wages exclude benefits, bonuses, and overtime, and revisit after each May OEWS release since percentiles shift with cost-of-living cycles and industry demand. See our methodology for exactly how these figures are sourced, computed, and verified.
Median Salary
$47,340
per year
Median Hourly
$22.76/hr
per hour
Mean Salary
$78,720
average
Employment
21,240
jobs nationwide
How does this pay compare nationally?
Where Broadcast Announcers and Radio Disc Jockeys pay sits nationally
Median annual wage vs. 825 detailed BLS occupations with a published median
$47,340 Bottom 26% higher than 26% of 825 US occupations
Each bar is a $20K-wide band; taller bars hold more US occupations. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS · May 2025
Does this job pay well and grow?
Each dot is a 27-series occupation, placed by projected 2024–2034 growth and median pay. The highlighted dot is Broadcast Announcers and Radio Disc Jockeys; the upper-right quadrant is the sweet spot (high pay + fast growth).
Among 24 27-series occupations with growth data, Broadcast Announcers and Radio Disc Jockeys sits on the slower-growing side at -5.5% growth and $47,340 median pay.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS (wages, May 2025) and Employment Projections (2024–2034).
Job Outlook (2024–2034)
Projected Growth
-5.5%
Declining
Annual Openings
2,300
per year (projected)
Typical Education
Bachelor's degree
Source: BLS Employment Projections, 2024–2034
Workplace Safety
All safety ratings →Very Safe
Safety Grade (BLS 2023)
Fatality Rate
0.6/100K
Injury Rate
0.5/100
Danger Index
2.3/100
Source: BLS Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries (CFOI) & Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses (SOII), 2023
Career Intelligence
Skills, knowledge, and tasks most important for Broadcast Announcers and Radio Disc Jockeys roles, ranked by importance. Source: O*NET.
Top Skills
Knowledge Areas
Key Tasks
- ▸ Read news flashes to inform audiences of important events.
- ▸ Announce musical selections, station breaks, commercials, or public service information, and accept requests from listening audience.
- ▸ Operate control consoles.
- ▸ Identify stations, and introduce or close shows, ad-libbing or using memorized or read scripts.
- ▸ Study background information to prepare for programs or interviews.
- ▸ Prepare and deliver news, sports, or weather reports, gathering and rewriting material so that it will convey required information and fit specific time slots.
- ▸ Record commercials for later broadcast.
- ▸ Keep daily program logs to provide information on all elements aired during broadcast, such as musical selections and station promotions.
- ▸ Develop story lines for broadcasts.
- ▸ Select program content, in conjunction with producers and assistants, based on factors such as program specialties, audience tastes, or requests from the public.
Source: O*NET Online, National Center for O*NET Development. Data represents typical importance ratings for this occupation.
Salary Range
Annual Salary Distribution
Hourly Rate Distribution
10th Percentile
$28,190
25th Percentile
$35,360
Median
$47,340
75th Percentile
$75,480
90th Percentile
$138,440
Salary by State
Highest Paying States
View all 48 states →
| # | State | Median Salary | vs National |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | New York | $81,310 | +72% above national |
| 2 | Maryland | $74,480 | +57% above national |
| 3 | New Jersey | $70,800 | +50% above national |
| 4 | Indiana | $61,760 | +30% above national |
| 5 | Nevada | $60,460 | +28% above national |
| 6 | Massachusetts | $60,200 | +27% above national |
| 7 | Florida | $56,360 | +19% above national |
| 8 | Rhode Island | $55,110 | +16% above national |
| 9 | Pennsylvania | $52,080 | +10% above national |
| 10 | Hawaii | $51,030 | +8% above national |
| 11 | Colorado | $50,660 | +7% above national |
| 12 | Texas | $49,050 | +4% above national |
| 13 | Tennessee | $48,290 | +2% above national |
| 14 | Arizona | $47,930 | +1% above national |
| 15 | North Carolina | $47,910 | +1% above national |
| 16 | Idaho | $46,940 | 1% below national |
| 17 | Illinois | $46,720 | 1% below national |
| 18 | Michigan | $46,640 | 1% below national |
| 19 | Oregon | $46,190 | 2% below national |
| 20 | Utah | $46,080 | 3% below national |
| 21 | New Hampshire | $46,000 | 3% below national |
| 22 | Missouri | $45,460 | 4% below national |
| 23 | Nebraska | $45,020 | 5% below national |
| 24 | Alaska | $44,790 | 5% below national |
| 25 | Washington | $44,420 | 6% below national |
| 26 | Virginia | $44,400 | 6% below national |
| 27 | Maine | $44,000 | 7% below national |
| 28 | Minnesota | $43,530 | 8% below national |
| 29 | Ohio | $42,440 | 10% below national |
| 30 | Georgia | $42,020 | 11% below national |
| 31 | South Dakota | $40,630 | 14% below national |
| 32 | Wisconsin | $40,630 | 14% below national |
| 33 | New Mexico | $38,940 | 18% below national |
| 34 | Alabama | $38,530 | 19% below national |
| 35 | North Dakota | $38,500 | 19% below national |
| 36 | Iowa | $37,090 | 22% below national |
| 37 | Wyoming | $36,760 | 22% below national |
| 38 | Kentucky | $36,170 | 24% below national |
| 39 | Arkansas | $36,160 | 24% below national |
| 40 | Oklahoma | $36,110 | 24% below national |
| 41 | West Virginia | $35,400 | 25% below national |
| 42 | Vermont | $35,220 | 26% below national |
| 43 | Kansas | $35,130 | 26% below national |
| 44 | Montana | $35,000 | 26% below national |
| 45 | Mississippi | $34,040 | 28% below national |
| 46 | Louisiana | $33,020 | 30% below national |
| 47 | South Carolina | $30,960 | 35% below national |
| 48 | Puerto Rico | $22,970 | 51% below national |
Salary by Metro Area
Highest Paying Metros
View all 115 metro areas →
| # | Metro Area | Median Salary | vs National |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $124,810 | +164% above national |
| 2 | San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $88,030 | +86% above national |
| 3 | Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX | $83,680 | +77% above national |
| 4 | Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | $79,310 | +68% above national |
| 5 | Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | $75,710 | +60% above national |
| 6 | Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD | $71,350 | +51% above national |
| 7 | Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL | $70,110 | +48% above national |
| 8 | Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | $69,310 | +46% above national |
| 9 | Bloomington, IN | $67,450 | +42% above national |
| 10 | Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood, IN | $66,140 | +40% above national |
| 11 | Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas, NV | $65,890 | +39% above national |
| 12 | Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury, CT | $64,990 | +37% above national |
| 13 | Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO | $63,710 | +35% above national |
| 14 | Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX | $63,090 | +33% above national |
| 15 | Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY | $61,770 | +30% above national |
| 16 | Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC | $60,430 | +28% above national |
| 17 | Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA | $57,600 | +22% above national |
| 18 | Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL | $56,360 | +19% above national |
| 19 | Salt Lake City-Murray, UT | $55,390 | +17% above national |
| 20 | Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ | $55,290 | +17% above national |
| 21 | Providence-Warwick, RI-MA | $55,110 | +16% above national |
| 22 | Rochester, NY | $54,690 | +16% above national |
| 23 | Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY | $52,500 | +11% above national |
| 24 | St. Louis, MO-IL | $52,460 | +11% above national |
| 25 | Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood, MI | $51,480 | +9% above national |
| 26 | Urban Honolulu, HI | $51,060 | +8% above national |
| 27 | Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI | $51,000 | +8% above national |
| 28 | Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | $50,280 | +6% above national |
| 29 | Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA | $50,040 | +6% above national |
| 30 | Norwich-New London-Willimantic, CT | $50,020 | +6% above national |
| 31 | Omaha, NE-IA | $49,990 | +6% above national |
| 32 | Pittsburgh, PA | $49,930 | +5% above national |
| 33 | Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | $49,470 | +4% above national |
| 34 | Fresno, CA | $49,010 | +4% above national |
| 35 | Lexington-Fayette, KY | $48,820 | +3% above national |
| 36 | Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA | $48,740 | +3% above national |
| 37 | Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI | $48,370 | +2% above national |
| 38 | Fort Wayne, IN | $48,340 | +2% above national |
| 39 | Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN | $48,340 | +2% above national |
| 40 | Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN | $47,930 | +1% above national |
| 41 | Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ | $47,820 | +1% above national |
| 42 | South Bend-Mishawaka, IN-MI | $47,720 | +1% above national |
| 43 | Madison, WI | $47,670 | +1% above national |
| 44 | Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI | $47,610 | +1% above national |
| 45 | Raleigh-Cary, NC | $47,500 | same as national |
| 46 | Scranton--Wilkes-Barre, PA | $47,320 | same as national |
| 47 | Eugene-Springfield, OR | $47,090 | 1% below national |
| 48 | Bakersfield-Delano, CA | $46,820 | 1% below national |
| 49 | North Missouri nonmetropolitan area | $46,720 | 1% below national |
| 50 | Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN | $46,710 | 1% below national |
| 51 | Green Bay, WI | $46,600 | 2% below national |
| 52 | Tulsa, OK | $46,220 | 2% below national |
| 53 | Portland-South Portland, ME | $45,910 | 3% below national |
| 54 | State College, PA | $45,900 | 3% below national |
| 55 | Memphis, TN-MS-AR | $45,570 | 4% below national |
| 56 | Evansville, IN | $45,490 | 4% below national |
| 57 | Dayton-Kettering-Beavercreek, OH | $45,400 | 4% below national |
| 58 | Sioux Falls, SD-MN | $45,380 | 4% below national |
| 59 | Roanoke, VA | $45,260 | 4% below national |
| 60 | Birmingham, AL | $45,110 | 5% below national |
| 61 | Springfield, MO | $45,090 | 5% below national |
| 62 | Alaska nonmetropolitan area | $44,900 | 5% below national |
| 63 | Kansas City, MO-KS | $44,830 | 5% below national |
| 64 | Columbus, OH | $44,810 | 5% below national |
| 65 | Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $44,580 | 6% below national |
| 66 | Syracuse, NY | $44,460 | 6% below national |
| 67 | Lincoln, NE | $44,440 | 6% below national |
| 68 | Cleveland, OH | $43,930 | 7% below national |
| 69 | South Nebraska nonmetropolitan area | $43,640 | 8% below national |
| 70 | Northwest Minnesota nonmetropolitan area | $43,150 | 9% below national |
| 71 | Spokane-Spokane Valley, WA | $43,100 | 9% below national |
| 72 | Northern Michigan nonmetropolitan area | $42,890 | 9% below national |
| 73 | Mankato, MN | $42,550 | 10% below national |
| 74 | Toledo, OH | $42,030 | 11% below national |
| 75 | Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA | $41,690 | 12% below national |
| 76 | Wichita, KS | $40,750 | 14% below national |
| 77 | Bangor, ME | $40,710 | 14% below national |
| 78 | Rapid City, SD | $40,690 | 14% below national |
| 79 | Albuquerque, NM | $40,400 | 15% below national |
| 80 | Columbia, MO | $40,300 | 15% below national |
| 81 | Kingsport-Bristol, TN-VA | $39,470 | 17% below national |
| 82 | Eastern Ohio nonmetropolitan area | $38,910 | 18% below national |
| 83 | Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers, AR | $38,760 | 18% below national |
| 84 | Fargo, ND-MN | $38,640 | 18% below national |
| 85 | Duluth, MN-WI | $38,590 | 18% below national |
| 86 | East South Dakota nonmetropolitan area | $38,560 | 19% below national |
| 87 | Huntsville, AL | $38,380 | 19% below national |
| 88 | Southwest Minnesota nonmetropolitan area | $38,240 | 19% below national |
| 89 | Charleston-North Charleston, SC | $38,000 | 20% below national |
| 90 | Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway, AR | $37,850 | 20% below national |
| 91 | North Arkansas nonmetropolitan area | $37,820 | 20% below national |
| 92 | Eastern New Mexico nonmetropolitan area | $37,790 | 20% below national |
| 93 | Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA | $37,770 | 20% below national |
| 94 | Jacksonville, FL | $37,410 | 21% below national |
| 95 | East North Dakota nonmetropolitan area | $37,390 | 21% below national |
| 96 | Northeastern Wisconsin nonmetropolitan area | $37,220 | 21% below national |
| 97 | Southeast Minnesota nonmetropolitan area | $36,980 | 22% below national |
| 98 | Oklahoma City, OK | $36,570 | 23% below national |
| 99 | East Central Illinois nonmetropolitan area | $36,410 | 23% below national |
| 100 | West Central Illinois nonmetropolitan area | $36,160 | 24% below national |
| 101 | Chattanooga, TN-GA | $35,720 | 25% below national |
| 102 | Southern Ohio nonmetropolitan area | $35,380 | 25% below national |
| 103 | Central Kentucky nonmetropolitan area | $35,240 | 26% below national |
| 104 | Fort Smith, AR-OK | $34,600 | 27% below national |
| 105 | Western North Carolina nonmetropolitan area | $33,390 | 29% below national |
| 106 | West Northwestern Ohio nonmetropolitan area | $33,350 | 30% below national |
| 107 | Southern Indiana nonmetropolitan area | $32,950 | 30% below national |
| 108 | Southeast Iowa nonmetropolitan area | $32,810 | 31% below national |
| 109 | East-Central Montana nonmetropolitan area | $31,990 | 32% below national |
| 110 | South Central Tennessee nonmetropolitan area | $30,920 | 35% below national |
| 111 | Mid Michigan nonmetropolitan area | $30,860 | 35% below national |
| 112 | South Arkansas nonmetropolitan area | $29,200 | 38% below national |
| 113 | Kansas nonmetropolitan area | $28,180 | 40% below national |
| 114 | Lower East Mississippi nonmetropolitan area | $23,570 | 50% below national |
| 115 | San Juan-Bayamon-Caguas, PR | $23,460 | 50% below national |
Similar Occupations in the Same Category
Other roles in SOC major group 27 (arts design entertainment sports and media) with comparable pay and career paths.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does a Broadcast Announcers and Radio Disc Jockeys make? ▼
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What education do you need to become a Broadcast Announcers and Radio Disc Jockeys? ▼
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Is Broadcast Announcers and Radio Disc Jockeys a good career? ▼
How does Broadcast Announcers and Radio Disc Jockeys pay vary by state? ▼
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What to do with this data
How to use Broadcast Announcers and Radio Disc Jockeys pay figures in a real decision
- For an experienced offer, anchor on the 75th percentile (about $75,480/year), not the median. The median marks the middle worker; the upper quartile is the realistic target with strong experience. Salary calculator
- Location moves pay significantly: New York leads at $81,310/year for this role. Weigh state pay against local cost of living before relocating or negotiating remote. Pay by state
- Compare this occupation against similar roles before you decide, so you are reading the pay band in context rather than in isolation. Compare jobs
These are BLS survey estimates for the occupation, not a salary offer or a prediction for any individual. Your pay depends on experience, employer, exact role, and location.
Every figure on WageDex is rendered directly from U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics wage data, no number is typed in by an editor. This occupation's figures are computed directly from the BLS OEWS and Employment Projections datasets, nothing is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of May 2025.
This page is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial or career advice. Actual pay for a specific role, employer, or offer may differ from these national/state figures, consult a qualified career counselor, recruiter, or financial advisor before making decisions based on this data.