Salary
Average Salary: $37,674
Expected Lifetime Earnings: $1,572,814
Many people might imagine the job of a TV reporter is pretty cool, and in many ways it is. But most jobs also have their downsides, and for a TV reporter one such downside is the pay.
TV reporters are typically quite happy in their work, and competition is fierce, especially in big city-type areas (source). With that in mind, perhaps it shouldn't come as a surprise that reporters have been priced down to about $38,000 per year on average (source).
That salary might not seem like it's all that bad—and, okay, it could be worse. But when you consider how hard it is to break in, the dwindling job market, the weekend hours, and the huge amount of travel required, you might start to second guess the work-to-pay ratio. Most reporters are bound to spend at least a few nights lying awake in bed, wondering if living in their dingy one-bedroom apartment is actually worth it.
Often though, reporters are rewarded for sticking with it. As with most jobs, experience can greatly raise one's salary.
Unfortunately (or fortunately, depending on how you look at it), this typically means moving from a small town broadcast to a larger metropolitan hub where the market is much better. And you'd better get used to it; almost all career advancement is going to involve picking up and moving to a different town.