Average journalism major starting salary is...

I know a bunch of recent journalism graduates who made more than $60,000 in other fields out of college, and a few who made between $45,000 and $50,000 in journalism.

 

My first job out of college, I hit the over on that. Way over. Then again, I was 30 years old when I finished college and had 10 years of writing/editing experience by then. Before that? Definitely under. Way under.

First newspaper job in 1999: $9.50/hr. I thought I hit the lottery.

 

The ones who made $45,000 and $50,000, where did they land those jobs? There are people who have been in the business for 20 years who have not made that much.

 

$10/hour in 1999, which I think works out to $20,800 a year. Got a decent amount of overtime those few months, though, as we were understaffed.

$27,000/year at next gig, seven months later.

Bumped considerably at some point when the competitor had an opening - perhaps to about $33,000 or $34,000?

$38,000-$39,000 range by 2005.

Left for another $38,000-$39,000 gig in 2005.

Left the business in 2008 in the same range - no raises for the last two or three years.

 

Average starting salary for newspaper guys?

What, you expect to get paid in this profession?

 

Believe it or not, major dailies hire people straight out of college, too.

 

Again, and not for debate, which dailies are we talking about?

 

I bet most major daily hires are straight from college.

 

The Washington Post, USA Today, The Miami Herald, The Kansas City Star, The Boston Globe, St. Petersburg Times, The New York Times.

Those places hired people I know, albeit not all well, straight out of college and gave them starting salaries more than Poynter's figure of $41,000.

 

That's the point. We're talking straight out of college. Those papers can afford those salaries but aren't giving them to folk straight out of college. And the seven papers you mentioned are among the highest circulated dailies in the country.

 

When I first started out, the guy whose spot on the sports staff I took, gave me the one piece of advice that towered over all others.

"OT and mileage. That's how you make money in this business."

My wage was $9.50/hour, but I brought home much more than that.

 

$41K a year is not some exorbitant salary in D.C. or NYC, thoug. Keep that in mind.