Typical salary for local sportswriter/sports editor

What would you see would be the average salary/per hour for a sports editor for a county newspaper? How about for just a sportswriter?

I know sportswriters are underpaid but I was offered $11 per hour and it seems too low when you consider I would not be compensated for gas and other expenses.

 

You're not allowed to claim mileage?

 

I got the impression that I would not when I had the interview.

Also, I should make myself more clear. This would be covering just high school sports.

 

I've heard of much lower than $11/hour, but if they're not allowing you to claim any mileage, I would run and run fast. Because if a company is that cheap, you're just seeing the beginning of it.

 

Without knowing the cost of living in your area, that figure ($440/week before taxes) seems awfully low -- especially if you won't be reimbursed for mileage and other legitimate work-related expenses.

Unless you're fresh out of college or otherwise looking to break into the business -- and, for the love of God, why? -- I'd be very inclined to pass.

While it's true you can deduct non-reimbursed expenses from your taxes, that's cold comfort if you'll be spending $100/week on gas driving all over your coverage area.

 

Two words: Never enough.

 

Joke answer: It's never enough

Somewhat serious answer: I've seen smaller papers pay more than papers with 3-4X the circulation size for a similar job description so there really is no exact science to it. And it does depend on market. $35-40K in a rural area in the South is a pretty good livable wage but put that in a major market like New York, Atlanta, L.A., etc, you'd starve to death. Depending on market, $11 an hour is low but if you're a kid fresh out of college with no wife or kids, it's doable.

As for mileage, that is odd. Heck, I've interviewed with more than one paper in my career that actually reimbursed me for mileage to drive to the interview, and one of those was a sizable drive.

 

They'll find someone to do the job for $11 an hour. They don't much care if it's you.

If these salaries bother you, I would suggest finding a different career path while you still have time.

 

You have to pay your dues and even then, the pay days aren't great. If you like rewarding work and low pay, remain a journalist. If not, find something else.

 

I'm in New England, and entry level for most of the community weeklies for news seems to be, at most, $25,000, which normally works out to $12 an hour. Sports is usually a few bucks less per hour because they normally get more qualified applicants - I think one place hired someone at $9.50 or $10 an hour in the past year, but they do have travel / mileage vouchers. I've never heard of a paper not offering that to employees. Isn't it generally a tax write-off of some sort for the company...?

If you're managing - i.e. by sports editor, you're actual overseeing a couple people - then $11 an hour seems incredibly low. If by "sports editor" it's just a one-man shop, then it makes more sense.

 

Is it full time? Health? My first FT job was around 11 but it was with health...probably wouldn't have taken it without the health. Depends on the area, chain too.

 

my first gig paid $10.50/hr. with mileage, etc. They even put me up in a hotel the first week on the job while I found a place to live. It is what you make of it.
Got to cover a Triple-A baseball team and did some features on local grads at A&M and U of Houston.
If you don't love the job, I'm sure it's miserable. I enjoy it and don't feel like I've done any real "work" in years.