Typical salary for local sportswriter/sports editor

But, but, but..... you don't have to pay rent or buy your own food.

 

This thread just illustrates there are honest differences of opinion. A friend of mine recently quit a job that paid twice what I made because he hated working 60-70 hours a week and was way too stressed out.

Some people prefer the money, others prefer to focus on what they are actually doing all day. Fine. Whatever suits you.

But, getting back to the original question, based on the other responses here, an $11/hour would not surprise me. Sort of sad for a job that normally requires a four-year university degree. But it is what it is.

 

If it's something you love doing, keep freelancing, but with a family already started this is the wrong time to get into it. The other thing that you must factor in is the schedule and time demands. It is one thing to cherry pick assignments as a freelancer, but going fulltime is another animal altogether and you will discover that very quickly when you're expected to cover a high school football game instead of going to your kid's dance recital or baseball game or you lose date night on friday night with the wife because you are working the phones to get coaches or layout the paper or miss out on other family events because of somethign goign on. Factor in the pay cut, you have to ask yourself if it is worth it. $11/hr at a weekly is pretty standard and is geared to kids coming out of college because they can be chewed up and spit out with another group of young, energetic, eager kids coming up right behind them. After five and a half years, three and a half spent as a sports editor at three times weekly in a rich oil town, my salary was $12/hour based on a 40 hour week. My sister who happened to live in the same city was making as much as me working at Wendys. I of course never worked a 40 hour week, not sure if I ever worked less than a 55 hour week at the stop, but I was young, single and had no other commitments. I also woke up in red ink. But it is what I expected and prepared for.

I hope you figure it out and find a job that makes you happy Left, but keep in mind everything that is required of you for your low pay. And no milage or expenses is horseshit.