Broadcast Announcers and Radio Disc Jockeys
Broadcast Announcers and Radio Disc Jockeys (SOC 27-3011) earn a median $47,340 a year ($22.76 an hour) in the United States, with 21,240 employed as of May 2025; the highest-paying state is New York.
What broadcast announcers and radio disc jockeys do
Broadcast announcers and radio disc jockeys speak or read from scripts, such as news reports or commercial messages, on radio, television, or other media. They announce music, station breaks, commercials, or public service information, identify stations, and open or close shows, ad-libbing or following memorized or read scripts. Radio disc jockeys may play and queue music, announce the artist or title of a performance, and interview guests, and the work includes operating control consoles. They read news flashes to inform audiences, prepare and deliver news, sports, or weather reports by gathering and rewriting material, study background information to prepare for programs or interviews, record commercials for later broadcast, and keep daily program logs of everything aired. Alternate titles include anchor, game show host, and commercial announcer. News analysts, reporters, and journalists are counted separately, as are disc jockeys who play music at clubs and events.
Typical entry: According to O*NET, the most commonly reported level of education for this occupation is a bachelor's degree.
Also called: Anchor, Announcer, Broadcaster, Commercial Announcer, DJ.
National wage percentiles, May 2025
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||
| United States | Hourly | $13.55 | $17.00 | $22.76 | $36.29 | $66.56 | $37.85 | 21,240 |
| Annual | $28,190 | $35,360 | $47,340 | $75,480 | $138,440 | $78,720 | ||
Employment per 1,000 jobs and the location quotient are area measures; they appear in the state and metro tables below. To see what a wage in this range leaves after tax, use FastCalc's take-home pay calculator.
Where broadcast announcers and radio disc jockeys earn and work most
Five highest-paying states
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| New York | Hourly | $16.97 | $22.14 | $39.09 | $98.91 | $298.71 | $87.89 | 1,460 | 0.15 | 1.10 |
| Annual | $35,300 | $46,060 | $81,310 | $205,730 | $621,330 | $182,810 | ||||
| Maryland | Hourly | $17.96 | $26.90 | $35.81 | $52.95 | $76.67 | $44.64 | 290 | 0.11 | 0.77 |
| Annual | $37,350 | $55,950 | $74,480 | $110,140 | $159,470 | $92,840 | ||||
| New Jersey | Hourly | $19.42 | $24.34 | $34.04 | $83.02 | $129.85 | $60.14 | 190 | 0.04 | 0.33 |
| Annual | $40,390 | $50,640 | $70,800 | $172,670 | $270,090 | $125,080 | ||||
| Indiana | Hourly | $13.64 | $20.48 | $29.69 | $39.89 | $51.54 | $30.49 | 1,040 | 0.33 | 2.38 |
| Annual | $28,360 | $42,600 | $61,760 | $82,970 | $107,210 | $63,420 | ||||
| Nevada | Hourly | $16.00 | $21.51 | $29.07 | $65.14 | $150.79 | $58.21 | 160 | 0.10 | 0.74 |
| Annual | $33,280 | $44,730 | $60,460 | $135,480 | $313,640 | $121,090 | ||||
Five states with the most jobs
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| California | Hourly | * | * | * | * | * | * | 1,620 | 0.09 | 0.65 |
| Annual | * | * | * | * | * | * | ||||
| New York | Hourly | $16.97 | $22.14 | $39.09 | $98.91 | $298.71 | $87.89 | 1,460 | 0.15 | 1.10 |
| Annual | $35,300 | $46,060 | $81,310 | $205,730 | $621,330 | $182,810 | ||||
| Indiana | Hourly | $13.64 | $20.48 | $29.69 | $39.89 | $51.54 | $30.49 | 1,040 | 0.33 | 2.38 |
| Annual | $28,360 | $42,600 | $61,760 | $82,970 | $107,210 | $63,420 | ||||
| Florida | Hourly | $13.64 | $19.45 | $27.10 | $46.71 | $77.51 | $45.99 | 990 | 0.10 | 0.73 |
| Annual | $28,370 | $40,450 | $56,360 | $97,150 | $161,210 | $95,660 | ||||
| Tennessee | Hourly | $14.50 | $16.52 | $23.22 | $35.46 | $49.98 | $30.38 | 970 | 0.30 | 2.18 |
| Annual | $30,160 | $34,370 | $48,290 | $73,750 | $103,960 | $63,190 | ||||
Five highest-paying metropolitan areas
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | Hourly | $20.69 | $28.66 | $60.00 | $129.85 | $298.71 | $110.65 | 1,090 | 0.12 | 0.84 |
| Annual | $43,040 | $59,610 | $124,810 | $270,090 | $621,330 | $230,140 | ||||
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | Hourly | $21.07 | $24.10 | $42.32 | $63.87 | $83.43 | $53.84 | 260 | 0.11 | 0.81 |
| Annual | $43,820 | $50,130 | $88,030 | $132,850 | $173,530 | $111,990 | ||||
| Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX | Hourly | $18.51 | $24.29 | $40.23 | $63.53 | $113.01 | $48.07 | 120 | 0.09 | 0.65 |
| Annual | $38,510 | $50,520 | $83,680 | $132,140 | $235,050 | $99,980 | ||||
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | Hourly | $21.06 | $27.27 | $38.13 | $76.78 | $114.56 | $59.90 | 180 | 0.07 | 0.48 |
| Annual | $43,800 | $56,720 | $79,310 | $159,710 | $238,290 | $124,580 | ||||
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | Hourly | $17.96 | $26.39 | $36.40 | $61.12 | $100.98 | $52.09 | 290 | 0.09 | 0.67 |
| Annual | $37,350 | $54,890 | $75,710 | $127,120 | $210,030 | $108,340 | ||||
Five metropolitan areas with the most jobs
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | Hourly | $20.69 | $28.66 | $60.00 | $129.85 | $298.71 | $110.65 | 1,090 | 0.12 | 0.84 |
| Annual | $43,040 | $59,610 | $124,810 | $270,090 | $621,330 | $230,140 | ||||
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | Hourly | * | * | * | * | * | * | 600 | 0.10 | 0.70 |
| Annual | * | * | * | * | * | * | ||||
| Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN | Hourly | $15.00 | $17.28 | $23.24 | $37.21 | $60.47 | $32.78 | 560 | 0.51 | 3.73 |
| Annual | $31,200 | $35,930 | $48,340 | $77,390 | $125,780 | $68,190 | ||||
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | Hourly | $15.00 | $16.76 | $23.78 | $30.67 | $43.78 | $28.70 | 480 | 0.11 | 0.77 |
| Annual | $31,200 | $34,860 | $49,470 | $63,790 | $91,060 | $59,690 | ||||
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | Hourly | $21.26 | $21.27 | $21.43 | $37.67 | $58.50 | $36.43 | 420 | 0.20 | 1.47 |
| Annual | $44,210 | $44,230 | $44,580 | $78,350 | $121,690 | $75,770 | ||||
Top industries employing broadcast announcers and radio disc jockeys
Radio and Television Broadcasting Stations employ 62.8% of broadcast announcers and radio disc jockeys nationally (13,340 jobs) at a median $44,300 a year ($21.30 an hour), followed by Media Streaming Distribution Services, Social Networks, and Other Media Networks and Content Providers (19.2%) and Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (6.0%).
| Industry | Employment | Share of occupation | Median annual | Median hourly |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Radio and Television Broadcasting Stations NAICS 516100 | 13,340 | 62.8% | $44,300 | $21.30 |
| Media Streaming Distribution Services, Social Networks, and Other Media Networks and Content Providers NAICS 516200 | 4,080 | 19.2% | * | * |
| Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools NAICS 611300 | 1,270 | 6.0% | $64,160 | $30.85 |
| Spectator Sports NAICS 711200 | 770 | 3.6% | $73,720 | $35.44 |
| Independent Artists, Writers, and Performers NAICS 711500 | 470 | 2.2% | $122,200 | $58.75 |
Share is the industry's employment over the occupation's national employment (21,240). Industries whose employment BLS withheld are not ranked.
Published medians, May 2021 to May 2025
BLS published a median annual wage of $37,630 for broadcast announcers and radio disc jockeys in May 2021 and $47,340 in May 2025, with employment of 24,580 and 21,240.
| Release | Median annual | Median hourly | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 2021 | $37,630 | $18.09 | 24,580 |
| May 2022 | $41,750 | $20.07 | 26,820 |
| May 2023 | $44,890 | $21.58 | 25,070 |
| May 2024 | $45,680 | $21.96 | 23,880 |
| May 2025 | $47,340 | $22.76 | 21,240 |
BLS does not design OEWS as a time series: each release pools three years of samples, and occupational classifications, area definitions and estimation methods change between releases, so a difference between two releases is not a measure of change over time. The figures are shown as published, side by side, and nothing is computed from them. See how often OEWS is updated.
Every state, by median wage
50 states and DC publish a row for this occupation. A linked state has its own page with the within-state metro table and comparison; the others appear here only.
| Rank | State | Median hourly | Median annual | 10th pct (annual) | 90th pct (annual) | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | New York profile | $39.09 | $81,310 | $35,300 | $621,330 | 1,460 | 0.15 | 1.10 |
| 2 | Maryland profile | $35.81 | $74,480 | $37,350 | $159,470 | 290 | 0.11 | 0.77 |
| 3 | New Jersey profile | $34.04 | $70,800 | $40,390 | $270,090 | 190 | 0.04 | 0.33 |
| 4 | Indiana profile | $29.69 | $61,760 | $28,360 | $107,210 | 1,040 | 0.33 | 2.38 |
| 5 | Nevada profile | $29.07 | $60,460 | $33,280 | $313,640 | 160 | 0.10 | 0.74 |
| 6 | Massachusetts profile | $28.94 | $60,200 | $36,260 | $213,970 | 280 | 0.08 | 0.55 |
| 7 | Florida profile | $27.10 | $56,360 | $28,370 | $161,210 | 990 | 0.10 | 0.73 |
| 8 | Rhode Island profile | $26.50 | $55,110 | $31,200 | $131,790 | 90 | 0.18 | 1.30 |
| 9 | Pennsylvania profile | $25.04 | $52,080 | $26,370 | $109,110 | 830 | 0.14 | 1.00 |
| 10 | Hawaii profile | $24.53 | $51,030 | $35,390 | $166,400 | 140 | 0.23 | 1.69 |
| 11 | Colorado profile | $24.35 | $50,660 | $32,410 | $180,930 | 310 | 0.11 | 0.79 |
| 12 | Texas profile | $23.58 | $49,050 | $22,990 | $157,830 | 960 | 0.07 | 0.50 |
| 13 | Tennessee profile | $23.22 | $48,290 | $30,160 | $103,960 | 970 | 0.30 | 2.18 |
| 14 | Arizona profile | $23.04 | $47,930 | $32,630 | $202,370 | 410 | 0.13 | 0.94 |
| 15 | North Carolina profile | $23.03 | $47,910 | $22,540 | $176,730 | 830 | 0.17 | 1.23 |
| 16 | Idaho profile | $22.57 | $46,940 | $31,150 | $99,510 | 50 | 0.06 | 0.43 |
| 17 | Illinois profile | $22.46 | $46,720 | $31,200 | $82,720 | 770 | 0.13 | 0.92 |
| 18 | Michigan profile | $22.42 | $46,640 | $25,960 | $130,350 | 650 | 0.15 | 1.09 |
| 19 | Oregon profile | $22.21 | $46,190 | $33,240 | $72,810 | 240 | 0.12 | 0.87 |
| 20 | Utah profile | $22.15 | $46,080 | $32,810 | $147,430 | 190 | 0.11 | 0.79 |
| 21 | New Hampshire profile | $22.11 | $46,000 | $34,560 | $75,880 | 70 | 0.10 | 0.72 |
| 22 | Missouri profile | $21.85 | $45,460 | $29,120 | $102,480 | 470 | 0.16 | 1.17 |
| 23 | Nebraska profile | $21.64 | $45,020 | $28,440 | $73,990 | 280 | 0.28 | 2.02 |
| 24 | Alaska profile | $21.53 | $44,790 | $34,040 | $78,080 | 80 | 0.23 | 1.70 |
| 25 | Washington profile | $21.36 | $44,420 | $38,750 | $102,910 | 620 | 0.17 | 1.27 |
| 26 | Virginia profile | $21.35 | $44,400 | $27,000 | $94,130 | 460 | 0.11 | 0.81 |
| 27 | Maine profile | $21.15 | $44,000 | $30,470 | $62,090 | 170 | 0.26 | 1.93 |
| 28 | Minnesota profile | $20.93 | $43,530 | $28,360 | $75,730 | 750 | 0.25 | 1.85 |
| 29 | Ohio profile | $20.41 | $42,440 | $24,040 | $87,830 | 910 | 0.16 | 1.20 |
| 30 | Georgia profile | $20.20 | $42,020 | $24,700 | $102,380 | 490 | 0.10 | 0.74 |
| 31 | South Dakota profile | $19.53 | $40,630 | $28,580 | $53,940 | 230 | 0.49 | 3.62 |
| 32 | Wisconsin profile | $19.54 | $40,630 | $28,090 | $104,600 | 580 | 0.20 | 1.44 |
| 33 | New Mexico profile | $18.72 | $38,940 | $25,820 | $68,250 | 190 | 0.22 | 1.60 |
| 34 | Alabama profile | $18.53 | $38,530 | $21,170 | $76,230 | 300 | 0.14 | 1.05 |
| 35 | North Dakota profile | $18.51 | $38,500 | $28,350 | $65,300 | 180 | 0.42 | 3.10 |
| 36 | Iowa profile | $17.83 | $37,090 | $20,800 | $59,970 | 320 | 0.21 | 1.51 |
| 37 | Wyoming profile | $17.67 | $36,760 | $29,190 | $56,130 | 50 | 0.19 | 1.40 |
| 38 | Kentucky profile | $17.39 | $36,170 | $22,160 | $102,420 | 340 | 0.17 | 1.24 |
| 39 | Arkansas profile | $17.38 | $36,160 | $24,680 | $45,540 | 300 | 0.23 | 1.71 |
| 40 | Oklahoma profile | $17.36 | $36,110 | $22,960 | $80,180 | 300 | 0.18 | 1.30 |
| 41 | West Virginia profile | $17.02 | $35,400 | $21,750 | $46,520 | 130 | 0.18 | 1.31 |
| 42 | Vermont profile | $16.93 | $35,220 | $30,820 | $58,620 | 110 | 0.38 | 2.76 |
| 43 | Kansas profile | $16.89 | $35,130 | $16,650 | $57,900 | 440 | 0.31 | 2.26 |
| 44 | Montana profile | $16.83 | $35,000 | $29,370 | $55,290 | 130 | 0.26 | 1.89 |
| 45 | Mississippi profile | $16.37 | $34,040 | $17,820 | $163,530 | 160 | 0.14 | 1.04 |
| 46 | Louisiana profile | $15.87 | $33,020 | $18,920 | $73,400 | 190 | 0.10 | 0.72 |
| 47 | South Carolina profile | $14.88 | $30,960 | $18,960 | $93,420 | 150 | 0.07 | 0.49 |
| – | California profile | * | * | * | * | 1,620 | 0.09 | 0.65 |
| – | Connecticut profile | * | * | * | * | 290 | 0.17 | 1.24 |
| – | District of Columbia profile | * | * | * | * | 70 | 0.10 | 0.75 |
Part of Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media Occupations. Compare any area in the wage explorer.
Source and notes
Data: BLS OEWS May 2025, released 2026-05-15. Cross-industry estimates, all ownerships. BLS page: OEWS 27-3011 Broadcast Announcers and Radio Disc Jockeys.
*- Wage estimate not available.
- Annual wages assume 2,080 hours a year at the hourly rate; occupations BLS publishes on one basis only show an en dash (–) on the other.
- Employment is rounded to the nearest 10 by BLS. Where BLS withholds a cell, nothing is estimated in its place.
- Top industries: nat4d_M2025_dl.xlsx in oesm25in4.zip (BLS OEWS May 2025, national, 4-digit NAICS, cross-ownership). Employment is the industry's rounded total for this occupation; industries whose employment BLS withheld (**) are not ranked. A withheld or top-coded median in that table shows the marker explained above.
- Published medians: national_M2021_dl.xlsx to national_M2024_dl.xlsx in oesm21nat.zip to oesm24nat.zip (BLS OEWS May 2021 to May 2024, national, cross-industry, all ownerships) and the May 2025 spine. Each release is shown as published; nothing is computed between them.
Sources
- BLS Standard Occupational Classification 2018, definition of 27-3011, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- O*NET 30.1 Database, 27-3011.00, National Center for O*NET Development, USDOL/ETA (CC BY 4.0).
- OEWS May 2025 national industry-specific estimates, 4-digit NAICS (oesm25in4.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2021 national estimates (oesm21nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2022 national estimates (oesm22nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2023 national estimates (oesm23nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2024 national estimates (oesm24nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2025 national estimates (oesm25nat.zip), the site's data spine, US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
Includes information from O*NET 30.1 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration, used under the CC BY 4.0 license.
Description written 2026-10-17 in our own words from the sources above.