Radio News Salaries Rise for Second Straight Year

RADIO ONLINE | Wednesday, September 16, 2026 | 2:16pm CT

Radio news salaries increased for the second consecutive year in 2025, rising 7.64% and outpacing the 2.9% U.S. inflation rate, according to the latest RTDNA/Newhouse School at Syracuse University Survey.

The increase was considerably smaller than the 14.5% jump reported a year earlier. News reporters, sports anchors and sports reporters recorded the largest average salary gains, while news producers experienced the steepest decline. Average producer pay fell by nearly $10,000 to the low $50,000 range.

News Director salaries also declined on average, largely because of a sharp drop in the highest salary reported for the position. Median news director pay, however, increased slightly.

The survey found a widening salary gap between commercial and non-commercial radio. In the largest markets, average salaries at non-commercial stations were 30.6% higher than those at commercial outlets. Researchers said the change was primarily attributable to falling commercial station salaries rather than significant gains at non-commercial stations.

Results by market size were mixed. Major markets reported salary declines for most positions but continued to offer the highest pay overall, while large markets recorded the strongest gains.

Starting salaries also slipped. Average and median pay for employees entering radio news with no full-time experience fell more than 8%, returning to roughly 2024 levels. At the same time, the minimum starting salary reported by stations increased nearly 24%.

More radio newsroom employees were working under contracts, while the use of non-compete agreements declined for most positions. Sports anchors were an exception, with non-compete use increasing for that position.

Finding employees remains a challenge for many stations. More than one-quarter of news directors and general managers with job openings said hiring had become more difficult, increasing to more than one-third among commercial stations. About 29% said they were unable to find the right candidates for available positions.

The annual survey was conducted during the fourth quarter of 2025 and included responses from more than 1,100 television stations and nearly 600 radio stations. The research is conducted by RTDNA and the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications at Syracuse University.