The data and information provided on this page for the degree program in Mass Communication come from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Listed below are the Standard Occupational Codes (S.O.C.) for the paid positions for which a Bachelor of Science for Mass Communication -- B.S. degree might be appropriate qualifications. On this page is also provided employment estimates and mean wage estimates for broadcasters and journalists. In addition, there are links to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics website for all of the information that follows:

 

 

 

25-1122 Communications Teachers, Postsecondary

 

Teach courses in communications, such as organizational communications, public relations, radio/television broadcasting, and journalism. Include both teachers primarily engaged in teaching and those who do a combination of both teaching and research.

 

 

2001 National Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

These estimates are calculated with data collected from employers in all industry divisions in metropolitan and non-metropolitan areas in every State and the District of Columbia. These and other data elements, including the 10th, 25th, 75th, and 90th percentile wages are available in the downloadable excel files. Estimates do not include self-employed workers.

 

Employment estimate and mean wage estimates for this occupation:

 

 

Percentile wage estimates for this occupation:

About 2001 National, State, and Metropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

Percentile wage estimates show the percentage of workers in an occupation that earn less than a given wage and the percentage that earn more. The median wage is the 50th percentile wage estimate—50 percent of workers earn less than the median and 50 percent of workers earn more than the median. More about percentile wages.

 

 

 

27-3011 Radio and Television Announcers

 

Speak or read from scripted materials, such as news reports or commercial messages, on radio or television. May announce artist or title of performance, identify station, or interview guests. Excludes "Broadcast News Analysts" (27-3021).

 

National estimates for this occupation
Industry profile for this occupation
Geographic profile for this occupation

 

Employment estimate and mean wage estimates for this occupation:

 

 

Percentile wage estimates for this occupation:

 

Industries with the highest published employment and wages for this occupation are provided. For a list of all industries with employment in this occupation, see the Create Customized Tables function.

 

 

Industries with the highest levels of employment in this occupation:

Industry	Employment (1)	Percent of industry employment	Hourly mean wage	Annual mean wage (2)
Radio and Television Broadcasting	30,170	14.18	$18.56	$38,610
Independent Artists, Writers, and Performers	440	0.97	(8)	(8)
Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools	390	0.01	$22.60	$47,000
Cable and Other Subscription Programming	280	0.35	$28.68	$59,650
Spectator Sports	260	0.20	$38.00	$79,050

 

 

Industries with the highest concentration of employment in this occupation:

Industry	Employment (1)	Percent of industry employment	Hourly mean wage	Annual mean wage (2)
Radio and Television Broadcasting	30,170	14.18	$18.56	$38,610
Independent Artists, Writers, and Performers	440	0.97	(8)	(8)
Cable and Other Subscription Programming	280	0.35	$28.68	$59,650
Spectator Sports	260	0.20	$38.00	$79,050
Promoters of Performing Arts, Sports, and Similar Events	60	0.06	$21.29	$44,280

 

 

Top paying industries for this occupation:

Industry	Employment (1)	Percent of industry employment	Hourly mean wage	Annual mean wage (2)
Spectator Sports	260	0.20	$38.00	$79,050
Motion Picture and Video Industries	70	0.02	$32.67	$67,950
Cable and Other Subscription Programming	280	0.35	$28.68	$59,650
Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools	390	0.01	$22.60	$47,000
Promoters of Performing Arts, Sports, and Similar Events	60	0.06	$21.29	$44,280

 

States and areas with the highest published employment, location quotients, and wages for this occupation are provided. For a list of all areas with employment in this occupation, see the Create Customized Tables function.

 

States with the highest employment level in this occupation:

State	Employment (1)	Employment per thousand jobs	Location quotient (9)	Hourly mean wage	Annual mean wage (2)
California	2,510	0.18	0.70	$27.48	$57,150
New York	2,230	0.27	1.04	$28.64	$59,560
Texas	1,800	0.18	0.70	$21.24	$44,180
Florida	1,540	0.22	0.84	$19.55	$40,670
Pennsylvania	1,520	0.28	1.08	$15.85	$32,960

 

27-3012 Public Address System and other Announcers

 

Make announcements over public address system at sporting or other public events. May act as master of ceremonies or disc jockey at weddings, parties, clubs, or other gathering places.

 

National estimates for this occupation
Industry profile for this occupation
Geographic profile for this occupation

 

 

Employment estimate and mean wage estimates for this occupation:

 

Percentile wage estimates for this occupation:

 

 

Industries with the highest published employment and wages for this occupation are provided. For a list of all industries with employment in this occupation, see the Create Customized Tables function.

 

Industries with the highest levels of employment in this occupation:

Industry	Employment (1)	Percent of industry employment	Hourly mean wage	Annual mean wage (2)
Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages)	2,720	0.79	$17.35	$36,090
Independent Artists, Writers, and Performers	1,630	3.59	$19.47	$40,490
Radio and Television Broadcasting	620	0.29	$14.13	$29,390
Other Amusement and Recreation Industries	570	0.05	$11.39	$23,700
Performing Arts Companies	420	0.37	$21.71	$45,160

 

Industries with the highest concentration of employment in this occupation:

Industry	Employment (1)	Percent of industry employment	Hourly mean wage	Annual mean wage (2)
Independent Artists, Writers, and Performers	1,630	3.59	$19.47	$40,490
Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages)	2,720	0.79	$17.35	$36,090
Performing Arts Companies	420	0.37	$21.71	$45,160
Spectator Sports	400	0.30	$19.94	$41,470
Radio and Television Broadcasting	620	0.29	$14.13	$29,390

 

Top paying industries for this occupation:

Industry	Employment (1)	Percent of industry employment	Hourly mean wage	Annual mean wage (2)
Promoters of Performing Arts, Sports, and Similar Events	40	0.04	$28.13	$58,510
Full-Service Restaurants	(8)	(8)	$23.21	$48,270
Performing Arts Companies	420	0.37	$21.71	$45,160
Spectator Sports	400	0.30	$19.94	$41,470
Independent Artists, Writers, and Performers	1,630	3.59	$19.47	$40,490

 

States and areas with the highest published employment, location quotients, and wages for this occupation are provided. For a list of all areas with employment in this occupation, see the Create Customized Tables function.

 

States with the highest employment level in this occupation:

State	Employment (1)	Employment per thousand jobs	Location quotient (9)	Hourly mean wage	Annual mean wage (2)
California	990	0.07	1.19	$20.20	$42,020
Texas	630	0.06	1.06	$13.21	$27,470
Minnesota	560	0.22	3.67	$18.02	$37,490
New York	530	0.06	1.06	$23.81	$49,530
Wisconsin	440	0.17	2.83	$19.09	$39,720

 

27-3020 News Analysts, Reporters and Correspondents

This broad occupation includes the following two detailed occupations:

 

• Nature of the Work
• Training, Other Qualifications, and Advancement
• Employment
• Job Outlook
• Projections
• Earnings
• Wages
• Related Occupations
• Sources of Additional Information

 

 

Significant Points

Competition will be keen for jobs at large metropolitan and national newspapers, broadcast stations, and magazines; small publications and broadcast stations and online newspapers and magazines should provide the best opportunities. Most employers prefer individuals with a bachelor's degree in journalism or mass communications and experience gained at school newspapers or broadcasting stations or through internships with news organizations.Jobs often involve long, irregular hours and pressure to meet deadlines.

 

 

27-3021 Broadcast News Analysts
Analyze, interpret, and broadcast news received from various sources.

 

National estimates for this occupation
Industry profile for this occupation
Geographic profile for this occupation

 

 

 

Employment estimate and mean wage estimates for this occupation:

 

 

Percentile wage estimates for this occupation:

 

 

 

Industries with the highest published employment and wages for this occupation are provided. For a list of all industries with employment in this occupation, see the Create Customized Tables function.

 

 

Industries with the highest levels of employment in this occupation:

Industry	Employment (1)	Percent of industry employment	Hourly mean wage	Annual mean wage (2)
Radio and Television Broadcasting	4,620	2.17	$36.40	$75,720
Other Information Services	360	0.26	$22.76	$47,340
Cable and Other Subscription Programming	310	0.39	$35.53	$73,910
Newspaper, Periodical, Book, and Directory Publishers	100	0.02	$29.96	$62,320
Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools	50	0.00	$25.20	$52,420

 

 

Industries with the highest concentration of employment in this occupation:

Industry	Employment (1)	Percent of industry employment	Hourly mean wage	Annual mean wage (2)
Radio and Television Broadcasting	4,620	2.17	$36.40	$75,720
Cable and Other Subscription Programming	310	0.39	$35.53	$73,910
Other Information Services	360	0.26	$22.76	$47,340
Newspaper, Periodical, Book, and Directory Publishers	100	0.02	$29.96	$62,320
Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools	50	0.00	$25.20	$52,420

 

 

Top paying industries for this occupation:

Industry	Employment (1)	Percent of industry employment	Hourly mean wage	Annual mean wage (2)
Radio and Television Broadcasting	4,620	2.17	$36.40	$75,720
Cable and Other Subscription Programming	310	0.39	$35.53	$73,910
Newspaper, Periodical, Book, and Directory Publishers	100	0.02	$29.96	$62,320
Advertising, Public Relations, and Related Services	(8)	(8)	$28.15	$58,540
Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools	50	(7)	$25.20	$52,420

 

 

States and areas with the highest published employment, location quotients, and wages for this occupation are provided. For a list of all areas with employment in this occupation, see the Create Customized Tables function.

 

 

States with the highest employment level in this occupation:

State	Employment (1)	Employment per thousand jobs	Location quotient (9)	Hourly mean wage	Annual mean wage (2)
California	590	0.04	0.94	$35.08	$72,960
New York	380	0.05	1.01	$39.11	$81,350
North Carolina	310	0.08	1.86	$34.87	$72,520
Georgia	310	0.08	1.84	$37.26	$77,510
Texas	300	0.03	0.67	$39.88	$82,950

 

27-3022 Reporters and Correspondents

 

Collect and analyze facts about newsworthy events by interview, investigation, or observation. Report and write stories for newspaper, news magazine, radio, or television. Exclude "Broadcast News Analysts" (27-3021).

 

 

National estimates for this occupation
Industry profile for this occupation
State profile for this occupation
Metropolitan area profile for this occupation

 

 

Employment estimate and mean wage estimates for this occupation:

Employment (1)	Employment RSE (3)	Mean hourly wage	Mean annual wage (2)	Wage RSE (3)
50,690	2.1 %	$21.17	$44,030	1.6 %

 

Percentile wage estimates for this occupation:

 

Industries with the highest published employment and wages for this occupation are provided. For a list of all industries with employment in this occupation, see the Create Customized Tables function.

 

Industries with the highest levels of employment in this occupation:

Industry	Employment	Hourly mean wage	Annual mean wage
Newspaper, Periodical, Book, and Directory Publishers	37,500	$19.50	$40,560
Radio and Television Broadcasting	9,670	$24.72	$51,410
Other Information Services	1,830	$34.23	$71,200
Cable and Other Subscription Programming	320	$26.50	$55,110
Local Government (OES designation)	210	$24.14	$50,220

 

Top paying industries for this occupation:

Industry	Employment	Hourly mean wage	Annual mean wage
Other Information Services	1,830	$34.23	$71,200
Cable and Other Subscription Programming	320	$26.50	$55,110
Radio and Television Broadcasting	9,670	$24.72	$51,410
Religious Organizations	30	$24.29	$50,530
Local Government (OES designation)	210	$24.14	$50,220

 

States with the highest published employment concentrations and wages for this occupation are provided. For a list of all States with employment in this occupation, see the Create Customized Tables function.

 

States with the highest concentration of workers in this occupation:

State	Employment	Hourly mean wage	Annual mean wage	Percent of State employment
District of Columbia	1,990	$35.27	$73,360	0.313%
South Dakota	340	$12.56	$26,130	0.086%
North Dakota	240	$12.79	$26,610	0.069%
Alaska	190	$16.36	$34,030	0.062%
Nebraska	560	$14.52	$30,200	0.060%

 

Top paying States for this occupation:

State	Employment	Hourly mean wage	Annual mean wage	Percent of State employment
District of Columbia	1,990	$35.27	$73,360	0.313%
New York	4,270	$28.58	$59,440	0.049%
Maryland	840	$27.51	$57,220	0.033%
Rhode Island	150	$26.73	$55,600	0.031%
New Jersey	1,350	$26.40	$54,910	0.034%

 

 

27-3031 Public Relations Specialists

 

Engage in promoting or creating an intended public image for individuals, groups, or organizations. May write or select material for release to various communications media.

 

National estimates for this occupation
Industry profile for this occupation
Geographic profile for this occupation

 

Employment estimate and mean wage estimates for this occupation:

 

Percentile wage estimates for this occupation:

 

Industries with the highest published employment and wages for this occupation are provided. For a list of all industries with employment in this occupation, see the Create Customized Tables function.

 

Industries with the highest levels of employment in this occupation:

Industry	Employment (1)	Percent of industry employment	Hourly mean wage	Annual mean wage (2)
Advertising, Public Relations, and Related Services	30,660	7.50	$33.51	$69,700
Business, Professional, Labor, Political, and Similar Organizations	20,030	4.72	$28.74	$59,770
Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools	16,770	0.59	$25.73	$53,510
Local Government (OES Designation)	10,020	0.18	$26.95	$56,050
Management of Companies and Enterprises	9,540	0.50	$30.11	$62,630

 

Industries with the highest concentration of employment in this occupation:

Industry	Employment (1)	Percent of industry employment	Hourly mean wage	Annual mean wage (2)
Advertising, Public Relations, and Related Services	30,660	7.50	$33.51	$69,700
Grantmaking and Giving Services	7,600	6.15	$26.97	$56,110
Business, Professional, Labor, Political, and Similar Organizations	20,030	4.72	$28.74	$59,770
Social Advocacy Organizations	6,990	3.68	$25.95	$53,970
Lessors of Nonfinancial Intangible Assets (except Copyrighted Works)	520	2.09	$29.08	$60,490

 

Top paying industries for this occupation:

Industry	Employment (1)	Percent of industry employment	Hourly mean wage	Annual mean wage (2)
Federal Executive Branch (OES Designation)	4,970	0.24	$41.67	$86,660
Postal Service	80	0.01	$40.54	$84,330
Computer Systems Design and Related Services	3,560	0.25	$39.69	$82,560
Motor Vehicle Manufacturing	(8)	(8)	$39.46	$82,080
Professional and Commercial Equipment and Supplies Merchant Wholesalers	650	0.11	$39.17	$81,480

 

States and areas with the highest published employment, location quotients, and wages for this occupation are provided. For a list of all areas with employment in this occupation, see the Create Customized Tables function.

 

States with the highest employment level in this occupation:

State	Employment (1)	Employment per thousand jobs	Location quotient (9)	Hourly mean wage	Annual mean wage (2)
California	24,150	1.73	0.97	$32.22	$67,010
New York	21,610	2.59	1.46	$33.37	$69,410
Texas	20,190	2.00	1.13	$28.19	$58,630
Florida	12,190	1.72	0.97	$27.51	$57,210
Pennsylvania	10,060	1.84	1.03	$28.54	$59,370

 

 

 

27-3090 Miscellaneous Media and Communication Workers

 

This broad occupation includes the following two detailed occupations:

 

27-3091 Interpreters and Translators

27-3099 Media and Communication Workers, All Other

 

 

27-3091 Interpreters and Translators

Interpreters and Translators

Nature of the Work
• Training, Other Qualifications, and Advancement
• Employment
• Job Outlook
• Projections
• Earnings
• Wages
• Related Occupations
• Sources of Additional Information

 

 

Significant Points

*About 26 percent of interpreters and translators are self-employed; many freelance and work in this occupation only sporadically.

*In addition to needing fluency in at least two languages, many interpreters and translators need a bachelor's degree.

*Employment is expected to grow much faster than average.

• *Job prospects vary by specialty and language.

 

 

Projections Data About this section

Projections data from the National Employment Matrix

Occupational Title	SOC Code	Employment, 2008	Projected Employment, 2018	Change, 2008-18		Detailed Statistics
				Number	Percent
Interpreters and translators	27-3091	50,900	62,200	11,300	22	[PDF]	[XLS]
NOTE: Data in this table are rounded. See the discussion of the employment projections table in the Handbook introductory chapter on Occupational Information Included in the Handbook.

 

Earnings About this section

 

Wage and salary interpreters and translators had median annual wages of $38,850 in May 2008. The middle 50 percent earned between $28,940 and $52,240. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $22,170, and the highest 10 percent earned more than $69,190. Individuals classified as language specialists in the Federal Government earned an average of $79,865 annually in March 2009.

 

Earnings depend on language, subject matter, skill, experience, education, certification, and type of employer, and salaries of interpreters and translators can vary widely. Interpreters and translators who know languages for which there is a greater demand, or which relatively few people can translate, often have higher earnings, as do those who perform services requiring a high level of skill, such as conference interpreters.

 

For those who are not salaried, earnings typically fluctuate, depending on the availability of work. Freelance interpreters usually earn an hourly rate, whereas translators who freelance typically earn a rate per word or per hour.

 

 

27-3099 Media and Communication Workers, All Other

 

 

National estimates for this occupation
Industry profile for this occupation
Geographic profile for this occupation

 

 

Employment estimate and mean wage estimates for this occupation:

 

Percentile wage estimates for this occupation:

 

Industries with the highest published employment and wages for this occupation are provided. For a list of all industries with employment in this occupation, see the Create Customized Tables function.

 

Industries with the highest levels of employment in this occupation:

Industry	Employment (1)	Percent of industry employment	Hourly mean wage	Annual mean wage (2)
Motion Picture and Video Industries	5,260	1.48	$30.13	$62,670
Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools	2,300	0.08	$23.35	$48,570
Advertising, Public Relations, and Related Services	2,130	0.52	$23.92	$49,740
Radio and Television Broadcasting	1,410	0.66	$18.53	$38,540
Local Government (OES Designation)	1,110	0.02	$20.90	$43,470

 

Industries with the highest concentration of employment in this occupation:

Industry	Employment (1)	Percent of industry employment	Hourly mean wage	Annual mean wage (2)
Motion Picture and Video Industries	5,260	1.48	$30.13	$62,670
Radio and Television Broadcasting	1,410	0.66	$18.53	$38,540
Sound Recording Industries	110	0.64	$16.07	$33,430
Independent Artists, Writers, and Performers	280	0.62	$33.66	$70,000
Performing Arts Companies	660	0.58	$23.49	$48,850

 

Top paying industries for this occupation:

Industry	Employment (1)	Percent of industry employment	Hourly mean wage	Annual mean wage (2)
Independent Artists, Writers, and Performers	280	0.62	$33.66	$70,000
Professional and Commercial Equipment and Supplies Merchant Wholesalers	40	0.01	$31.87	$66,280
Aerospace Product and Parts Manufacturing	80	0.02	$30.31	$63,040
Motion Picture and Video Industries	5,260	1.48	$30.13	$62,670
Management, Scientific, and Technical Consulting Services	190	0.02	$29.72	$61,810

 

States and areas with the highest published employment, location quotients, and wages for this occupation are provided. For a list of all areas with employment in this occupation, see the Create Customized Tables function.

 

States with the highest employment level in this occupation:

State	Employment (1)	Employment per thousand jobs	Location quotient (9)	Hourly mean wage	Annual mean wage (2)
California	7,200	0.51	2.75	$29.15	$60,630
Minnesota	2,640	1.03	5.53	$23.10	$48,040
Florida	1,460	0.21	1.10	$18.42	$38,320
Illinois	1,420	0.26	1.38	$22.02	$45,790
Washington	1,060	0.39	2.10	$20.88	$43,440

 

 

 

 

 

 

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