Journalist Salary in Eldridge, IA

How much does a Journalist make in Eldridge, IA?

As of August 01, 2026, the average salary for a Journalist in Eldridge, IA is $58,235 per year, which breaks down to an hourly rate of $28.

However, a Journalist's salary can vary significantly. Here’s a look at the typical salary range:

  • Top Earners (90th percentile): $71,190
  • Majority Range (25th-75th percentile): $53,099 to $65,016
  • Entry-Level (10th percentile): $48,423
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View as table View as graph 25% $53,099 10% $48,423 90% $71,190 75% $65,016 $58,235 50%(Median) Didn’t find job title? Click

Journalist Salaries by Percentile

Annual
Salary
Monthly
Pay
Weekly
Pay
Hourly
Wage
75th Percentile $65,016 $5,418 $1,250 $31
Average $58,235 $4,853 $1,120 $28
25th Percentile $53,099 $4,425 $1,021 $26
Check out Journalist Job Openings in Eldridge, IA
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Key Factors That Influence Journalist Salaries

A Journalist's salary isn't a fixed number. It's shaped by several important factors. Below, we'll explore how your years of experience, geographic location, skills, and company size can directly affect your earning potential.

How Experience Level Affects Journalist Salaries?

Experience is a primary driver of a Journalist's salary. As you build your skills and take on more complex tasks, your compensation generally increases. Here's how the average salary grows at different career stages:

  • Entry-Level (less than 1 year): $56,539
  • Early Career (1-2 years): $57,459
  • Mid-Level (2-4 years): $59,238
  • Senior-Level (5-8 years): $61,566
  • Expert (over 8 years): $61,768
Levels Salary
Entry Level Journalist$56,539
Intermediate Level Journalist$57,459
Senior Level Journalist$59,238
Specialist Level Journalist$61,566
Expert Level Journalist$61,768
$56,539 0 yr
$57,459 < 2 yrs
$59,238 2-4 yrs
$61,566 5-8 yrs
$61,768 > 8 yrs
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What Am I Worth?

Top Paying Cities for Journalists

Salaries can also vary between different cities. Major metropolitan areas or cities with a high demand for technicians often offer more competitive pay. Here are a few examples of average annual salaries in different U.S. cities:

  • San Jose: $77,950
  • San Francisco: $77,097
  • Oakland: $75,472

What Skills Can Increase a Journalist's Salary?

Demanded Skills for the Role:

  • Storytelling (Mentioned in 6.56% Job Postings): Planning, creating and presenting stories or narratives to achieve diverse personal and business goals.
  • News Reporting (Mentioned in 3.78% Job Postings): News reporting involves discovering all relevant facts, selecting and presenting the important facts and weaving a comprehensive story. Reporting involves hard work, which in turn involves stamina and patience. The main function of journalistic profession is news reporting.
  • Public Relations (Mentioned in 1.98% Job Postings): Public relations (PR) is the practice of deliberately managing the spread of information between an individual or an organization (such as a business, government agency, or a nonprofit organization) and the public. Public relations may include an organization or individual gaining exposure to their audiences using topics of public interest and news items that do not require direct payment. This differentiates it from advertising as a form of marketing communications. Public relations is the idea of creating coverage for clients for free, rather than marketing or advertising. But now, advertising is also a part of greater PR Activities. An example of good public relations would be generating an article featuring a client, rather than paying for the client to be advertised next to the article. The aim of public relations is to inform the public, prospective customers, investors, partners, employees, and other stakeholders and ultimately persuade them to maintain a positive or favorable view about the organization, its leadership, products, or political decisions. Public relations professionals typically work for PR and marketing firms, businesses and companies, government, and public officials as PIOs and nongovernmental organizations, and nonprofit organizations. Jobs central to public relations include account coordinator, account executive, account supervisor, and media relations manager.
See More Skills
Skills Demand Percentage
Storytelling 6.56%
News Reporting 3.78%
Public Relations 1.98%
What skills can make your compensation higher?
Mastering certain specialized skills can lead to a significant increase in pay. Here are examples of skills and the potential impact they can have on a Journalist's salary.
  • Media Relations: Can increase your salary by up to 20%.
  • Insight: Can increase your salary by up to 10%.
  • Public Relations: Can increase your salary by up to 9%.
Skill Salary Salary % Increase
Media Relations
$69,882
20%
Insight
$64,059
10%
Public Relations
$63,476
9%
Analysis
$62,894
8%
Verbal Communication
$61,729
6%
Collaboration
$61,147
5%
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Journalist Salary by Company Size: Startups vs. Enterprise

Journalist salary potential scales significantly with company size. Data shows that Enterprise companies (5,000+ employees) pay the highest average salary at around $62,712. While startup companies pay approximate $53,183.

Journalist Salary by Company Size

Company Size Employees Average Salary
Startup1~50$53,183
Growth Stage51~500$56,222
Established501~5000$60,597
Enterprise5000+$62,712

Journalist Salary by Industry: Top Paying Sectors

For Journalist roles, the industry you choose can impact your earning potential by as much as 60% (the gap between the highest and lowest paying industries). Data shows that the highest-paying industry, Media, offers compensation 30% above the average. Conversely, Journalist positions in Business Services typically offer lower base pay, as this sector often view Journalist as a support function rather than a direct revenue driver.

The top paying industry for a Journalist

Industry Sector Average Annual Salary Average Hourly Rate Pay vs.Avg
Media$75,706$36.030%

Journalist Salary: Hourly Rate, Weekly Pay, and Monthly Pay

Understanding how a Journalist's annual salary breaks down can help with budgeting. Below, you can see the average hourly rate, weekly pay, and monthly pay for this role. Use the buttons to switch between different pay periods.

Last Updated on August 01, 2026

Journalist Salary Growth & Career Path

For a Journalist, the most direct path to higher earnings is advancing to the Senior Digital Content Writer role. This promotion typically comes with a significant pay increase, bringing the average annual salary to $85,000 - a projected growth of 46% over your current level.

Find Your Next Journalist Job

Ready to take the next step in your career? Browse thousands of current Journalist job openings on our job board. Use the search bar below to find your perfect match.

United States
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    Eldridge, IA

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    Eldridge, IA

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    Eldridge, IA

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    Eldridge, IA

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    Eldridge, IA

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    Eldridge, IA

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Cost of Living In Eldridge, IA

Cost of Living in Eldridge, IA is
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