As of August 01, 2026, the average annual salary for News Director in Washington, DC is $138,569, equivalent to $67 per hour, $2,665 weekly, or $11,547 monthly. These figures, sourced from Salary.com’s real-time job posting scans, highlight competitive earning potential for News Director in cities like San Jose, Santa Clara, and San Francisco.

Annually Salaries for News Director in Washington, DC vary widely, spanning from $117,045 to $169,417. Most professionals fall between the 25th percentile ($127,302) and 75th percentile ($154,716), while top earners (90th percentile) make $169,417 per year. This $27,414 pay gap underscores opportunities for salary growth through certifications, specialized skills like Leadership or Photoshop, or targeting high-paying regions like District of Columbia or California.

Location and experience significantly influence earnings. For example, Washington News Director often earn 0.5% higher than national averages. However, Washington currently ranks 79 statewide for News Director job salary. Professionals are advised to focus on high-growth sectors like to offset market challenges.

Based on HR-reported data: a national average with a geographic differential
News Director Salaries by Percentile
Percentile Salary Location Last Updated
10th Percentile News Director Salary $117,045 Washington, DC August 01, 2026
25th Percentile News Director Salary $127,302 Washington, DC August 01, 2026
50th Percentile News Director Salary $138,569 Washington, DC August 01, 2026
75th Percentile News Director Salary $154,716 Washington, DC August 01, 2026
90th Percentile News Director Salary $169,417 Washington, DC August 01, 2026
25% $127,302 10% $117,045 90% $169,417 75% $154,716 $138,569 50%(Median) Didn’t find job title? Click
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What is a News Director ?

A news director is an individual at a broadcast station or network or a newspaper who is in charge of the news department. In local news, the news director is typically in charge of the entire news staff, including journalists, news presenters, photographers, copy writers, television producers, and other technical staff. The director also keeps track of how the show is going on, as well as talking to the producer to get things going. Typically, the only individual at a station/network or publication who wields more power than the news director is a general manager or company president....

Source: Wikipedia (as of 04/17/2019). Read more from Wikipedia

See user submitted job responsibilities for News Director.

Job Openings for News Director in Washington, DC

Career Path for this job

  1. Down a level:

    Creative Production Manager

    5 + years experience
    Bachelor's Degree

  2. This Job:

    News Director


    Bachelor's Degree

Understand the total compensation opportunity for a News Director, base salary plus other pay elements

Average Base Salary

Core compensation

 
 
 
127302
154716
138569

Average Total Cash Compensation

Includes base and annual incentives

 
 
 
161512
220140
190592
These charts show the average base salary (core compensation), as well as the average total cash compensation for the job of News Director in Washington, DC. The base salary for News Director ranges from $127,302 to $154,716 with the average base salary of $138,569. The total cash compensation, which includes base, and annual incentives, can vary anywhere from $161,512 to $220,140 with the average total cash compensation of $190,592.

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127302
154716

 

About Washington, District of Columbia    Washington, D.C. is located in the mid-Atlantic region of the U.S. East Coast. Due to the District of Columbia retrocession, the city has a total area....More

Washington, District of Columbia  area prices were up 1.3% from a year ago

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