Data Journalist Salary in the United States

How much does a Data Journalist make in the United States?

As of September 01, 2026, the average salary for a Data Journalist in the United States is $80,139 per year, which breaks down to an hourly rate of $39.

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

  • Top Earners (90th percentile): $91,917
  • Majority Range (25th-75th percentile): $73,043 to $86,304
  • Entry-Level (10th percentile): $66,583

Key Factors That Influence Data Journalist Salaries

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

Top Paying Cities for Data 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: $101,079
  • San Francisco: $99,972
  • Oakland: $97,866

What Skills Can Increase a Data Journalist's Salary?

Demanded Skills for the Role:

  • Project Management (Mentioned in 3.33% Job Postings): Project management is the application of processes, methods, skills, knowledge and experience to achieve specific project objectives according to the project acceptance criteria within agreed parameters. Project management has final deliverables that are constrained to a finite timescale and budget.
  • Copyediting (Mentioned in 2.53% Job Postings): Copy editing (also copyediting, sometimes abbreviated ce) is the process of reviewing and correcting written material to improve accuracy, readability, and fitness for its purpose, and to ensure that it is free of error, omission, inconsistency, and repetition. In the context of publication in print, copy editing is done before typesetting and again before proofreading, the final step in the editorial cycle.:1–5 In the United States and Canada, an editor who does this work is called a copy editor. An organization's highest-ranking copy editor, or the supervising editor of a group of copy editors, may be known as the copy chief, copy desk chief, or news editor. In book publishing in the United Kingdom and other parts of the world that follow British nomenclature, the term copy editor is used, but in newspaper and magazine publishing, the term is subeditor (or sub-editor), commonly shortened to sub. The senior subeditor of a publication is frequently called the chief subeditor. As the prefix sub suggests, copy editors typically have less authority than regular editors.
  • Content Creation (Mentioned in 1.74% Job Postings): Content creation is the contribution of information to any media and most especially to digital media for an end-user/audience in specific contexts. Content is "something that is to be expressed through some medium, as speech, writing or any of various arts" for self-expression, distribution, marketing and/or publication. Typical forms of content creation include maintaining and updating web sites, blogging, photography, videography, online commentary, the maintenance of social media accounts, and editing and distribution of digital media. A Pew survey described content creation as the creation of "the material people contribute to the online world."
Skills Demand Percentage
Project Management 3.33%
Copyediting 2.53%
Content Creation 1.74%

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 Data Journalist's salary.

  • Project Management: Can increase your salary by up to 13%.
  • Medical Writing: Can increase your salary by up to 12%.
  • Storytelling: Can increase your salary by up to 12%.
Skill Salary Salary % Increase
Project Management $90,557
13%
Medical Writing $89,756
12%
Storytelling $89,756
12%

Data Journalist Salary by Industry: Top Paying Sectors

For Data Journalist roles, the industry you choose can affect earning potential by as much as 20% (the gap between the highest and lowest paying industries). Data shows that the Aerospace & Defense and Biotechnology sectors offer the strongest compensation, at 10% above the average. In contrast, Data Journalist positions in Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit or Transportation typically offer lower base pay, as these industries often view Data Journalist as a support function rather than a direct revenue driver.

The top paying industry for a Data Journalist

Industry Sector Average Annual Salary Average Hourly Rate Pay vs.Avg
Aerospace & Defense$88,153$42.010%

How Education impacts a Data Journalist's Salary?

Your level of education can impact your salary potential. While many Data Journalists enter the field with a Bachelor's Degree degree, higher education can lead to more specialized and higher-paying roles.

According to our 100% employer-reported salary data, the median salary for a Data Journalist with a Bachelor's Degree is between $73,724 and $78,993).

Data Journalist Salaries by Degree Level

Typical Education for Data Journalist
Degree Level % of user with this level of education
No Diploma 0.2%
High School 2.3%
Associates 2.2%
Bachelors 62.5%
Masters 27.2%
Doctorate 5.7%

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

Understanding how a Data 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 September 01, 2026
$73,043
Average $80,139/year
$86,304
$6,087
Average $6,678/month
$7,192
$1,405
Average $1,541/week
$1,660
$35
Average $39/hour
$41
Annual Salary Monthly Pay Weekly Pay Hourly Wage
75th Percentile $86,304 $7,192 $1,660 $41
Average $80,139 $6,678 $1,541 $39
25th Percentile $73,043 $6,087 $1,405 $35

Most common benefits for Data Journalist

  • Social Security
  • 401 (k)
  • Disability
  • Healthcare
  • Pension
  • Time Off (days)

Common company salaries for Data Journalist

Here are companies hiring for Data Journalist and their salaries, click below for more details.

Find Your Next Data Journalist Job

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

For Employees

Analyze the market and your qualifications to negotiate your salary with confidence.

Get a Salary Increase

Search thousands of open positions to find your next opportunity.

Search Job Openings

For Employers

Individualize employee pay based on unique job requirements and personal qualifications.

Adjust Employee Salary

Get the latest market price for benchmark jobs and jobs in your industry.

Price My Industry Jobs

FAQ about Data Journalist

1. What industry pays the highest salary for Data Journalist?

The Aerospace & Defense industry offers the highest average compensation for Data Journalist roles, with salaries approximately 10% above the market median.

Where Does Our Salary Data Come From?

Salary.com provides salary estimates, histograms, trends, and comparisons using data from employer job postings and third-party sources.

We offer detailed salary information across multiple percentiles for your reference. (Click here to learn Why the Salary Midpoint Formula Is Crucial for Achieving Pay Equity.)

With the most extensive online, real-time compensation data available, Salary.com helps you pinpoint your exact pay target.

Are you an HR manager or compensation specialist?

Salary.com's CompAnalyst platform offers:

  • Detailed skills and competency reports for specific positions
  • Job and employee pricing reports
  • Compensation data tools, salary structures, surveys and benchmarks.
Learn about CompAnalyst