Broadcast Announcers and Radio Disc Jockeys
Speak or read from scripted materials, such as news reports or commercial messages, on radio, television, or other communications media. May play and queue music, announce artist or title of performance, identify station, or interview guests.
- Median pay
- $47,340
- Doing it now
- 21,800
- By 2035
- Down 7.6%
- Usually needs
- Bachelor's degree
a year
across the country
2,000 openings a year
to get in
What the work involves
- Prepare and deliver news, sports, or weather reports, gathering and rewriting material so that it will convey required information and fit specific time slots.
- Read news flashes to inform audiences of important events.
- Select program content, in conjunction with producers and assistants, based on factors such as program specialties, audience tastes, or requests from the public.
- Study background information to prepare for programs or interviews.
- Comment on music and other matters, such as weather or traffic conditions.
- Interview show guests about their lives, their work, or topics of current interest.
- Host civic, charitable, or promotional events broadcast over television or radio.
What to study
The fields of study the Department of Education links to this occupation, most widely taught first.
- Radio, Television, and Digital CommunicationSee 405 colleges that teach it
- Communication and Media StudiesSee 1,139 colleges that teach it
- Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied CommunicationSee 470 colleges that teach it
- JournalismSee 409 colleges that teach it
Who it suits
O*NET scores every occupation on six interest dimensions. This one leans hardest on these three.
Creative and expressive
Leading and persuading
Helping and teaching
Careers like this one
Where this comes from: the description and the task list are O*NET, which the Department of Labor maintains. Pay, workforce size, outlook and the education normally needed are the Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Projections programme, 2025 wages and 2025 to 2035 projections. Half of them earn more than $47,340 a year, which means half earn less, and what you would earn depends on where you work and how long you have been doing it. The fields of study come from the National Center for Education Statistics crosswalk.