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Journalist salary in Australia
The median full-time salary for a journalist is $89,500 per annum, before tax, up $18,700 since 2018.
What a journalist earns depends heavily on the employer: a commercial television newsroom or a large metropolitan masthead pays more than a small regional title or a community radio station. Enterprise agreements and award rates set most newsroom pay, while casual and freelance work is usually paid per shift, per word or per story. Broadcast and digital rosters can also attract shift penalties and allowances for weekend and overnight work.
Roles that pay more than journalist
The largest typical pay rise is $49,700 a year, moving into Communications Manager.
- Communications Manager+$49,700/yr
- Public Relations Officer+$16,900/yr
- SEO Specialist+$12,300/yr
How to negotiate a higher journalist salary
- Know the market rate before you ask. The median full-time journalist salary is $89,500; use that, not a guess, as your anchor, and adjust for your experience and employer.
- Lead with what's scarce, not just tenure. Skills like Data analysis and Content creation and writing tend to command a premium over general journalist experience, name them specifically when you ask.
- Bring a real alternative to the table. Communications Manager pays a typical $49,700 a year more and draws on similar skills, even mentioning you're weighing it up is a legitimate data point in a pay conversation.
- Time it deliberately. Reviews, the end of a project you delivered, or taking on responsibility beyond your job description are stronger moments to ask than an arbitrary date on the calendar.
- Ask for a number, not a raise. "Based on the market rate and [specific contribution], I'd like to move to X" gets a clearer answer than "I think I deserve more."
Journalist salary questions
How much do journalists earn in Australia?
The median full-time salary for a journalist is $89,500 a year before tax. Seniority, specialisation, sector and the award or agreement you're employed under all move it.
Is journalist pay rising or falling?
The median journalist salary is up $18,700 since 2018. Figures from 2025 onward on this page are a projection, not a measured result.
What pays more than journalist?
Communications Manager pays a typical $49,700 a year more and draws on similar skills to journalist.