Arts, Design, Media, and Sports · Career brief

Broadcast Announcers and Radio Disc Jockeys

Is it a good career to pursue?

The 30-second read

Broadcast Announcers and Radio Disc Jockeys at a glance

Six signals to look at before you spend time on the full guide.

1Pay

$47,340

Lower national median pay

2025 national median. Bottom quarter for pay among careers on ChooseField.

2Demand

-7.6%

Projected employment decline

Projected employment growth for 2025–2035. Bottom quarter for growth among careers on ChooseField.

3Openings

2,000

Relatively fewer openings

Average openings per year in 2025–2035, including replacement hiring. Below the middle of ChooseField careers for openings.

4Route in

Bachelor's degree

A bachelor's degree is typically expected

Bachelor's degree. Prior related work is not typically required.

5The work

Creative

Original ideas and creative judgment matter

Read news flashes to inform audiences of important events.

6The catch

Know this first

What could make this a poor fit

BLS projects employment to shrink 7.6% from 2025 to 2035. Openings can still occur when existing workers leave.

ChooseField take

The national benchmarks are mixed, so the work itself and the route in matter more than any standout pay or demand signal. It makes the most sense if creative work appeals to you and you are comfortable with a bachelor's-degree path. Main tradeoff: BLS projects employment to shrink 7.6% from 2025 to 2035. Openings can still occur when existing workers leave.

Before choosing, compare:News Analysts, Reporters, and Journalists Camera Operators, Television, Video, and Film Film and Video Editors

National labor-market measures: BLS 2025 wages and 2025–2035 projections. Work-profile signals: O*NET. See sources and caveats.

Compare Broadcast Announcers and Radio Disc Jockeys with another field Explore rankings in Arts, Design, Media, and Sports Open shareable infographic

Want the evidence behind the snapshot?

Market and path

Pay, outlook, and the route in

National median pay (2025)

$47,340

A midpoint for workers nationwide, not a starting salary.

2025–2035 outlook

-7.6%employment growth2,000openings per year

Openings include replacement hiring, not only newly created jobs.

Typical entry route

Bachelor's degree

BLS reports the usual education, related experience, and on-the-job training, not a guaranteed minimum for every employer.

2025 employment

21,800

A small national occupation; local availability may be uneven.

Source: BLS 2025 wages and 2025–2035 occupational projections ↗ · Broadcast announcers and radio disc jockeys (27-3011).

Actual responsibilities

What you would be trusted to own

Selected O*NET task statements, not a list of traits that applies to almost every career.

Read news flashes to inform audiences of important events.
Operate control consoles.
Identify stations, and introduce or close shows, ad-libbing or using memorized or read scripts.
Develop story lines for broadcasts.

Decision-changing realities

What could make this a poor fit

BLS projects employment to shrink 7.6% from 2025 to 2035. Openings can still occur when existing workers leave.
Deadline pressure is a recurring condition rather than an occasional emergency.

Work profile

What the work emphasizes

O*NET importance scores. Bars are relative to the highest score shown within this chart.

Thinking Creatively4.7
Performing for or Working Directly with the Public4.4
Communicating with People Outside the Organization4.4
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates4.4
Getting Information4.2

Interest profile

Career interests

O*NET interest scores describe work someone may enjoy, not personality requirements. Bars are relative to the highest score shown within this chart.

Relative mix of the interest scores below, not percentages of your workday.

Artistic5.7
Enterprising4.4
Social3.5
Conventional3.1
Investigative2.0
Realistic1.7

Preparation

What the training must make you competent at

Subject matter

Communications and Media Computers and Electronics Telecommunications Law and Government

Software and tools named in job postings

Adobe Audition

Before choosing the major or training

Run a cheaper test first

Complete a creative brief for someone else, meet the deadline, invite blunt criticism, and revise the work once.
Ask an early-career worker which beginner task consumes the most time, what makes new hires quit, and what school or training failed to simulate.

The fuller career guide

How the evidence fits together

Pay and demand: reading the benchmark

The pay and outlook figures describe Broadcast announcers and radio disc jockeys nationally. They do not establish the salary or number of vacancies available in your area.

Median pay is the middle wage across workers, not a starting offer. Projected openings include replacements as well as growth; neither measure predicts an individual worker's job security.

Before choosing a program

O*NET lists Speaking, Active Listening, Reading Comprehension among this occupation's skills. Ask a program to show the assignments, supervised practice, and assessment that develop these skills. Compare those examples with local job descriptions. Examples of tools used in the occupation include Adobe Audition; check which ones employers near you actually require.

Common questions

Questions people ask about this career

Can I enter this occupation without related work experience?

BLS does not assign a related-experience requirement to the occupation. Employers may still ask for placements, supervised practice, a portfolio, or experience with particular tools. Check entry-level vacancies separately from experienced roles.

What should I check before paying for training?

Get the full prerequisite and completion timeline, total cost, placement arrangements, and any licensing eligibility in writing. Ask local employers whether they hire graduates from the route you are considering and whether paid training is available.

Adjacent options