Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media Occupations·SOC 27-3011

Best degree programs for Broadcast Announcers and Radio Disc Jockeys, ranked by enrollment

Q: What degree do you need to become a Broadcast Announcer?

Bachelor's degree is the typical entry-level education BLS reports for this occupation. The most common program people actually graduate from is Speech Communication and Rhetoric, which awarded 31,248 degrees in 2024-25, 61.3% of everyone graduating from a program that feeds this career.

Q: Which college majors lead to becoming a Broadcast Announcer?

The NCES CIP-to-SOC crosswalk maps 5 programs to this occupation. The largest are Communication and Media Studies, Radio, Public Relations, Journalism. Together they graduate about 50,983 people a year.

Q: How much do broadcast announcers and radio disc jockeys earn?

The median is $47,340 a year (BLS OEWS May 2025). The middle range runs from $28,190 at the 10th percentile to $138,440 at the 90th. This is pay for people already working in the occupation, not the same thing as graduate earnings one year after finishing a degree.

Q: Is demand for broadcast announcers and radio disc jockeys growing?

BLS projects a -5.5% change in employment between 2024 and 2034, decline, with roughly 2,300 openings a year nationally once retirements and job changes are counted.

Q: How many schools offer programs for this career?

1,122 institutions reported graduates from at least one of the 5 programs that feed this occupation in IPEDS 2024-25. Rankings on this page use graduates per year, because the federal data publishes no enrollment count by program.

Q: What other job titles do broadcast announcers and radio disc jockeys work under?

Employers advertise this work under many names. O*NET records Anchor, Announcer, DJ (Disc Jockey), On-Air Personality among the most commonly reported, all mapping to SOC 27-3011.

5 college programs and 1,122 schools train Broadcast Announcers and Radio Disc Jockeys. Compare graduates per year, cost and pay, $47,340 median wage, 21,240 U.S. jobs. Federal data.

5 college programs at 1,122 schools train broadcast announcers and radio disc jockeys, graduating 50,983 people a year (IPEDS completions). The largest is Speech Communication and Rhetoric. The job pays a median of $47,340 (BLS OEWS May 2025).

Graduates / yr

50,983

from every feeder program

Median annual wage

$47,340

BLS OEWS May 2025

Projected growth

-5.5%

Decline

Openings / yr

2,300

new plus replacement

Schools

1,122

with a feeder program

States with jobs

BLS reports wages

About 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.

Also calledAnchorAnnouncerDJ (Disc Jockey)On-Air PersonalityHostHostessReporterPodcasterShow HostNewscasterRadio HostBroadcaster

Fields of study that lead to this job

Grouped at the 4-digit CIP level, the tier our program pages are built on. Numbers are graduates per year.

Communication, Journalism, And Related Programs

CIP 09.01

Communication and Media Studies

42,712graduates / yr

718 schools · 2 specializations · 83.8% of pipeline

Grad earnings $34,858

Communication, Journalism, And Related Programs

CIP 09.07

Radio

6,089graduates / yr

173 schools · 1 specialization · 11.9% of pipeline

Grad earnings $29,112

Communication, Journalism, And Related Programs

CIP 09.09

Public Relations

1,470graduates / yr

88 schools · 1 specialization · 2.9% of pipeline

Grad earnings $39,658

Communication, Journalism, And Related Programs

CIP 09.04

Journalism

712graduates / yr

49 schools · 1 specialization · 1.4% of pipeline

Grad earnings $34,515

5 degree programs that lead to this job

Ranked by graduates per year (IPEDS completions). Graduate earnings and debt are College Scorecard figures for people who finished the program, reported at the 4-digit CIP level, so specializations within one field share a figure. That is a different measurement from the occupation-wide wages further down this page.

Degree programs that lead to this occupation, ranked by graduates per year
#	Program	Graduates / yr	Share of pipeline	Schools	Grad earnings (1 yr)	Median debt
1	Speech Communication and Rhetoric CIP 09.0101	31,248	61.3%	718	$34,858	$25,000
2	Communication, General CIP 09.0100	11,464	22.5%	375	$34,858	$25,000
3	Radio and Television CIP 09.0701	6,089	11.9%	173	$29,112	$23,836
4	Sports Communication CIP 09.0906	1,470	2.9%	88	$39,658	$24,500
5	Broadcast Journalism CIP 09.0402	712	1.4%	49	$34,515	$24,250

Top 50 schools by graduates into this job

Counting every feeder program a school offers, not just its largest one.

Schools ranked by graduates per year into this occupation
#	School	Graduates / yr	Top feeder program	Grad rate	Net price	Acceptance
1	Texas A&M University - College Station College Station, TX Public · 1 feeder programs	730	Communication, General	84%	—	57%
2	California State University - Fullerton Fullerton, CA Public · 2 feeder programs	726	Speech Communication and Rhetoric	70%	—	91%
3	California State University - Northridge Northridge, CA Public · 2 feeder programs	707	Radio and Television	57%	—	93%
4	University of California - Santa Barbara Santa Barbara, CA Public · 1 feeder programs	618	Communication, General	83%	—	33%
5	The University of Texas at Austin Austin, TX Public · 2 feeder programs	548	Radio and Television	89%	—	27%
6	California State University - Long Beach Long Beach, CA Public · 2 feeder programs	540	Speech Communication and Rhetoric	69%	—	46%
7	University of Central Florida Orlando, FL Public · 2 feeder programs	514	Speech Communication and Rhetoric	78%	—	40%
8	Arizona State University Campus Immersion Tempe, AZ Public · 3 feeder programs	501	Speech Communication and Rhetoric	68%	—	90%
9	Ohio State University - Main Campus Columbus, OH Public · 2 feeder programs	453	Speech Communication and Rhetoric	88%	—	61%
10	San Diego State University San Diego, CA Public · 2 feeder programs	443	Speech Communication and Rhetoric	76%	—	36%
11	Arizona State University Digital Immersion Scottsdale, AZ Public · 1 feeder programs	398	Speech Communication and Rhetoric	0%	—	67%
12	Texas Tech University Lubbock, TX Public · 4 feeder programs	391	Speech Communication and Rhetoric	69%	—	73%
13	University of Wisconsin - Madison Madison, WI Public · 2 feeder programs	382	Speech Communication and Rhetoric	90%	—	45%
14	Grand Canyon University Phoenix, AZ Private not-for-profit · 2 feeder programs	363	Speech Communication and Rhetoric	43%	$21,535	79%
15	Syracuse University Syracuse, NY Private not-for-profit · 3 feeder programs	338	Radio and Television	84%	$28,851	46%
16	California State University - Sacramento Sacramento, CA Public · 1 feeder programs	336	Speech Communication and Rhetoric	56%	—	94%
17	California State University - Los Angeles Los Angeles, CA Public · 2 feeder programs	321	Speech Communication and Rhetoric	53%	—	91%
18	Liberty University Lynchburg, VA Private not-for-profit · 2 feeder programs	319	Communication, General	65%	$28,911	99%
19	University of North Texas Denton, TX Public · 3 feeder programs	317	Radio and Television	61%	—	72%
20	Baylor University Waco, TX Private not-for-profit · 2 feeder programs	309	Communication, General	80%	$35,682	51%
21	University of Washington - Seattle Campus Seattle, WA Public · 1 feeder programs	307	Speech Communication and Rhetoric	85%	—	39%
22	James Madison University Harrisonburg, VA Public · 1 feeder programs	305	Speech Communication and Rhetoric	80%	—	72%
23	University of Utah Salt Lake City, UT Public · 2 feeder programs	298	Communication, General	65%	—	86%
24	East Carolina University Greenville, NC Public · 1 feeder programs	293	Speech Communication and Rhetoric	63%	—	89%
25	Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University Blacksburg, VA Public · 1 feeder programs	293	Speech Communication and Rhetoric	86%	—	55%
26	Ensign College Salt Lake City, UT Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs	292	Communication, General	43%	$11,149	—
27	University of Kentucky Lexington, KY Public · 3 feeder programs	292	Speech Communication and Rhetoric	71%	—	93%
28	San Francisco State University San Francisco, CA Public · 2 feeder programs	288	Speech Communication and Rhetoric	50%	—	96%
29	Boston University Boston, MA Private not-for-profit · 2 feeder programs	287	Radio and Television	89%	$21,956	11%
30	University of Connecticut Storrs, CT Public · 1 feeder programs	287	Speech Communication and Rhetoric	83%	—	52%
31	Michigan State University East Lansing, MI Public · 2 feeder programs	282	Speech Communication and Rhetoric	81%	—	85%
32	University at Buffalo Buffalo, NY Public · 1 feeder programs	281	Speech Communication and Rhetoric	75%	—	74%
33	Rutgers University - New Brunswick New Brunswick, NJ Public · 1 feeder programs	280	Speech Communication and Rhetoric	84%	—	58%
34	University of Maryland - College Park College Park, MD Public · 1 feeder programs	273	Speech Communication and Rhetoric	89%	—	45%
35	University of Arizona Tucson, AZ Public · 1 feeder programs	271	Speech Communication and Rhetoric	68%	—	86%
36	University of California - Davis Davis, CA Public · 1 feeder programs	265	Communication, General	86%	—	42%
37	Ohio University - Main Campus Athens, OH Public · 3 feeder programs	263	Speech Communication and Rhetoric	65%	—	85%
38	University of Southern California Los Angeles, CA Private not-for-profit · 2 feeder programs	263	Speech Communication and Rhetoric	92%	$26,873	10%
39	University of Delaware Newark, DE Public · 1 feeder programs	261	Speech Communication and Rhetoric	81%	—	71%
40	Santa Barbara City College Santa Barbara, CA Public · 2 feeder programs	260	Speech Communication and Rhetoric	34%	—	—
41	San Jose State University San Jose, CA Public · 2 feeder programs	256	Speech Communication and Rhetoric	69%	—	85%
42	University of North Carolina at Charlotte Charlotte, NC Public · 1 feeder programs	253	Speech Communication and Rhetoric	69%	—	80%
43	Purdue University - Main Campus West Lafayette, IN Public · 2 feeder programs	246	Communication, General	83%	—	50%
44	Florida International University Miami, FL Public · 1 feeder programs	245	Speech Communication and Rhetoric	74%	—	55%
45	University of California - San Diego La Jolla, CA Public · 1 feeder programs	239	Communication, General	86%	—	27%
46	The University of Alabama Tuscaloosa, AL Public · 1 feeder programs	235	Speech Communication and Rhetoric	73%	—	77%
47	University of Arkansas Fayetteville, AR Public · 1 feeder programs	233	Speech Communication and Rhetoric	71%	—	74%
48	University of Phoenix - Arizona Phoenix, AZ Private for-profit · 1 feeder programs	231	Communication, General	21%	$15,478	—
49	The University of Texas at San Antonio San Antonio, TX Public · 1 feeder programs	230	Communication, General	53%	—	87%
50	University of Rhode Island Kingston, RI Public · 2 feeder programs	229	Speech Communication and Rhetoric	73%	—	72%

What broadcast announcers and radio disc jockeys earn

What people already working in this job earn (BLS OEWS May 2025). Not graduate earnings.

Median annual wage

$47,340

Mean annual

$78,720

Median hourly

$22.76/hr

People employed

21,240

What the range looks like

10th pct$28,190Median$47,34090th pct$138,440

Top-paying states

Top-paying metro areas

New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ

$124,810median

1,090 jobs

Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas, NV

$65,890median

120 jobs

Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL

$70,110median

340 jobs

Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX

$63,090median

170 jobs

Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH

$79,310median

180 jobs

San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA

$88,030median

260 jobs

Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO

$63,710median

180 jobs

Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV

$75,710median

290 jobs

Job outlook

Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Projections, 2024 to 2034.

Projected growth 2024–34

-5.5%

Decline

Openings per year

2,300

new jobs plus replacements

Employment change

-1,300

24,100 → 22,800

Typical entry education

Bachelor's degree

Where the jobs are, state by state

Pick a state for in-state pay, the schools there, and the programs they run.

This occupation state by state: pay, jobs, and schools
State	Median pay	Jobs	Concentration	Schools	Graduates / yr
California	—	1,620	0.65×	159	12,737
Texas	$49,050	960	0.50×	66	4,600
New York	$81,310	1,460	1.10×	76	3,001
Florida	$56,360	990	0.73×	30	2,196
Arizona	$47,930	410	0.94×	20	2,035
Ohio	$42,440	910	1.20×	55	1,850
North Carolina	$47,910	830	1.23×	31	1,831
Virginia	$44,400	460	0.81×	18	1,401
Massachusetts	$60,200	280	0.55×	33	1,398
Illinois	$46,720	770	0.92×	44	1,392
Pennsylvania	$52,080	830	1.00×	63	1,314
New Jersey	$70,800	190	0.33×	21	1,094
Utah	$46,080	190	0.79×	10	1,048
Maryland	$74,480	290	0.77×	15	1,032
Wisconsin	$40,630	580	1.44×	23	1,018
Colorado	$50,660	310	0.79×	21	949
Michigan	$46,640	650	1.09×	36	934
Kentucky	$36,170	340	1.24×	22	795
Indiana	$61,760	1,040	2.38×	31	775
Connecticut	—	290	1.24×	12	737
Washington	$44,420	620	1.27×	13	728
Missouri	$45,460	470	1.17×	30	666
South Carolina	$30,960	150	0.49×	15	606
Alabama	$38,530	300	1.05×	17	546
Georgia	$42,020	490	0.74×	20	540
Arkansas	$36,160	300	1.71×	13	479
Minnesota	$43,530	750	1.85×	25	440
Tennessee	$48,290	970	2.18×	18	431
Idaho	$46,940	50	0.43×	9	400
Louisiana	$33,020	190	0.72×	9	374
Oklahoma	$36,110	300	1.30×	15	357
Iowa	$37,090	320	1.51×	20	316
Kansas	$35,130	440	2.26×	20	304
Rhode Island	$55,110	90	1.30×	6	279
New Hampshire	$46,000	70	0.72×	9	265
Nebraska	$45,020	280	2.02×	14	240
Oregon	$46,190	240	0.87×	14	227
West Virginia	$35,400	130	1.31×	8	200
Mississippi	$34,040	160	1.04×	9	196
Hawaiimoderate	$51,030	140	1.69×	4	192
Nevada	$60,460	160	0.74×	5	183
North Dakota	$38,500	180	3.10×	7	146
New Mexicomoderate	$38,940	190	1.60×	4	134
Mainemoderate	$44,000	170	1.93×	3	75
District of Columbiamoderate	—	70	0.75×	3	46
Montanamoderate	$35,000	130	1.89×	3	46
South Dakota	$40,630	230	3.62×	5	44
Wyomingmoderate	$36,760	50	1.40×	4	39
Vermontmoderate	$35,220	110	2.76×	4	30
Alaskalimited	$44,790	80	1.70×	2	10

Skills and tools

From O*NET, the U.S. Department of Labor's occupational database. Importance is a 1 to 5 scale.

What they do day to day

Read news flashes to inform audiences of important events.
Announce musical selections, station breaks, commercials, or public service information, and accept requests from listening audience.
Operate control consoles.
Identify stations, and introduce or close shows, ad-libbing or using memorized or read scripts.
Study background information to prepare for programs or interviews.
Prepare and deliver news, sports, or weather reports, gathering and rewriting material so that it will convey required information and fit specific time slots.
Record commercials for later broadcast.
Keep daily program logs to provide information on all elements aired during broadcast, such as musical selections and station promotions.

Skills

Speaking4.8
Active Listening4.0
Reading Comprehension3.9
Critical Thinking3.8
Active Learning3.1
Writing3.1
Monitoring3.0
Learning Strategies2.0

Knowledge areas

Communications and Media4.8
English Language4.7
Computers and Electronics3.8
Telecommunications3.7
Law and Government2.7
Public Safety and Security2.6

Abilities

Oral Expression5.0
Speech Clarity4.8
Speech Recognition4.0
Oral Comprehension4.0
Written Comprehension3.9
Originality3.8

Core activities

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
Documenting/Recording Information4.2

Tools and technology

hotmarks an O*NET hot technology

Microsoft AccesshotMicrosoft ExcelhotMicrosoft Office softwarehotMicrosoft OutlookhotMicrosoft PowerPointhotMicrosoft WordhotZoomhotAdobe AuditionAudion Laboratories VoxProAvid Technology Pro Tools

How to get in

How to become a Broadcast Announcer

Job zone 4 of 5 · SVP 7.0 to < 8.0

Typical entry education: Bachelor's degree

Most of these occupations require a four-year bachelor's degree, but some do not.

A considerable amount of work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is needed for these occupations. For example, an accountant must complete four years of college and work for several years in accounting to be considered qualified.

Employees in these occupations usually need several years of work-related experience, on-the-job training, and/or vocational training.

Every major mapped to this job

The official federal mapping behind the rankings above.

All 5 majors mapped to Broadcast Announcers and Radio Disc Jockeys5 of them graduated someone in the latest IPEDS year. NCES CIP 2020 → SOC 2018 crosswalk.+

09.0100Communication, General
09.0101Speech Communication and Rhetoric
09.0402Broadcast Journalism
09.0701Radio and Television
09.0906Sports Communication

Related careers

Jobs O*NET identifies as close to this one, with their own pay and outlook.

27-3023

News Analysts, Reporters, and Journalists

$62,20039,250 jobs-3.9%

27-2012

Producers and Directors

$90,360143,120 jobs+4.9%

27-4032

Film and Video Editors

$75,42025,610 jobs+4.0%

$77,92091,690 jobs+0.6%

27-3043

Writers and Authors

$76,91047,940 jobs+3.6%

Common questions

What degree do you need to become a Broadcast Announcer?+

Bachelor's degree is the typical entry-level education BLS reports for this occupation. The most common program people actually graduate from is Speech Communication and Rhetoric, which awarded 31,248 degrees in 2024-25, 61.3% of everyone graduating from a program that feeds this career.

Which college majors lead to becoming a Broadcast Announcer?+

The NCES CIP-to-SOC crosswalk maps 5 programs to this occupation. The largest are Communication and Media Studies, Radio, Public Relations, Journalism. Together they graduate about 50,983 people a year.

How much do broadcast announcers and radio disc jockeys earn?+

The median is $47,340 a year (BLS OEWS May 2025). The middle range runs from $28,190 at the 10th percentile to $138,440 at the 90th. This is pay for people already working in the occupation, not the same thing as graduate earnings one year after finishing a degree.

Is demand for broadcast announcers and radio disc jockeys growing?+

BLS projects a -5.5% change in employment between 2024 and 2034, decline, with roughly 2,300 openings a year nationally once retirements and job changes are counted.

How many schools offer programs for this career?+

1,122 institutions reported graduates from at least one of the 5 programs that feed this occupation in IPEDS 2024-25. Rankings on this page use graduates per year, because the federal data publishes no enrollment count by program.

What other job titles do broadcast announcers and radio disc jockeys work under?+

Employers advertise this work under many names. O*NET records Anchor, Announcer, DJ (Disc Jockey), On-Air Personality among the most commonly reported, all mapping to SOC 27-3011.

↑ Zoom outAll occupations Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media Occupations

Broadcast Announcers and Radio Disc Jockeys by stateCalifornia Texas New York Florida Arizona Ohio North Carolina Virginia Massachusetts Illinois Pennsylvania New Jersey

Programs that lead hereCommunication and Media Studies Radio Public Relations Journalism

About the data on this page

Rankings use IPEDS completions 2024-25, degrees awarded per year. That is the closest federal measure of how many people a program puts into a career, because no federal dataset publishes enrollment by program. Wages and employment come from BLS OEWS May 2025, growth and openings from BLS Employment Projections 2024-34, and which majors lead to which jobs from the NCES CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 crosswalk. Occupation descriptions, tasks, skills and tools are O*NET 30.3 (CC BY 4.0, U.S. Department of Labor/ETA).

BLS Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics
May 2025
Wages, employment counts, location quotients and metro breakdowns.
Official source →
BLS Employment Projections
2024–34
Projected growth, annual openings and typical entry-level education.
Official source →
IPEDS Completions
2024-25 (provisional)
Graduates per year by program and institution — the ranking metric.
Official source →
College Scorecard, Field of Study
2020-21 cohorts
Median graduate earnings one year after completion, and median debt.
Official source →
Census Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes
latest available
Graduate earnings 1/5/10 years out, where the state participates.
Official source →
NCES CIP 2020 and the CIP-to-SOC 2018 crosswalk
CIP 2020 / SOC 2018
Which college programs officially lead to this occupation.
Official source →
O*NET Database 30.3
30.3
Tasks, skills, knowledge, tools, job zone and alternate job titles.
Official source →CC BY 4.0, U.S. Department of Labor / ETA

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Best degree programs for Broadcast Announcers and Radio Disc Jockeys, ranked by enrollment

About broadcast announcers and radio disc jockeys

Fields of study that lead to this job

5 degree programs that lead to this job

Top 50 schools by graduates into this job

What broadcast announcers and radio disc jockeys earn

Top-paying states

Top-paying metro areas

Job outlook

Where the jobs are, state by state

Skills and tools

What they do day to day

Skills

Knowledge areas

Abilities

Core activities

Tools and technology

How to get in

How to become a Broadcast Announcer

Every major mapped to this job

Related careers

Common questions

BLS Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics

BLS Employment Projections

IPEDS Completions

College Scorecard, Field of Study

Census Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes

NCES CIP 2020 and the CIP-to-SOC 2018 crosswalk

O*NET Database 30.3

Explore every U.S. college in one conversation