Reporters and Correspondents Salary Information in California

The average annual salaries for reporters and correspondents in the state of California are shown in Table 1. The comparison of the salary statistics of reporters and correspondents among California cities is shown in Table 2. The salary statistics are based on the national compensation survey conducted by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics in 2022 and published in April 2023 [1].

Table 1 & 2. Annual Salary of Reporters and Correspondents in California (2022 Survey)

Percentile bracketAverage annual salary
10th Percentile Wage
$27,730
25th Percentile Wage
$34,480
50th Percentile Wage
$49,180
75th Percentile Wage
$80,370
90th Percentile Wage
$126,870

Table 1 shows the average annual salary for reporters and correspondents in California in 5 percentile scales. The average annual salary for the 90th percentile (the top 10 percent of the highest paid) is $126,870. The median (50th percentile) annual salary is $49,180. The average annual salary for the bottom 10 percent is $27,730.

Median salary trend

The table and chart below show the trend of the median salary of reporters and correspondents from 2012 to 2018.

YearMedian SalaryYearly Growth6-Year Growth
2018
$49,180
9.50% 16.49%
2017
$44,510
7.95% -
2016
$40,970
3.86% -
2015
$39,390
-4.47% -
2014
$41,150
1.43% -
2013
$40,560
-1.26% -
2012
$41,070
- -

Table 3. Median Annual Salary of Reporters and Correspondents in California Cities (2022 Survey)

Table 3 shows the median annual salary of reporters and correspondents in some California cities and metropolitan areas. We note that the median annual salary of reporters and correspondents in state of California ranges from $25,820 to $62,460. The highest paying area for reporters and correspondents in California is San Diego-Carlsbad-San Marcos with a median annual salary of $62,460. The second highest paying city/area in California State is Santa Rosa-Petaluma (mean annual salary $60,590). The lowest paying area is North Coast Region of California nonmetropolitan area with a median annual salary of $25,820.

Cities/Areas Median Annual Salary
San Diego-Carlsbad-San Marcos
$62,460
Santa Rosa-Petaluma
$60,590
Modesto
$54,710
San Francisco-San Mateo-Redwood City
$51,960
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim
$49,690
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara
$48,310
San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont
$47,580
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale
$46,780
Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura
$44,450
Santa Ana-Anaheim-Irvine
$44,170
Sacramento-Arden-Arcade-Roseville
$43,510
Santa Barbara-Santa Maria-Goleta
$42,430
Oakland-Fremont-Hayward
$42,190
Salinas
$41,390
Stockton
$40,590
Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario
$40,400
Fresno
$39,090
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Santa Ana
$37,560
Northern Mountains Region of California nonmetropolitan area
$36,000
San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles
$34,210
Vallejo-Fairfield
$30,690
Bakersfield-Delano
$29,170
Chico
$26,970
North Coast Region of California nonmetropolitan area
$25,820