Beat Writer

Beat Writer Salary

$24.5K

$45K

$89K

$50,519

/year

$24.29

/hour

Beat Writer Salary Comparison by Location

Nationwide

United States

$50,519

Columbus

Ohio

$48,797

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    How much does a Beat Writer make?

    As of Sep 8, 2026, the average annual pay for a Beat Writer in the United States is $50,519 a year.

    Just in case you need a simple salary calculator, that works out to be approximately $24.29 an hour. This is the equivalent of $971/week or $4,209/month.

    While ZipRecruiter is seeing annual salaries as high as $89,000 and as low as $24,500, the majority of Beat Writer salaries currently range between $38,500 (25th percentile) to $58,000 (75th percentile) with top earners (90th percentile) making $75,000 annually across the United States. The average pay range for a Beat Writer varies greatly (by as much as 19500), which suggests there may be many opportunities for advancement and increased pay based on skill level, location and years of experience.

    A Beat Writer in your area makes on average $48,797 per year, or $1,722 (3.409%) less than the national average annual salary of $50,519. Ohio ranks number 38 out of 50 states nationwide for Beat Writer salaries.

    To estimate the most accurate annual salary range for Beat Writer jobs, ZipRecruiter continuously scans its database of millions of active jobs published locally throughout America.

    Find your next high paying job as a Beat Writer on ZipRecruiter today.

    What are Top 10 Highest Paying Cities for Beat Writer Jobs

    We've identified 10 cities where the typical salary for a Beat Writer job is above the national average. Topping the list is Surry, VA, , with Nome, AK, and Cupertino, CA, close behind in the second and third positions. Cupertino, CA, beats the national average by $11,809 (23.4%), and Surry, VA, furthers that trend with another $22,139 (43.8%) above the $50,519 average.

    With these 10 cities having average salaries higher than the national average, the opportunities for economic advancement by changing locations as a Beat Writer appears to be exceedingly fruitful.

    However, another factor to consider is the average salary for these top 10 cities varies modestly at 18% between Surry, VA, and Oak Bay, BC, , suggesting it may be difficult to see much positive wage advancement. The possibility of a lower cost of living may help determine the balance between location and salary for a Beat Writer role.

    City

    Annual Salary

    Hourly Wage

    Surry, VA

    $72,658

    $34.93

    Nome, AK

    $62,669

    $30.13

    Cupertino, CA

    $62,328

    $29.97

    Berkeley, CA

    $61,858

    $29.74

    Kentville, NS

    $61,424

    $29.53

    Philip, SD

    $61,173

    $29.41

    Whitehorse, YT

    $61,033

    $29.34

    Carcross, YT

    $60,998

    $29.33

    Haines Junction, YT

    $60,789

    $29.23

    Oak Bay, BC

    $60,267

    $28.97

    What are Top 5 Best Paying Related Beat Writer Jobs in the U.S.

    We found a few related jobs that pay more than jobs in the Beat Writer category.

    For example Jesse Watters jobs pay as much as $40,618 (80.4%) more than the average Beat Writer salary of $50,519. If you're qualified, finding work as a Jesse Watters may help you make more money than that of the average Beat Writer position.

    Job Title

    Annual Salary

    Hourly Wage

    Jesse Watters

    $91,137

    $43.82

    Fox News Channel

    $68,714

    $33.04

    News Assignment Editor

    $64,796

    $31.15

    Kennedy On Fox News

    $57,499

    $27.64

    Bret Baier

    $30,212

    $14.53

    About Our Data

    ZipRecruiter salary estimates, histograms, trends and comparisons are derived from both employer job postings and third party data sources.

    Infographic detailing Beat Writer salary across the United States as of September 2026. Displays a bar chart with salary percentiles, a national average salary of $50,519 per year or $24.29 an hour, and a color-coded map showing state-by-state salary variations.