Science Journalist Salary
$35.7K is the 25th percentile. Wages below this are outliers.
$30K - $39K
39% of jobs
The median wage is $44.1K / yr.
$39K - $48K
19% of jobs
$48K - $57K
0% of jobs
$57K - $66K
0% of jobs
$66K - $75K
12% of jobs
$77.3K is the 75th percentile. Wages above this are outliers.
$75K - $84K
16% of jobs
$84K - $93K
6% of jobs
$93K - $102K
0% of jobs
$102K - $111K
0% of jobs
$111K - $120K
3% of jobs
$120K - $129K
3% of jobs
$30K
$40K
$130.5K
$60,979
/year
$29.32
/hour
Science Journalist Salary Comparison by Location
Nationwide
United States
$60,979
Columbus
Ohio
$58,900
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How much does a Science Journalist make?
As of Aug 14, 2026, the average annual pay for a Science Journalist in the United States is $60,979 a year.
Just in case you need a simple salary calculator, that works out to be approximately $29.32 an hour. This is the equivalent of $1,172/week or $5,081/month.
While ZipRecruiter is seeing annual salaries as high as $130,500 and as low as $30,000, the majority of Science Journalist salaries currently range between $36,000 (25th percentile) to $79,000 (75th percentile) with top earners (90th percentile) making $115,000 annually across the United States. The average pay range for a Science Journalist varies greatly (by as much as 43000), which suggests there may be many opportunities for advancement and increased pay based on skill level, location and years of experience.
A Science Journalist in your area makes on average $58,900 per year, or $2,079 (3.409%) less than the national average annual salary of $60,979. Ohio ranks number 41 out of 50 states nationwide for Science Journalist salaries.
To estimate the most accurate annual salary range for Science Journalist jobs, ZipRecruiter continuously scans its database of millions of active jobs published locally throughout America.
Find your next high paying job as a Science Journalist on ZipRecruiter today.
What are Top 10 Highest Paying Cities for Science Journalist Jobs
We've identified 10 cities where the typical salary for a Science Journalist job is above the national average. Topping the list is Portola Valley, CA, , with Andrews, MD, and Nome, AK, close behind in the second and third positions. Nome, AK, beats the national average by $14,665 (24.0%), and Portola Valley, CA, furthers that trend with another $24,014 (39.4%) above the $60,979 average.
With these 10 cities having average salaries higher than the national average, the opportunities for economic advancement by changing locations as a Science Journalist appears to be exceedingly fruitful.
Finally, another factor to consider is the average salary for these top 10 cities varies very little at 16% between Portola Valley, CA, and Bodega Bay, CA, , reinforcing the limited potential for much wage advancement. The possibility of a lower cost of living may be the best factor to use when considering location and salary for a Science Journalist role.
City | Annual Salary | Hourly Wage |
|---|---|---|
Portola Valley, CA | $84,993 | $40.86 |
Andrews, MD | $77,699 | $37.36 |
Nome, AK | $75,644 | $36.37 |
Mercer Island, WA | $74,683 | $35.91 |
Berkeley, CA | $74,665 | $35.90 |
Redwood City, CA | $74,660 | $35.89 |
Mill Valley, CA | $73,671 | $35.42 |
Sitka, AK | $73,460 | $35.32 |
Westport, MA | $72,898 | $35.05 |
Bodega Bay, CA | $72,368 | $34.79 |
What are Top 5 Best Paying Related Science Journalist Jobs in the U.S.
We found a few related jobs that pay more than jobs in the Science Journalist category.
For example Freelance Data Analytics jobs pay as much as $117,770 (193.1%) more than the average Science Journalist salary of $60,979. If you're qualified, finding work as a Freelance Data Analytics may help you make more money than that of the average Science Journalist position.
Job Title | Annual Salary | Hourly Wage |
|---|---|---|
Freelance Data Analytics | $178,749 | $85.94 |
Freelance News Photographer | $130,079 | $62.54 |
Social Media Curator | $72,627 | $34.92 |
Press Release Writer | $69,698 | $33.51 |
News Traffic Reporter | $50,415 | $24.24 |
About Our Data
ZipRecruiter salary estimates, histograms, trends and comparisons are derived from both employer job postings and third party data sources.
