Tuesday, April 3, 2012

Want to be an announcer?

Uncle Sam’s Bureau of Labor Statistics has the job outlook.

The bureau compiles a myriad of statistics, and the ones about median pay of radio and TV announcers (including P.A. announcers) may not inspire a stampede into the field (at least based on pecuniary considerations). The BLS calculates that the 2010 median pay for announcers was $27,010 a year, equal to $12.99 an hour. Remember from math class that “median” means something like “middle number.” So some folks are making more than 27 grand – and a lot are making less.

The bureau foresees job growth in the decade between 2010 and 2020 to be about 7%, or “slower than the average for all occupations.” And let’s note who qualifies to be an “announcer”, under the bureau’s definition. You could work in radio or TV stations. Or you could “work for sports teams or be self-employed. Many announcers work part-time.” Those specifically working in radio and TV had a median annual wage of $26,850 for 2010. Public address and other announcers did a little better, at $27,910.

All figures are as of May 2010.