Media and Communication Workers, All Other Salary

SOC Code: 27-3099 • Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 2024

Median Salary
$71,770
Mean Salary
$84,870
Employment
23,590
Entry Level (10th %ile)
$38,530
Top Earners (90th %ile)
$148,070

Pay Range Distribution

10th percentile
$38,530 25th percentile
$52,690 Median (50th)
$71,770 75th percentile
$99,520 90th percentile
$148,070

Media and Communication Workers, All Other Salary by State

StateMedianMeanEmploymentEntry (10th)Top (90th)
California$97,590$102,08012,030$47,310$161,230
District of Columbia$77,870$83,100120$45,890$126,170
New York$77,300$91,770890$55,220$126,180
New Jersey$71,110$75,380500$32,440$130,250
Minnesota$68,040$59,110170$32,440$79,910
Pennsylvania$66,560$64,650460$46,000$77,870
Wisconsin$66,040$63,93060$21,540$99,870
Florida$64,280$71,220N/A$51,780$99,210
Connecticut$64,210$70,500110$39,900$98,690
Georgia$61,300$71,570840$34,620$109,820
Massachusetts$57,020$62,090N/A$40,570$92,870
Missouri$55,200$62,550150$29,610$128,960
Hawaii$53,900$62,23090$45,430$93,830
Maine$53,190$55,02040$45,010$73,850
Colorado$52,780$62,390250$36,250$104,740
Texas$50,370$56,910470$31,200$85,850
Kansas$50,220$51,44030$35,590$70,640
Oregon$50,060$55,790150$32,650$85,430
Maryland$49,500$59,390560$37,280$96,820
Washington$49,300$59,470330$36,160$95,590
Louisiana$48,480$64,400870$28,390$126,230
North Carolina$48,450$56,570170$31,340$86,310
Virginia$48,320$57,030160$41,180$88,110
Tennessee$47,840$53,060N/A$27,730$74,360
Iowa$47,310$48,84080$25,860$62,160
Mississippi$47,090$50,53060$43,530$58,430
Illinois$46,700$51,880110$29,120$86,470
Nevada$46,460$57,410150$35,070$116,680
New Mexico$45,860$49,38040$40,180$63,290
Ohio$43,250$47,050110$28,550$72,800
Utah$39,260$44,330150$21,930$73,660
Vermont$38,890$45,78080$33,280$63,350
Michigan$37,490$43,60040$30,300$62,470
Kentucky$35,380$42,65040$30,370$68,390
Indiana$34,600$45,56050$31,880$64,770
South Carolina$33,900$35,27040$19,180$50,250
Montana$33,430$44,47070$28,470$80,170
Idaho$21,450$27,57060$21,450$54,340

Highest Paying Metro Areas

Metro AreaMedianMeanEmployment
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA$118,290$122,850260
San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA$99,420$120,4302,840
Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury, CT$98,690$85,940N/A
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA$97,980$98,4507,570
Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA$81,210$83,420190
Lexington Park, MD$78,080$82,13040
San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA$77,550$88,650390
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ$77,300$87,3201,140
Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA$74,340$76,210130
Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD$71,830$69,220230
Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI$68,040$59,960140
Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA$67,350$78,470570
Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL$64,320$77,0801,330
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN$64,230$65,85060
Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY$63,700$64,25060
North Port-Bradenton-Sarasota, FL$63,040$64,85050
Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL$62,500$70,550N/A
Knoxville, TN$62,300$60,30050
Cape Coral-Fort Myers, FL$62,110$66,59050
Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL$62,080$68,280330

About Media and Communication Workers, All Other Salary Data

This data comes from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program. The median salary represents the midpoint — half of media and communication workers, all others earn more and half earn less. The 10th percentile represents entry-level pay, while the 90th percentile represents the highest earners in this occupation. Employment counts represent estimated total jobs in May 2024.

Understanding Salary Percentiles

Salary percentiles show how wages are distributed across workers in this occupation. The 10th percentile represents entry-level pay — only 10% earn less. The median (50th percentile) is the true midpoint of all wages. The 90th percentile reflects top earners, typically in senior roles or high-cost metro areas. A wide gap between the 10th and 90th percentiles indicates that experience, location, and specialization significantly affect pay.

Factors That Affect Pay

Several factors influence salary for this occupation. Location is one of the biggest — the same job can pay 50% more in a high-cost metro area like San Francisco or New York compared to a rural area. Experience matters significantly; workers at the 90th percentile typically have 10-20+ years in the field. Industry also plays a role — the same occupation often pays differently in finance, technology, healthcare, or government. Education and certifications can boost pay, especially in fields that require advanced degrees or specialized licenses.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between median and mean salary?

The median is the midpoint — half earn more, half earn less. The mean (average) is the total of all salaries divided by the number of workers. The median is generally more useful because it is not skewed by a small number of extremely high earners.

Do these figures include bonuses and benefits?

No. BLS OEWS data measures base wages and salaries only. It does not include bonuses, commissions, tips, overtime, stock options, health insurance, retirement contributions, or other benefits. Total compensation may be 20-40% higher than base salary.

How reliable is this data?

The BLS OEWS survey covers approximately 1.1 million business establishments across the U.S. and uses rigorous statistical sampling methods. It is considered one of the most reliable sources of occupational wage data available. Self-employed workers and certain agricultural positions are not included.

How often is this data updated?

The BLS publishes new OEWS data annually, typically in the spring for the previous May reference period. This page shows May 2024 data, the most recent release.