Data Journalist
Data Journalists use data analysis to investigate and tell data-driven stories. They combine journalism with data science.
Median Salary
$120,000
Job Growth
Growing — data-driven journalism expanding
Experience Level
Entry to Leadership
Salary Progression
| Experience Level | Annual Salary |
|---|---|
| Entry Level | $80,000 |
| Mid-Level (5-8 years) | $120,000 |
| Senior (8-12 years) | $165,000 |
| Leadership / Principal | $210,000+ |
What Does a Data Journalist Do?
Data Journalists investigate stories using data analysis and visualization. They analyze public datasets, create visualizations revealing patterns, conduct investigations using FOIA, and tell stories combining data with narrative.
A Typical Day
Data analysis: Analyze datasets to find newsworthy patterns
Visualization: Create interactive visualizations
Reporting: Report on findings and publish
Key Skills
Career Progression
Data journalists move into senior reporting or lead data teams at news organizations.
How to Get Started
Journalism: Journalism background or training
Data skills: Learn Python/R for analysis
Visualization: Learn d3.js and visualization tools
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Frequently Asked Questions
What's data journalism?▼
Using data analysis and visualization to tell stories. Investigative journalism backed by data.
What can you investigate?▼
Government spending, corporate practices, social issues, trends in public data. Anything with available data.
Where are jobs?▼
News organizations, podcasts, independent publications, data-focused media outlets.
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Last updated: 2026-03-07