Broadcast Announcers and Radio Disc Jockeys
27-3011.00
Updated 2025

Speak or read from scripted materials, such as news reports or commercial messages, on radio, television, or other communications media. May play and queue music, announce artist or title of performance, identify station, or interview guests.

Sample of reported job titles: Anchor, Announcer, DJ (Disc Jockey), Host, Morning Show Host, On-Air Host, On-Air Personality, Radio Announcer, Sports Anchor, Television News Anchor (TV News Anchor)

Occupation-Specific Information

Tasks

  • Read news flashes to inform audiences of important events.
  • Announce musical selections, station breaks, commercials, or public service information, and accept requests from listening audience.
  • Operate control consoles.
  • Identify stations, and introduce or close shows, ad-libbing or using memorized or read scripts.
  • Study background information to prepare for programs or interviews.
  • Prepare and deliver news, sports, or weather reports, gathering and rewriting material so that it will convey required information and fit specific time slots.
  • Record commercials for later broadcast.
  • Keep daily program logs to provide information on all elements aired during broadcast, such as musical selections and station promotions.
  • Develop story lines for broadcasts.
  • Select program content, in conjunction with producers and assistants, based on factors such as program specialties, audience tastes, or requests from the public.
  • Write and edit video and scripts for broadcasts.
  • Interview show guests about their lives, their work, or topics of current interest.
  • Comment on music and other matters, such as weather or traffic conditions.
  • Make promotional appearances at public or private events to represent their employers.
  • Provide commentary and conduct interviews during sporting events, parades, conventions, or other events.
  • Host civic, charitable, or promotional events broadcast over television or radio.
  • Locate guests to appear on talk or interview shows.
  • Coordinate games, contests, or other on-air competitions, performing such duties as asking questions and awarding prizes.
  • Attend press conferences to gather information for broadcast.
  • Maintain organization of the music library.
  • Discuss various topics over the telephone with viewers or listeners.
  • Moderate panels or discussion shows on topics such as current affairs, art, or education.
  • Give network cues permitting selected stations to receive programs.
  • Describe or demonstrate products that viewers may purchase through specific shows or in stores.
Find occupations related to multiple tasks

Technology Skills

Hot technology
Hot Technologies are requirements most frequently included across all employer job postings.

Occupational Requirements

Work Activities

  • Thinking Creatively — Developing, designing, or creating new applications, ideas, relationships, systems, or products, including artistic contributions.
  • Performing for or Working Directly with the Public — Performing for people or dealing directly with the public. This includes serving customers in restaurants and stores, and receiving clients or guests.
  • Communicating with People Outside the Organization — Communicating with people outside the organization, representing the organization to customers, the public, government, and other external sources. This information can be exchanged in person, in writing, or by telephone or e-mail.
  • Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates — Providing information to supervisors, co-workers, and subordinates by telephone, in written form, e-mail, or in person.
  • Getting Information — Observing, receiving, and otherwise obtaining information from all relevant sources.
  • Documenting/Recording Information — Entering, transcribing, recording, storing, or maintaining information in written or electronic/magnetic form.
  • Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events — Identifying information by categorizing, estimating, recognizing differences or similarities, and detecting changes in circumstances or events.
  • Making Decisions and Solving Problems — Analyzing information and evaluating results to choose the best solution and solve problems.
  • Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge — Keeping up-to-date technically and applying new knowledge to your job.
  • Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work — Developing specific goals and plans to prioritize, organize, and accomplish your work.
  • Processing Information — Compiling, coding, categorizing, calculating, tabulating, auditing, or verifying information or data.
  • Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships — Developing constructive and cooperative working relationships with others, and maintaining them over time.
  • Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards — Using relevant information and individual judgment to determine whether events or processes comply with laws, regulations, or standards.
  • Monitoring Processes, Materials, or Surroundings — Monitoring and reviewing information from materials, events, or the environment, to detect or assess problems.
  • Working with Computers — Using computers and computer systems (including hardware and software) to program, write software, set up functions, enter data, or process information.
  • Judging the Qualities of Objects, Services, or People — Assessing the value, importance, or quality of things or people.
  • Interpreting the Meaning of Information for Others — Translating or explaining what information means and how it can be used.
  • Developing Objectives and Strategies — Establishing long-range objectives and specifying the strategies and actions to achieve them.
  • Scheduling Work and Activities — Scheduling events, programs, and activities, as well as the work of others.
  • Developing and Building Teams — Encouraging and building mutual trust, respect, and cooperation among team members.
  • Coordinating the Work and Activities of Others — Getting members of a group to work together to accomplish tasks.
  • Estimating the Quantifiable Characteristics of Products, Events, or Information — Estimating sizes, distances, and quantities; or determining time, costs, resources, or materials needed to perform a work activity.

Detailed Work Activities

Find occupations related to multiple detailed work activities

Work Context

  • E-Mail — 91% responded “Every day.”
  • Time Pressure — 85% responded “Every day.”
  • Face-to-Face Discussions with Individuals and Within Teams — 69% responded “Every day.”
  • Indoors, Environmentally Controlled — 92% responded “Every day.”
  • Work With or Contribute to a Work Group or Team — 62% responded “Extremely important.”
  • Frequency of Decision Making — 65% responded “Every day.”
  • Telephone Conversations — 67% responded “Every day.”
  • Contact With Others — 66% responded “Constant contact with others.”
  • Impact of Decisions on Co-workers or Company Results — 58% responded “Very important results.”
  • Deal With External Customers or the Public in General — 24% responded “Very important.”
  • Freedom to Make Decisions — 56% responded “Some freedom.”
  • Importance of Being Exact or Accurate — 24% responded “Important.”
  • Spend Time Sitting — 60% responded “More than half the time.”
  • Public Speaking — 38% responded “Once a month or more but not every week.”
  • Determine Tasks, Priorities and Goals — 48% responded “Some freedom.”
  • Coordinate or Lead Others in Accomplishing Work Activities — 46% responded “Very important.”
  • Duration of Typical Work Week — 47% responded “40 hours.”
  • Level of Competition — 34% responded “Moderately competitive.”
  • Exposed to Sounds, Noise Levels that are Distracting or Uncomfortable — 40% responded “Every day.”
  • Written Letters and Memos — 37% responded “Every day.”
  • Importance of Repeating Same Tasks — 32% responded “Very important.”
  • Consequence of Error — 37% responded “Extremely serious.”
  • Work Outcomes and Results of Other Workers — 38% responded “Moderate responsibility.”
  • Physical Proximity — 32% responded “I work with others but not closely (e.g., private office).”

Experience Requirements

Job Zone

Title
Job Zone Four: Considerable Preparation Needed
Education
Most of these occupations require a four-year bachelor's degree, but some do not.
Related Experience
A considerable amount of work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is needed for these occupations. For example, an accountant must complete four years of college and work for several years in accounting to be considered qualified.
Job Training
Employees in these occupations usually need several years of work-related experience, on-the-job training, and/or vocational training.
Job Zone Examples
Many of these occupations involve coordinating, supervising, managing, or training others. Examples include real estate brokers, sales managers, database administrators, graphic designers, conservation scientists, art directors, and cost estimators.
SVP Range
(7.0 to < 8.0)

Training & Credentials

State training
Local training
Certifications
Find certifications nationwide
State licenses

Apprenticeship Opportunities

Start your career and build your skillset. Visit Apprenticeship.gov to learn about opportunities related to this occupation.

Worker Requirements

Skills

  • Speaking — Talking to others to convey information effectively.
  • Active Listening — Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
  • Reading Comprehension — Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work-related documents.
  • Critical Thinking — Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions, or approaches to problems.
  • Social Perceptiveness — Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
  • Time Management — Managing one's own time and the time of others.
  • Active Learning — Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.
  • Writing — Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
  • Complex Problem Solving — Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.
  • Coordination — Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.
  • Judgment and Decision Making — Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
  • Monitoring — Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
  • Service Orientation — Actively looking for ways to help people.

Knowledge

  • Communications and Media — Knowledge of media production, communication, and dissemination techniques and methods. This includes alternative ways to inform and entertain via written, oral, and visual media.
  • English Language — Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, and rules of composition and grammar.
  • Computers and Electronics — Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
  • Telecommunications — Knowledge of transmission, broadcasting, switching, control, and operation of telecommunications systems.

Education

How much education does a new hire need to perform a job in this occupation? Respondents said:

  • Bachelor’s degree required for some jobs
  • Some college, no degree required for some jobs
  • High school diploma or equivalent required for some jobs

Worker Characteristics

Abilities

  • Oral Expression — The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
  • Speech Clarity — The ability to speak clearly so others can understand you.
  • Oral Comprehension — The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
  • Speech Recognition — The ability to identify and understand the speech of another person.
  • Written Comprehension — The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
  • Originality — The ability to come up with unusual or clever ideas about a given topic or situation, or to develop creative ways to solve a problem.
  • Written Expression — The ability to communicate information and ideas in writing so others will understand.
  • Fluency of Ideas — The ability to come up with a number of ideas about a topic (the number of ideas is important, not their quality, correctness, or creativity).
  • Selective Attention — The ability to concentrate on a task over a period of time without being distracted.
  • Deductive Reasoning — The ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.
  • Inductive Reasoning — The ability to combine pieces of information to form general rules or conclusions (includes finding a relationship among seemingly unrelated events).
  • Information Ordering — The ability to arrange things or actions in a certain order or pattern according to a specific rule or set of rules (e.g., patterns of numbers, letters, words, pictures, mathematical operations).
  • Near Vision — The ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).
  • Problem Sensitivity — The ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing that there is a problem.
  • Category Flexibility — The ability to generate or use different sets of rules for combining or grouping things in different ways.
  • Memorization — The ability to remember information such as words, numbers, pictures, and procedures.
  • Speed of Closure — The ability to quickly make sense of, combine, and organize information into meaningful patterns.
  • Time Sharing — The ability to shift back and forth between two or more activities or sources of information (such as speech, sounds, touch, or other sources).

Interests

Interest code: AES
Want to discover your interests? Take the O*NET Interest Profiler.
  • Artistic — Work involves creating original visual artwork, performances, written works, food, or music for a variety of media, or applying artistic principles to the design of various objects and materials. Artistic occupations are often associated with visual arts, applied arts and design, performing arts, music, creative writing, media, or culinary art.
  • Enterprising — Work involves managing, negotiating, marketing, or selling, typically in a business setting, or leading or advising people in political and legal situations. Enterprising occupations are often associated with business initiatives, sales, marketing/advertising, finance, management/administration, professional advising, public speaking, politics, or law.
  • Social — Work involves helping, teaching, advising, assisting, or providing service to others. Social occupations are often associated with social, health care, personal service, teaching/education, or religious activities.

Work Styles

  • Self-Confidence — A tendency to believe in one's work-related capabilities and ability to control one's work-related outcomes.
  • Social Orientation — A tendency to seek out, enjoy, and be energized by social interaction at work.
  • Dependability — A tendency to be reliable, responsible, and consistent in meeting work-related obligations.

Workforce Characteristics

Wages & Employment Trends

Median wages (2024)
$21.96 hourly, $45,680 annual
State wages
Local wages
Employment (2024)
24,100 employees
Projected growth (2024-2034)
Decline (-1% or lower)
Projected job openings (2024-2034)
2,300
State trends
Top industries (2024)

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics 2024 wage data and 2024-2034 employment projections . “Projected growth” represents the estimated change in total employment over the projections period (2024-2034). “Projected job openings” represent openings due to growth and replacement.

Job Openings on the Web

State job openings
Local job openings

More Information

Professional Associations

Disclaimer: Sources are listed to provide additional information on related jobs, specialties, and/or industries. Links to non-DOL Internet sites are provided for your convenience and do not constitute an endorsement.

National Associations