Career
Broadcast announcers and radio disc jockeys
Be the voice on radio and television.
Here's what you actually need to know.
The work
What people in this job do
- 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.
The outlook
How the forecast changed this year
AI
BLS now cites artificial intelligence in this occupation's outlook: “share decreases as demand for announcers and on-air talent decreases as radio stations consolidate locations or opt for a DJ-free format. Increased adoption of artificial intelligence (AI)-generated voice technology is expected to further reduce the need for announcers and DJs.”
The deeper question
What kind of person does this path ask you to become?
What this work centers on
O*NET interest profile, scored 1–7.
The work
Do you want most of your days spent on creation & expression, then persuasion & leadership?
Responsibility
Are you willing to be the one responsible for this?
“Read news flashes to inform audiences of important events.”
Development
What would you need to build over the next 5–10 years?
Speaking, Active Listening, Reading Comprehension, Social Perceptiveness.
Trade-offs
What does it ask of you in exchange?
4 years of education after high school (bachelor's degree), for a median of $47,340 a year and 2,000 openings nationally each year.
Paths in
Degrees that lead here
- CommunicationSee the degree →
- Public Relations and AdvertisingSee the degree →
- Radio, TV and Digital MediaSee the degree →
- JournalismSee the degree →
- Communication, GeneralCIP 09.0100
- Speech Communication and RhetoricCIP 09.0101
Paths across
Careers that use similar skills
- News Analysts, Reporters, and Journalists$62,200 · -5.9%
- Producers and Directors$90,360 · +4.0%
- Media Programming Directors
- Media Technical Directors/Managers
- Film and Video Editors$75,420 · +3.7%
Ask anything about this career.
“Would this make sense if I don't want to sit at a desk all day?” Answers will come from the sources on this page, with citations. Coming soon.
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Sources
- BLS Employment Projections, 2025–35, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Retrieved 2026-10-01.
- BLS Employment Projections, 2024–34 (archived), U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Retrieved 2026-10-01.
- O*NET 31.0 Database (August 2026), National Center for O*NET Development / U.S. Department of Labor. Retrieved 2026-10-01.
- CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 Crosswalk, NCES and BLS. Retrieved 2026-10-01.