Quick answer: The Tampa metro employs about 370 news analysts, reporters, and journalists (BLS OEWS, May 2025), and licensing is set at the state level, through newsrooms or employers in your target market on the clips they expect.
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Licensing is a state matter, not a city one. Journalism is not licensed and requires no certification. Publication credits are the credential; the degree’s value is reporting method, media law coursework and the clips produced along the way.
See the Florida licensing and pay overview for the statewide picture, and confirm current requirements with newsrooms or employers in your target market on the clips they expect.
Schools in our database near this area, ranked by BOC Score. The list favors schools with a related program on record, but program availability and delivery format change, so confirm directly with any school that it currently offers the program you want.
This page lists 10 schools within 202 miles, closest group first, then ordered by BOC Score with the highest at the top. 10 of them carry a score.
Scores come from IPEDS (2024) and the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard. Earnings are for all graduates of a school, not one program, so treat them as a signal about the institution rather than about this subject. Sponsored listings are paid placements and are labelled as such; they are separate from this ranking and never change it. Read the full methodology.
Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard
Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard
Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard
Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard
Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard
Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard
Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard
Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard
Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard
Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard
News Analysts, Reporters, and Journalists in the Tampa area earn a median $66,440 per year, above the national median of $62,200 (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
| Metric | Tampa metro | Florida | National |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median annual wage | $66,440 | $58,730 | $62,200 |
| 10th percentile | $42,500 | $39,380 | $36,240 |
| 25th percentile | $47,170 | $48,690 | $45,370 |
| 75th percentile | $94,650 | $83,620 | $98,450 |
| 90th percentile | $123,760 | $122,560 | $144,140 |
| Employment | 370 | 2,490 | 39,250 |
| Location quotient | 1.01 | - | 1.00 |
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025. Metro figures cover the Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL metropolitan statistical area.
The Tampa median of $66,440 is above the national median of $62,200, and above the Florida statewide median of $58,730 (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
The metro’s location quotient of 1.01 means news analysts, reporters, and journalists are more concentrated here than in the average U.S. labor market (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Higher concentration generally means more employers competing for the same people, and an easier job change later.
Newsroom employment concentrates in major media metros, while adjacent writing and content roles spread with corporate and institutional employers.
| Metro area | Median annual wage | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| Miami | $65,610 | 840 |
| Jacksonville | $56,890 | 390 |
| Orlando | $64,320 | 290 |
| Cape Coral | $57,820 | 120 |
Figures: BLS OEWS, May 2025.
Wage and employment figures describe the occupation as measured by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, not the graduates of any particular program, and individual outcomes may vary. Licensing rules change; confirm current requirements with the responsible state board before enrolling.
The median annual wage for news analysts, reporters, and journalists in the Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL metro area is $66,440, above the national median of $62,200 (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
The Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL metro area employs about 370 news analysts, reporters, and journalists (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
Licensing is handled at state level rather than by city. Journalism is not licensed and requires no certification. Publication credits are the credential; the degree's value is reporting method, media law coursework and the clips produced along the way. Confirm current requirements with newsrooms or employers in your target market on the clips they expect.
The academic portion of these programs is widely available online for working adults, while labs, clinical hours or supervised field work are completed in person. Check that the program's accreditation satisfies newsrooms or employers in your target market on the clips they expect.
The Tampa metro median is $66,440 against a statewide median of $58,730 (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Compare that gap with the difference in living costs before treating it as a raise.
About this guide: Researched and written by the TradeCareerPath Editorial Team. Our editorial team researches and sources every trade school and career guide using federal labor and education data, including BLS OEWS and Employment Projections, DOL apprenticeship records, IPEDS, College Scorecard, and state licensing boards. We follow the editorial standards documented at /editorial-policy/.
