The Average Radio DJ Salaries
A radio disc jockey plays music provided to him by the radio station programmer. DJs also comment on the music, and provide traffic and weather reports. They may interview guests, manage listener contests and take listener requests. Disc jockeys are required to follow a strict schedule of commercials, talk and music provided by management. Four factors greatly affecting a radio disc jockey's earnings are experience, location, gender and company size.
Salary
Total pay for radio disc jockeys ranges from $20,677 to $38,116 a year, according to November 2010 PayScale data. Bonuses and commissions form an important component of the overall pay package, adding anywhere from $1,196.53 to $15,750 in take home pay.
Experience
Experience has a major affect on the earnings radio disc jockeys can potentially receive. Radio disc jockeys with four years or less experience earn between $19,439 and $30,968, according to PayScale. Individuals with five to nine years of experience earn substantially more, in a range of $23,553 to $37,500. The earnings of a radio disc jockey with 10 to 19 years of experience is between $25,218 and $48,802 a year. With twenty years or more of experience, a disc jockey's earnings can range between $28,819 and $45,824.
Location
Radio stations that reach more people can afford to pay their DJs more. New York and California have large listener populations, and New York offers the highest potential earnings, in the range of $30,000 to $75,000, according to PayScale. DJs in California earn between $30,521 and $48,796. Pennsylvania, with its smaller audiences, has DJs earnings between $23,489 and $28,066 a year.
Gender
Male DJs earn more than female DJs in the radio broadcasting business, according to November 2010 PayScale data. While both men and women start out making about the same, men out earn women with years of experience at the high-end of the pay scale. Male disc jockeys earn between $24,012 and $41,474 a year, while female disc jockeys earn between $23,062 and $35,833 a year. The industry is dominated by men who outnumber women at 69 percent to 31 percent, according to PayScale.
Company Size
Radio disc jockeys who work for large companies earn more money. DJs working in corporations with 600 to 1,999 employees earn between $34,392 and $61,042 year. This is in contrast to earnings of those working for small companies with 10 to 49 employees, which ranges between $23,200 and $34,321.
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