Also called: Columnist, Opinion Writer
Writes regular opinion pieces arguing a point of view on news and culture.
A columnist interviews experts, reads up on an issue, and writes an 800-word argument by deadline. They also answer reader emails and appear on podcasts.
Very variable; national columnists earn much more.
Approximate: anchored on Bureau of Labor Statistics data for a broader job group.
Bachelor's degree (4-year), about 4 years after high school. Years of reporting or expertise in a field.
Ways in: 4-year college, On-the-job training. Training cost: $15k – $60k.
Majors to look at: Journalism, Political Science, English.
Shrinking. Fewer staff columnist jobs; many move to newsletters.
Medium risk for 10 years. AI writes passable opinion pieces, but readers follow distinctive, credible human columnists.
Classes: English, AP Language, Speech and debate, AP Government.
Official data: O*NET occupation 27-3023.
Career Universe is an early version. Pay, training and AI-risk figures are estimates to start your own research, not verified facts. The research was written with AI research assistants, checked by validation scripts and spot-checked by hand. Check anything important with schools, employers and official sources. How the numbers work.