Radio, Television & Digital Media graduates earn $50,497 four years out. The middle 50% of earners fall between $33,717 and $70,128. Where you land depends on specialization, employer, and how far you advance in the field.
This page covers Radio, Television & Digital Media as a course of study: what it costs, where it is taught, and what graduates go on to earn. It sits inside the wider field of Communication and how it pays overall, which is the better comparison if you are still choosing between subjects.
Radio, Television & Digital Media is a focused area of study within Communication. Pick this and you can expect to earn around $50,497 four years out, a solid return for a focused credential. You will not have trouble finding it: 641 colleges offer this program, from community colleges to research universities. About 18,257 students complete it each year, most walking away with a bachelor's. The focus is on writing, analysis, and communication that transfer across industries.
Median Earnings · 1yr
$30,036
Median Earnings · 4yr
$50,497
Colleges Offering
641
Graduates / Year
18,257
Avg Net Price / yr
$22,935
How Much Do Radio, Television & Digital Media Graduates Earn?
Four years after finishing Radio, Television & Digital Media, a typical graduate earns $50,497, below average for bachelor's degree holders. Half of earners land somewhere between $33,717 and $70,128, so where you end up depends on the job and the employer. Do not judge the field on a starting paycheck alone: pay tends to jump in the first few years, climbing from $30,036 at one year out to $50,497 by year four. Source: College Scorecard.
Starting salaries only. Earnings in this field grow substantially in the first 3 to 5 years.
$50,497
4-Year National Median
Below average for bachelor's degree holders.
$49,359
4-Year Institutional Median
Median of per-school medians. Each reporting college counts equally, regardless of size.
Earnings Range
Not every Radio, Television & Digital Media graduate ends up in the same place. Earnings spread out widely, so know what pushes people to one end or the other. Career path divergence explains most of the range. Law, consulting, and tech-adjacent roles pull the top end up; writing, education, and nonprofit roles tend to sit near the bottom.
$33,71725th pct.
$50,497Median
$70,12875th pct.
Understanding the Cost vs. Return
At median 4-year earnings of $50,497 and an estimated $91,740 four-year net cost, earnings breakeven against a baseline wage takes approximately 4.5 years. Compare specific programs before committing to a high-cost option.
Based on outcomes from 405 schools.
Colleges with fewer than 30 graduates are excluded from national averages.
Who Studies This? Credential Breakdown
Of the 18,257 students who complete Radio, Television & Digital Media programs each year, the majority (64%) earn a bachelor's degree.
The breakdown below shows the full credential distribution.
64%
Bachelor's64%
Master's17%
Associate's9%
What Can You Do With a Radio, Television & Digital Media Degree?
This degree does not lock you into one job. Radio, Television & Digital Media graduates show up in 6 different occupations, and Web and Digital Interface Designers pay the most at $104,000/yr median. Expand any card below to see daily responsibilities, in-demand skills, and 10-year growth projections.
ProgrammingActive ListeningReading ComprehensionCritical ThinkingJudgment and Decision Making
Day-to-day responsibilities
Design digital user interfaces or websites. Develop and test layouts, interfaces, functionality, and navigation menus to ensure compatibility and usability across browsers or devices. May use web framework applications as well as client-side code and processes. May evaluate web design following web and accessibility standards, and may analyze web use metrics and optimize websites for marketability and search engine ranking. May design and test interfaces that facilitate the human-computer interaction and maximize the usability of digital devices, websites, and software with a focus on aesthetics and design. May create graphics used in websites and manage website content and links.
Balance and adjust gameplay experiences to ensure the critical and commercial success of the product.
Devise missions, challenges, or puzzles to be encountered in game play.
Create core game features, including storylines, role-play mechanics, and character biographies for a new video game or game franchise.
Active ListeningSpeakingCritical ThinkingReading ComprehensionJudgment and Decision Making
Day-to-day responsibilities
Produce or direct stage, television, radio, video, or film productions for entertainment, information, or instruction. Responsible for creative decisions, such as interpretation of script, choice of actors or guests, set design, sound, special effects, and choreography.
Plan details such as framing, composition, camera movement, sound, and actor movement for each shot or scene.
Communicate to actors the approach, characterization, and movement needed for each scene in such a way that rehearsals and takes are minimized.
Direct live broadcasts, films and recordings, or non-broadcast programming for public entertainment or education.
Doctoral or professional degree2,400 openings/yr29K employed nationally
Active ListeningReading ComprehensionInstructingSpeakingWriting
Day-to-day responsibilities
Teach courses in communications, such as organizational communications, public relations, radio/television broadcasting, and journalism. Includes both teachers primarily engaged in teaching and those who do a combination of teaching and research.
Evaluate and grade students' class work, assignments, and papers.
Initiate, facilitate, and moderate classroom discussions.
Compile, administer, and grade examinations, or assign this work to others.
Active ListeningCritical ThinkingReading ComprehensionComplex Problem SolvingActive Learning
Day-to-day responsibilities
Edit moving images on film, video, or other media. May work with a producer or director to organize images for final production. May edit or synchronize soundtracks with images.
Organize and string together raw footage into a continuous whole according to scripts or the instructions of directors and producers.
Edit films and videotapes to insert music, dialogue, and sound effects, to arrange films into sequences, and to correct errors, using editing equipment.
Select and combine the most effective shots of each scene to form a logical and smoothly running story.
Narrate or write news stories, reviews, or commentary for print, broadcast, or other communications media such as newspapers, magazines, radio, or television. May collect and analyze information through interview, investigation, or observation.
Write commentaries, columns, or scripts, using computers.
Coordinate and serve as an anchor on news broadcast programs.
Examine news items of local, national, and international significance to determine topics to address, or obtain assignments from editorial staff members.
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.
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.
Top Colleges for Radio, Television & Digital Media
Not sure where to study Radio, Television & Digital Media? These 20 colleges graduate the most students in it each year. Scroll right to compare acceptance rate, net price, and median earnings side by side.
Ranked by Radio, Television & Digital Media graduate volume. Scroll right to compare key stats.
Read our methodology →
Related Communication Programs
Radio, Television & Digital Media is not the only path through Communication: 5 other specializations sit alongside it. The comparison below ranks them by 4-year median earnings so you can see where this one lands.
Decide with data, not guesswork. These tools turn the numbers on this page
into a personal plan. Estimate the real cost of a Radio, Television & Digital Media program, compare colleges side-by-side, weigh the long-term payoff, and find
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Radio, Television & Digital Media Degree: Pros & Cons
The data on Radio, Television & Digital Media shows 4 measurable strengths and 4 real trade-offs. All points are sourced from College Scorecard earnings, BLS projections, and IPEDS graduate counts.
PROS
Strong salary growthMedian earnings climb from $30,036 at graduation to $50,497 four years later, a clear sign of career momentum in this field.
Positive job outlookRelated careers project up to +6.0% job growth over the next 10 years, a solid signal for long-term demand.
Strong hiring volumeRelated occupations generate more than 31,300 job openings per year combined, creating consistent demand for graduates.
Wide availabilityOffered at 641 colleges nationwide, with options at every price point and institution type.
CONS
Modest median earningsFour-year median of $50,497 lags STEM and business fields, affecting ROI at higher-cost programs.
Advanced degree often expectedTop roles in this field typically expect a master's degree or higher. A bachelor's may be a starting point rather than a terminal credential for the most competitive positions.
Declining roles in some areas2 related careers show negative 10-year employment projections. Research specific roles before committing.
High earnings varianceGap between 25th ($33,717) and 75th ($70,128) percentile is wide. Where you land depends heavily on employer, role, and location.
Radio, Television & Digital Media Degree: Frequently Asked Questions
How much do Radio, Television & Digital Media graduates earn?
$50,497 four years after finishing the program. Half of graduates land between $33,717 and $70,128, so employer, role, and location move that number more than the degree itself. Source: College Scorecard.
What is the starting salary for a Radio, Television & Digital Media degree?
$30,036 in the first year out. That grows to $50,497 by year four, so do not judge this field on the entry-level number alone. Most of the gain shows up once you clear the first few years and move past entry-level roles. Source: College Scorecard.
What jobs can you get with a Radio, Television & Digital Media degree?
Web and Digital Interface Designers are one path, and it pays a median of $104,000 a year. It is not the only one: the Career Paths section below lists every occupation graduates actually go into, with wages and 10-year growth for each.
How long does a Radio, Television & Digital Media program take?
Four years of full-time study for a Radio, Television & Digital Media bachelor's degree, the standard timeline for this field. If you want a faster route into the workforce, community colleges offer a two-year associate option instead.
How many colleges offer Radio, Television & Digital Media?
641 colleges and universities, so you are not short on options. That range runs from community colleges granting certificates and associate degrees to research universities with full doctoral tracks. Source: IPEDS.
Is a Radio, Television & Digital Media degree worth it?
$50,497 median earnings four years out against $22,935 a year in average net price. That is a slow payback, so cost matters more than usual here: a cheaper school changes the answer. Use the Top Colleges section below to compare specific schools before deciding. Source: College Scorecard.
What is the difference between Radio, Television & Digital Media and Communication?
Radio, Television & Digital Media is the narrower of the two: Communication covers the full discipline, while this program limits the curriculum to Radio, Television & Digital Media-specific courses, skills, and career tracks. Pick the specialization once you already know this is the direction you want; it gets you a more targeted credential, not a broader one.
What skills do employers look for in Radio, Television & Digital Media graduates?
Coursework alone will not get you hired. Employers hiring Radio, Television & Digital Media graduates consistently look for writing, critical analysis, and cross-cultural communication. Employers value the ability to synthesize complex information clearly, skills that transfer into communications, law, consulting, and content roles. Build those into your coursework and internships now, and the job search later gets easier.
What is the job outlook for Radio, Television & Digital Media graduates?
Outlook is slow overall: related occupations average +0.4% projected job growth over the next 10 years. Web and Digital Interface Designers are among the strongest-growth roles at +6.0%. That average hides real differences by role and location, so check the Career Paths section below for the projection on each specific occupation before you count on any single number.
Related Communication Programs
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