Broadcast Announcers and Radio Disc Jockeys
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.
Most important skills
- Speaking
- Active Listening
- Reading Comprehension
- Critical Thinking
- Social Perceptiveness
- Time Management
- Writing
- Active Learning
Key knowledge
- Communications and Media
- English Language
- Computers and Electronics
- Telecommunications
- Law and Government
- Public Safety and Security
- Sales and Marketing
- Administration and Management
What the work involves
- Prepare and deliver news, sports, or weather reports, gathering and rewriting material so that it will convey required information and fit specific time slots.
- Read news flashes to inform audiences of important events.
- Select program content, in conjunction with producers and assistants, based on factors such as program specialties, audience tastes, or requests from the public.
- Study background information to prepare for programs or interviews.
- Comment on music and other matters, such as weather or traffic conditions.
- Interview show guests about their lives, their work, or topics of current interest.
- Host civic, charitable, or promotional events broadcast over television or radio.
- Make promotional appearances at public or private events to represent their employers.
Strongest interest areas (O*NET): Artistic, Enterprising, Social.
Qualifications and licensing
- Most common education
- Bachelor's Degree (35.2% of respondents)
- Related experience
- Over 1 month, up to and including 3 months (19.6%)
- On-the-job training
- Anything beyond short demonstration, up to and including 1 month (30.7%)
- Preparation level
- O*NET job zone 4: Job Zone Four: Considerable Preparation Needed
- Licensing
- Not yet verified. Check your state licensing board.
Check before planning
- Licensing for Broadcast Announcers and Radio Disc Jockeys is not yet verified for any state: check the state licensing board before planning.
Limits
- Distributions show what current workers or occupational experts report, not legal minimums.
- Requirements vary by employer and state; time to qualify is not estimated.
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database (USDOL/ETA, CC BY 4.0); BLS Employment Projections · dataset 2026.10.8 · method e3-qualification-1.0.0
Work environment
How the typical conditions of this occupation compare with 911 occupations in O*NET (very low = the lowest fifth).
Levels are relative. Most occupations involve a lot of contact with people, for example, so “very low” can still mean regular contact; the last column shows what workers actually reported.
| Condition | Level | Compared with other occupations | Most common answer (O*NET survey) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Contact with others | Moderate | Higher on contact with others than 50% of occupations compared | 66% of surveyed respondents chose “Constant contact with others” |
| Dealing with the public | Very high | Higher on dealing with the public than 80% of occupations compared | — |
| Teamwork | High | Higher on teamwork than 73% of occupations compared | 62% of surveyed respondents chose “Extremely important” |
| Freedom to make decisions | Moderate | Higher on freedom to make decisions than 54% of occupations compared | 56% of surveyed respondents chose “Some freedom” |
| Time pressure | Very high | Higher on time pressure than 98% of occupations compared | 85% of surveyed respondents chose “Every day” |
| Conflict situations | Low | Lower on conflict situations than 73% of occupations compared | 31% of surveyed respondents chose “Once a year or more but not every month” |
| Dealing with unpleasant or angry people | Moderate | Lower on dealing with unpleasant or angry people than 55% of occupations compared | 45% of surveyed respondents chose “Once a year or more but not every month” |
| Consequence of error | High | Higher on consequence of error than 66% of occupations compared | 37% of surveyed respondents chose “Extremely serious” |
Work-pressure profile
- Time pressure: very high
- Conflict situations: low
- Dealing with unpleasant or angry people: moderate
- Consequence of error: high
Each part is shown on its own. There is no combined stress score, and conditions vary by employer and role.
Full answer distributions
Contact with others
- No contact with others: 0%
- Occasional contact with others: 9.15%
- Contact with others about half the time: 9.15%
- Contact with others most of the time: 15.65%
- Constant contact with others: 66.06%
n = 17, Incumbent 08/2025
Dealing with the public
- Not important at all: 0%
- Fairly important: 9.15%
- Important: 14.2%
- Very important: 23.93%
- Extremely important: suppressed by O*NET (low precision)
n = 17, Incumbent 08/2025
Teamwork
- Not important at all: 0%
- Fairly important: 0%
- Important: 9.15%
- Very important: 29.26%
- Extremely important: 61.59%
n = 17, Incumbent 08/2025
Freedom to make decisions
- No freedom: 0%
- Very little freedom: 9.15%
- Limited freedom: 0%
- Some freedom: 56.02%
- A lot of freedom: 34.83%
n = 17, Incumbent 08/2025
Time pressure
- Never: 0%
- Once a year or more but not every month: 0%
- Once a month or more but not every week: 0%
- Once a week or more but not every day: 14.72%
- Every day: 85.28%
n = 17, Incumbent 08/2025
Conflict situations
- Never: 30.37%
- Once a year or more but not every month: 30.74%
- Once a month or more but not every week: 9.8%
- Once a week or more but not every day: 18.81%
- Every day: 10.28%
n = 17, Incumbent 08/2025
Dealing with unpleasant or angry people
- Never: 9.15%
- Once a year or more but not every month: 45.29%
- Once a month or more but not every week: 23.86%
- Once a week or more but not every day: 11.42%
- Every day: 10.28%
n = 17, Incumbent 08/2025
Consequence of error
- Not serious at all: 18.81%
- Fairly serious: 19.6%
- Serious: 5.05%
- Very serious: 19.95%
- Extremely serious: 36.59%
n = 17, Incumbent 08/2025
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O*NET-SOC 27-3011.00 · SOC 27-3011 (exact, high confidence) · dataset 2026.10.8