Verifies the names, numbers, quotes and claims in articles, books, podcasts and political statements before or after publication. BLS does not publish separate figures for news analysts, reporters, and journalists; it counts them within news analyst, reporter, and journalist (SOC 27-3023), whose median pay is $62,200 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Typical entry-level education: Bachelor's degree.
- SOC 27-3023
- Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media
- Last updated October 9, 2026
At a glance
Fact-Checker in four numbers
- Median pay
- $62,200a year, or $29.91/hrBLS OEWS, May 2025Lowest 10% $36KTop 10% $144K
US median, all jobs: $50,980
- Projected growth
- -5.9%DecliningBLS EP, 2025–2035This career−5.9%All jobs+3.5%
Projected employment change, 2025–2035 Item Value This career −5.9% All jobs +3.5% - Openings a year
- 3,40047,100 jobs todayBLS EP, 2025–2035
- Jobs in 202547.1K
- Projected 203544.3K
Employment, 2025–2035 Item Value Jobs in 2025 47.1K Projected 2035 44.3K - Typical education
- Bachelor'sneeded to enterBLS EP, 2025–2035; mix: O*NET
Also advertised as: Research Editor, Fact Checker, Verification Editor, Editorial Researcher, Political Fact-Checker.
Pay
How much do News Analysts, Reporters, and Journalists make?
Every fact-checker in the US, by percentile of annual wage
Median
$62,200
Middle half earn $45,370 to $98,450
- 10th
- $36,240
- 25th
- $45,370
- 75th
- $98,450
- 90th
- $144,140
All US occupations: $50,980
| Percentile | Value |
|---|---|
| 10th | $36,240 |
| 25th | $45,370 |
| Median | $62,200 |
| 75th | $98,450 |
| 90th | $144,140 |
| All US occupations | $50,980 |
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025
- Median annual wage
- $62,200
- Median hourly wage
- $29.91/hr
- Mean annual wage
- $102,460
- People employed
- 39,250
Versus all US occupations
At $62,200, News Analysts, Reporters, and Journalists earn 22% above the $50,980 median across all US occupations, a difference of $11,220 a year.
Versus arts, design, entertainment, sports, and media occupations
Inside the Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media group, where the middle occupation pays $68,060, this is 9% below the group median.
Pay range
The top 10% earn $144,140 or more while the bottom 10% earn $36,240, a gap of 4.0×. That is an unusually wide spread, which usually tracks specialisation, employer type and years of experience.
Rank in the bank
This median pays more than 35% of the 1,741 occupations in the NueCareer career bank.
Highest-paying state
District of Columbia pays the most at $105,390, and still leads at $95,895 once local prices are taken into account.
Pay by state
Which states pay News Analysts, Reporters, and Journalists the most?
State medians come from the same OEWS release as the national figures. The cost-of-living column divides each state median by that state's BEA Regional Price Parity, restating pay in national-average dollars so a high-cost state and a low-cost one can be compared directly.
| State | Median | COL-adjusted | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1District of Columbia | $105,390 | $95,895 | 1,720 |
| 2New York | $100,770 | $93,374 | 5,750 |
| 3Georgia | $81,910 | $85,063 | 1,520 |
| 4Nevada | $78,550 | $78,566 | 370 |
| 5Rhode Island | $74,570 | $72,908 | 150 |
| 6Maryland | $63,680 | $60,671 | 580 |
| 7Michigan | $62,760 | $65,228 | 960 |
| 8Tennessee | $62,390 | $67,911 | 600 |
| 9Virginia | $62,140 | $61,461 | 1,110 |
| 10Utah | $61,880 | $62,591 | 240 |
Job outlook
Is Fact-Checker a growing career?
Employment change over 2025–2035, against every US occupation
Declining. -5.9% projected growth vs 3.5% for all occupations.
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| News Analysts, Reporters, and Journalists | −5.9% |
| All US occupations | +3.5% |
Source: BLS EP, 2025–2035
Declining
BLS projects employment of News Analysts, Reporters, and Journalists to change -5.9% over 2025–2035, while total US employment is projected to rise 3.5%. That is 2,800 fewer jobs.
Annual openings
About 3,400 openings are projected each year, 7.2% of the 47,100 jobs that existed in 2025. Most come from workers leaving the occupation, not from growth alone.
Getting in
How to become a Fact-Checker
Most fact-checkers have a bachelor's degree in journalism, English, history or political science. Many start at a magazine or newsroom as interns or researchers, and fact-checking is a traditional entry point into editing and reporting jobs. Strong research skills, comfort with public records and the patience to track down primary sources matter more than a specific degree.
The International Fact-Checking Network at the Poynter Institute sets a Code of Principles that verified fact-checking organizations sign, and Poynter offers training in verification methods. Universities with journalism programs run courses and student fact-checking projects. Freelance book and podcast fact-checking work often comes through editors who know a checker's track record.
- 1
Typical entry-level education
Bachelor's degree
- 2
Work experience in a related occupation
None
- 3
Typical on-the-job training
None
- 4
Preparation needed (O*NET job zone)
Medium preparation
BLS Employment Projections, 2025–2035; job zone from O*NET 31.0 Database.
The work
What does a Fact-Checker do?
Fact-checkers make sure published work is true. At magazines and book publishers, they go through a story line by line, mark every checkable claim, and confirm each one against interviews, documents, recordings and databases. They call sources to read back quotes, flag errors and unfair characterizations to editors, and help writers fix them before publication.
At fact-checking organizations and newsrooms, the work focuses on public claims. Fact-checkers pick statements made by politicians or viral posts, research the evidence, and publish rulings that explain what is accurate and what is not. Some work on podcasts, documentaries or nonfiction books, and others verify images and video using open-source investigation tools.
Day-to-day tasks
- Mark every verifiable claim in a manuscript or script
- Confirm facts against documents, recordings and databases
- Call sources to read back quotes and details
- Flag errors and unsupported claims to editors and writers
- Research public statements and publish fact-check rulings
- Verify photos and videos with open-source tools
- Keep annotated records of sources for each story
Typical tasks, researched by NueCareer from the sources below.
Working conditions and hours
Fact-checkers work at magazines, newsrooms, nonprofit fact-checking organizations, podcast companies and book publishers, and many freelance. The work is desk-based, with lots of phone calls, email and database research. Deadlines can be intense right before a story closes or during election seasons, and remote work is common.
Where the work happens
Indoors, climate-controlled
NeverEvery dayIndoors, in a climate-controlled space, every day.
Outdoors in all weather
NeverEvery day
Physical demands
Sitting
NeverAlmost all the timeSeated for more than half the working day.
Standing
NeverAlmost all the timeBending or twisting
NeverAlmost all the time
Working with people
Contact with other people
NoneConstantConstant contact with other people.
Face-to-face discussions
NeverEvery dayDealing with the public
Not importantExtremely important
Pressure and stakes
Strict deadlines
NeverEvery dayMeeting strict deadlines at least weekly.
Conflict situations
NeverEvery dayCost of a mistake
Not seriousExtremely serious
Autonomy
Freedom to decide
NoneA lotA lot of freedom to make decisions without checking first.
Conditions: O*NET Work Context survey. Each item has its own scale, so each dot is read against the two answers that end its own line.
Core skills
O*NET importance, 1 to 5
- Active Listening4.5
- Reading Comprehension4.4
- Speaking4.3
- Critical Thinking4.1
- Writing4.0
- Active Learning3.8
- Monitoring3.3
- Learning Strategies2.5
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Active Listening | 4.5 |
| Reading Comprehension | 4.4 |
| Speaking | 4.3 |
| Critical Thinking | 4.1 |
| Writing | 4.0 |
| Active Learning | 3.8 |
| Monitoring | 3.3 |
| Learning Strategies | 2.5 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
Transferable skills
O*NET importance, 1 to 5
- Social Perceptiveness3.8
- Time Management3.6
- Coordination3.4
- Complex Problem Solving3.4
- Persuasion3.3
- Judgment and Decision Making3.3
- Service Orientation2.9
- Negotiation2.8
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Social Perceptiveness | 3.8 |
| Time Management | 3.6 |
| Coordination | 3.4 |
| Complex Problem Solving | 3.4 |
| Persuasion | 3.3 |
| Judgment and Decision Making | 3.3 |
| Service Orientation | 2.9 |
| Negotiation | 2.8 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
Tools and software
- Analytical or scientific software · in demand
- Data base user interface and query software · in demand
- Desktop publishing software · in demand
- Electronic mail software · in demand
- Graphics or photo imaging software · in demand
- Office suite software · in demand
- Presentation software · in demand
- Spreadsheet software · in demand
- Video creation and editing software · in demand
- Web page creation and editing software · in demand
- Web platform development software · in demand
- Word processing software · in demand
“In demand” marks an O*NET Employer-Based Hot Technology, software named in real job postings for this occupation.
Personality fit
What personality type suits a Fact-Checker?
NueCareer estimate (Holland code ICA) built on O*NET's News Analyst, Reporter, and Journalist profile, scored 1 to 7
| Axis | Fact-Checker |
|---|---|
| Realistic | 1 |
| Investigative | 5 |
| Artistic | 5 |
| Social | 3 |
| Enterprising | 4 |
| Conventional | 4 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
What the work is built around
Day to day this is work built around creating, designing and working without a fixed set of rules, combined with investigating, analysing and solving problems with ideas and data.
- Artistic5.1
- Investigative4.7
- Conventional4.2
- Enterprising4.0
- Social2.8
- Realistic1.5
Closest MBTI types
NueCareer fit scores: cosine similarity between each MBTI type's interest vector and this occupation's O*NET interest profile. Not a BLS or O*NET figure; the method is documented on our methodology page.
Explore further
Careers related to Fact-Checker
O*NET related occupations
- Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media
- Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media
- Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media
- Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media
- Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media
- Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media
More arts, design, entertainment, sports, and media careers
Median annual pay, with news analysts, reporters, and journalists highlighted
- Art Director$114,850
- Technical Writer$90,390
- Editor$77,920
- Writer and Author$76,910
- Public Relations Specialist$74,750
- Interior Designer$67,190
- Graphic Designer$62,960
- Fact-Checker$62,200
- Photographer$44,660
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Art Director | $114,850 |
| Technical Writer | $90,390 |
| Editor | $77,920 |
| Writer and Author | $76,910 |
| Public Relations Specialist | $74,750 |
| Interior Designer | $67,190 |
| Graphic Designer | $62,960 |
| Fact-Checker | $62,200 |
| Photographer | $44,660 |
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025
Lists Fact-Checker appears on
Questions
Fact-Checker: frequently asked questions
How much do News Analysts, Reporters, and Journalists make?
BLS does not publish a separate wage for news analysts, reporters, and journalists. It counts them within news analyst, reporter, and journalist, whose median pay is $62,200 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025). The middle half of that occupation earn between $45,370 and $98,450, and the top 10% earn $144,140 or more.
Do you need a degree to become a Fact-Checker?
Yes. BLS reports a bachelor's degree as the typical entry-level education for News Analysts, Reporters, and Journalists, and O*NET rates the preparation needed as medium preparation.
Is Fact-Checker a growing career?
No. BLS projects employment to fall 5.9% over 2025–2035, a loss of 2,800 jobs (BLS EP, 2025–2035). BLS still projects about 3,400 openings a year, mostly from workers retiring or moving to other work.
What does a Fact-Checker do?
Fact-checkers make sure published work is true. A typical task: mark every verifiable claim in a manuscript or script. Employers most often ask for Analytical or scientific software, Data base user interface and query software, Desktop publishing software.
Which states pay News Analysts, Reporters, and Journalists the most?
The highest state medians for News Analysts, Reporters, and Journalists are District of Columbia ($105,390), New York ($100,770), Georgia ($81,910) (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
What personality type suits a Fact-Checker?
O*NET scores News Analysts, Reporters, and Journalists highest on the Artistic, Investigative and Conventional interest areas, so the work mixes creating, designing and working without a fixed set of rules with investigating, analysing and solving problems with ideas and data. On NueCareer's MBTI-to-interest mapping the closest types are INFJ, ENTP, INTP. Personality is a fit signal, not a gate. The free NueCareer quiz scores your own profile against all 1,731 careers in the bank.