Will AI replace journalists? How Kazakh media salaries are changing

On the eve of Media Workers’ Day, Finprom analysts examined how the rise of artificial intelligence and the blogging boom have affected employment and wages in Kazakhstan’s media industry. Using data from the Bureau of National Statistics (BNS), they sought to determine whether AI is truly replacing professional journalists and whether aspiring media professionals can break into the industry after completing a three-month copywriting course.

Media salaries outpace the national average

As of the first quarter of 2026, average nominal monthly wages across all major media sectors exceeded Kazakhstan’s national average of 461,500 tenge (about $950).

In publishing, the average monthly nominal wage reached 700,200 tenge ($1,500), up 15.1% from a year earlier.

In television and radio programming and broadcasting, the average monthly wage rose to 625,900 tenge.

Film, video and television production posted the strongest gains, with average monthly wages surging threefold to 948,900 tenge.

Staff shortages drive wage growth

The sharp increase in wages for film and video production was largely driven by severe labor shortages in recent years. The sector has experienced exceptionally high employee turnover, reaching 98.4% in 2024. In 2025, 42% of employees left their jobs. To retain skilled workers, employers responded with substantial pay increases.

By comparison, staffing levels remained relatively stable in publishing, where employee turnover stood at 12.8%, and in television and radio broadcasting, where it was 15.2%.

Despite higher nominal wages, inflation in 2025 eroded purchasing power across much of the media industry. Real wages declined by 7.6% in publishing and by 4.2% in television and radio broadcasting. Film and video production was the only major segment to post real wage growth, with an increase of 10.4%.

Higher education still pays off

The data also suggest that short-term training programs — typically costing between 3,000 and 90,000 tenge — do not fully replace a university education, which costs between 500,000 and 2.8 million tenge per year.

Read also: Millennials earn the highest salaries, Zoomers earn the lowest in Kazakhstan.

Educational attainment continues to have a significant impact on earnings in the media industry.

In publishing, employees with a university degree earn 1.8 times as much as colleagues without one. Professionals with postgraduate qualifications earn 3.3 times more than workers with only a secondary education.

Salaries by media segment

Print media: This remains the industry’s lowest-paying segment. Reporters earned between 170,000 and 493,000 tenge in 2025, while editors earned between 278,000 and 482,100 tenge.

Television: Reporters earned starting salaries of 387,800 tenge, announcers earned 471,000 tenge, and television hosts earned 740,000 tenge. Managers and directors earned between 540,000 and 855,000 tenge, while screenwriters were the highest-paid professionals, earning up to 1.4 million tenge.

Online media: Copywriters and content managers earned between 350,000 and 542,000 tenge. Website administrators earned between 90,000 and 314,000 tenge, while editors and digital designers earned up to 1.3 million tenge.

Public relations: Salaries in the PR sector remained higher than in traditional media. Press secretaries and PR specialists earned between 425,000 and 800,000 tenge, while brand managers earned up to 1.2 million tenge.

AI streamlines work but demand for talent remains

Kazakhstan’s three official media sectors employ about 7,500 professionals, including roughly 5,900 people working in television and radio.

While AI is streamlining many technical and routine tasks, demand continues to grow for experienced journalists and media professionals with strong writing skills, specialized expertise and proven qualifications.