Adil Al Hasan, Jakarta – The Independent Journalists Alliance (AJI) Jakarta has launched the results of the 2025 Fair Wages Survey for Journalists in the Jabodetabek (Greater Jakarta) area. The AJI survey results indicate that the fair wage for journalists this year is Rp9.1 million per month, an increase from the previous fair wage of Rp8.3 million.
AJI Jakarta's Employment Division Coordinator, Caesar Akbar, stated that their organization continues to push media companies to provide fair wages for journalists. This is because the needs of journalists for mobility, transportation, recreation, savings, and high-quality work equipment are high.
However, Caesar added that there are still many media workers in the Jabodetabek area who receive below fair wages. "Every year we are disappointed because fair wages do not reach even half, or even a quarter of it," he said during the survey launch at the AJI Jakarta Secretariat in Kalibata, South Jakarta, on August 30, 2025.
This survey took place from April 11 to June 3, 2025, with 103 respondents who are journalists working in the Jabodetabek area. This online survey was conducted using a purposive sampling method to find journalists with 1-3 years of work experience.
The survey results indicate that 93.2 percent of the journalist respondents do not receive fair wages or are below the standard. There are 58.3 percent of journalists who receive take-home pay or net income of around Rp4-6 million, 24.3 percent receive Rp6-8 million, 7.8 percent receive Rp2.4 million, and only 1 percent of respondents receive an income above Rp10 million per month.
From all the respondents, journalists in Jabodetabek on average receive common work facilities, such as health allowances, lactation rooms, sanitary pad allowances, HPV vaccines, and even prenatal check-ups.
In addition, this survey records the working hours and overtime of journalists that have been regulated in the Job Creation Law and its amendments, such as Law Number 6 of 2023 and Government Regulation Number 35 of 2021 regarding Fixed-Term Employment Agreements (PKWT). According to these regulations, the maximum daily working hours are 8 hours, with 2 days off, and overtime bonuses.
As a result, there are 35.9 percent of journalists working eight hours, 5.8 percent work less than eight hours, and 58.3 percent work more than eight hours. Of those who work overtime, 88.3 percent of respondents do not receive bonuses or additional work money. Furthermore, 46.6 percent of respondents also admitted that their media companies do not implement overtime rules according to the Law.
Not only that, the majority or 54.4 percent of media companies do not apply calculations for holiday pay as per the regulations, 37.9 percent are unaware, and 7.8 percent stated that the holiday pay rules have been applied.
Meanwhile, 45.6 percent of journalists also do not receive additional incentives when working overtime. As for 43.7 percent, they receive incentives in the form of food, transportation, or other forms, while 10.7 percent are unaware.