Salary, Job Description, How To Become One, and Quiz
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Editors
Editors plan, coordinate, revise, or edit written material. May review proposals and drafts for possible publication.
Table of contents
What they do
Editors plan, coordinate, revise, or edit written material. May review proposals and drafts for possible publication.
- Read copy or proof to detect and correct errors in spelling, punctuation, and syntax.
- Verify facts, dates, and statistics, using standard reference sources.
- Read, evaluate and edit manuscripts or other materials submitted for publication and confer with authors regarding changes in content, style or organization, or publication.
- Develop story or content ideas, considering reader or audience appeal.
Typical day
On a daily basis, Editors read copy or proof to detect and correct errors in spelling, punctuation, and syntax. They allocate print space for story text, photos, and illustrations according to space parameters and copy significance, using knowledge of layout principles.
A typical day for an Editor will also include:
- Select local, state, national, and international news items received from wire services, based on the assessment of items’ significance and interest value.
- Plan the contents of publications according to the publication’s style, editorial policy, and publishing requirements.
- Read, evaluate and edit manuscripts or other materials submitted for publication and confer with authors regarding changes in content, style or organization, or publication.
- Prepare, rewrite and edit copy to improve readability, or supervise others who do this work.
- Oversee publication production, including artwork, layout, computer typesetting, and printing, ensuring adherence to deadlines and budget requirements.
Other responsibilities
Besides their typical day, Editors also direct the policies and departments of newspapers, magazines, and other publishing establishments. They may also make manuscript acceptance or revision recommendations to the publisher.
On a weekly to monthly basis, Editors arrange for copyright permissions. They might also meet frequently with artists, typesetters, layout personnel, marketing directors, and production managers to discuss projects and resolve problems.
In addition, they confer with management and editorial staff members regarding placement and emphasis on developing news stories.
Although specific duties may vary, many of them verify facts, dates, and statistics, using standard reference sources.
To some Editors, it is also their responsibility to interview and hire writers and reporters or negotiate contracts, royalties, and payments for authors or freelancers.
Featured Schools
What is the job like
Job satisfaction
Is this job meaningful
65% said they were satisfied with their job and 42% said they found their job meaningful.
I’m Lisa Sanchez, the Fashion Editor of The Nines. My Typical Day Morning I like to start my morning off with a little inspiration before having to deal with monotonous administrative work. I spend no more than 15 minutes browsing Instagram and celebrity blogs eyeing up the best outfits for the day. Energized, I kick … Read More
I’m the editor of MagicGuides.com, a website dedicated to Disney travel. I pretty much run day-to-day operations. We’re essentially a 2-person operation so that means I end up being “the boss of myself” most of the time. On a typical day, I work on new articles or revise old information. It’s a challenge to keep … Read More
I’m the Lead Editor at Voltcave, a content publication centered around PC hardware and gaming. My typical workday starts with getting straight into content creation mode. Whether I’m working on my own article or editing one of our writers’, I spend the first half of most workdays getting quality content published. The latter half of … Read More
A typical day includes meetings, writing, editing the work of others, planning future vehicle and tech coverage, doing media interviews on topics like fuel economy, new technology, best electric cars, and whether leasing or buying a car is best. It’s also fun to come up with new ways of covering new cars and tech. Some … Read More
Pros
Suitable for people who like to work with designs.
Suitable for people who want independence and like to work on their own and make decisions.
This career is perfect for people who love to work indoors.
Very good salary.
Cons
Not suitable for people who like practical and hands-on work.
It is hard to get into this career. A considerable amount of work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is required for this career.
Long working hours (More than 40 hours per week).
How much do they make
Average salary
Average hourly wage
Entry-level Editors with little to no experience can expect to make anywhere between $33,620 to $45,310 per year or $16 to $22 per hour.
| Salary by experience | Annual | Hourly |
|---|---|---|
| Highest (Top 10%) | $126,800 | $61 |
| Senior (Top 25%) | $89,530 | $43 |
| Median | $63,400 | $30 |
| Junior (Bottom 25%) | $45,310 | $22 |
| No experience (Bottom 10%) | $33,620 | $16 |
This table shows the top 10 highest paying industries for Editors based on their average annual salary.
| Salary by industry | Annual | Hourly |
|---|---|---|
| Specialized Design Services | $106670 | $51.29 |
| Securities, Commodity Contracts, and Other Financial Investments and Related Activities | $103580 | $49.80 |
| Architectural, Engineering, and Related Services | $99810 | $47.99 |
| Advertising, Public Relations, and Related Services | $90150 | $43.34 |
| Insurance Carriers | $89980 | $43.26 |
| Grantmaking and Giving Services | $89890 | $43.22 |
| Specialty Hospitals | $88840 | $42.71 |
| Legal Services | $88060 | $42.34 |
| Pharmaceutical and Medicine Manufacturing | $87770 | $42.20 |
| Aerospace Product and Parts Manufacturing | $85830 | $41.27 |
View more salary by industries here.
Where can they work
Where can Editors work? Here is a table showing the top 10 largest employers of Editors including the average salary in that industry.
| Employers | Total Employed | Annual Salary | Hourly Wages |
|---|---|---|---|
| Newspaper, Periodical, Book, and Directory Publishers | 38410 | $69710 | $33.52 |
| Other Information Services | 11720 | $79920 | $38.42 |
| Radio and Television Broadcasting | 4890 | $71540 | $34.39 |
| Motion Picture and Video Industries | 4590 | $84130 | $40.45 |
| Advertising, Public Relations, and Related Services | 3920 | $90150 | $43.34 |
| Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools | 3530 | $68280 | $32.83 |
| Business, Professional, Labor, Political, and Similar Organizations | 3010 | $77710 | $37.36 |
| Management, Scientific, and Technical Consulting Services | 2780 | $71330 | $34.30 |
| Management of Companies and Enterprises | 1500 | $75390 | $36.24 |
| Computer Systems Design and Related Services | 1360 | $83400 | $40.10 |
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What is the work day like
Working hours
Working schedule
How often do you use email in this job?
Telephone
How often do you have telephone conversations in this job?
Group discussions
How often do you have group discussions in this job?
Public speaking
How often does this job require you to do public speaking?
Level of competition
How much competitive pressure is in this job?
What is the work environment like
Office-style environment
Indoors in an environmentally controlled condition
Warehouse-style environment
Indoors in a non-controlled environmental condition such as a warehouse
Outdoors
Outdoors exposed to all weather conditions
Outdoors – Under Cover
Outdoors but under cover (e.g. structure with roof but no walls)
How to become one
Difficulty to become one
Required level of education
What level of education do you need to perform the job?
Relevant majors
Grantsmanship
Business/Corporate Communications
Business/Corporate Communications
Creative Writing
Children’s and Adolescent Literature
General Literature
Rhetoric and Composition
Professional, Technical, Business, and Scientific Writing
Writing
Publishing
Technical and Scientific Communication
Broadcast Journalism
Relevant work experience
How much related work experience do you need to get hired for the job?
On The Job Training
How much on the job training do you need to perform the job?
Should you become one
Best personality type for this career
People with this personality likes to work with designs and patterns. They prefer activities that require self-expression and prefer work that can be done without following a clear set of rules.
People with The Builder personality type likes practical and hands-on work. They prefer working with plants, animals, and real-world materials like wood, tools, and machinery.
People with The Thinker personality likes to work with ideas that require an extensive amount of thinking. They prefer work that requires them to solve problems mentally.
People with The Artist personality likes to work with designs and patterns. They prefer activities that require self-expression and prefer work that can be done without following a clear set of rules.
People with The Helper personality type likes to work with people and in teams. They prefer work that allows them to build relationships with others.
People with The Leader personality likes to start and work on projects. They also like leading people and making many decisions.
People with The Organizer personality type likes to follow set procedures and routines. They prefer working with data and details more than with ideas.
You can read more about these career personality types here.
People who are suitable for this job tend to like working with forms, designs, and patterns. They often require self-expression and the work can be done without following a clear set of rules.
They also like starting up and carrying out projects. They like leading people and making many decisions. Sometimes they require risk-taking and often deal with business.
Take this quiz to see if this is the right career for you.
Work Values
Which values are the most important to a person’s satisfaction for this job?
You are someone who is results oriented. You prefer work that allows you to utilize your skills and abilities while at the same time giving you a sense of accomplishment.
You are someone who values job security, steady employment, and good working conditions. You also prefer work that keeps you busy all the time with something different to do every day.
You are someone who values job advancement and leadership roles. You prefer work that receives recognition for the work you do and jobs that are looked up to by others in the company and your community.
You are someone who likes to provide a service to others. You prefer a work environment where you can work with your co-workers in a friendly non-competitive environment.
You are someone who values a company that stands behind their employees. You prefer a work environment where everyone is treated fairly and is being supported by the company.
You are someone who likes to work on your own and make your own decisions. You prefer work that requires little supervision and are allowed to try out your own ideas.
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