Editors: Salary, career path, job outlook, education and more
- Education Required
- Employers generally prefer candidates with a bachelors degree in communications, journalism, or English. They also prefer candidates who have experience in a few types of media, such as newspapers, social media, and television.
- Job Outlook
-
The projected percent change in employment from 2016 to 2026: 0% (Little or no change)
(The average growth rate for all occupations is 7 percent.) - Advancement
- Some editors hold management positions and must make decisions related to running a business. For them, advancement generally means moving up to publications with larger circulation or greater prestige. Copy editors may move into original writing or substantive editing positions, or become freelancers.
- Median pay: How much do Editors make?
- $57,210 Annual Salary
- $27.51 per hour
Editors plan, review, and revise content for publication.
What do Editors do?
Editors typically do the following:
- Read content and correct spelling, punctuation, and grammatical errors
- Rewrite text to make it easier for readers to understand
- Verify facts cited in material for publication
- Evaluate submissions from writers to decide what to publish
- Work with writers to help their ideas and stories succeed
- Develop story and content ideas according to the publications style and editorial policy
- Allocate space for the text, photos, and illustrations that make up a story
- Approve final versions submitted by staff
- Promote articles and content on various social media networks
Editors plan, coordinate, and revise material for publication in books, newspapers, magazines, or websites. Editors review story ideas and decide what material will appeal most to readers. During the review process, editors offer comments to improve the product, and suggest titles and headlines. In smaller organizations, a single editor may perform all of the editorial duties or share them with only a few other people.
The following are examples of types of editors:
Careers for Editors
- Advertising editors
- Art editors
- Assignment editors
- Assistant editors
- Book editors
- Content editors
- Copy desk chiefs
- Copy editors
- Executive editors
- Index editors
- Managing editors
- Manuscript editors
- Newspaper photo editors
- Production assistants
- Publication assistants
- Publications editors
- Rewrite editors
- Scientific publications editors