Editors
Plan, coordinate, revise, or edit written material. May review proposals and drafts for possible publication.
What it pays
Editors earn a median of $37.46/hr — about $78,000 a year. The lowest-paid 10% earn $19.83/hr; the top 10% earn $73.90/hr. (Annual figures are approximate: hourly × 2,080.)
Editors earn a median of $37.46/hr — about $78,000 a year. The lowest-paid 10% earn $19.83/hr; the top 10% earn $73.90/hr. (Annual figures are approximate: hourly × 2,080.)
What you'd actually do
- 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.
- 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.
How you get there
Typical entry-level education: Bachelor's degree. Overall preparation: considerable preparation (Job Zone 4 of 5).
The feel of the work
Time pressure is a real part of the job. (Compared against the other 818 careers in the guide.)
Working for yourself
About 13.2% of editors are self-employed.
Who it tends to fit
This work tends to fit people who are creative, organized and detail-focused and take-charge.
Work a simulated shift in this job — freeMake the real decisions this job involves, then see what your choices say about you.Related careers
- Writers and Authors
- Public Relations Specialists
- Commercial and Industrial Designers
- Interior Designers
- Producers and Directors
- Technical Writers
Quick questions
- How much does a editor make?
- The median pay is $37.46 per hour — roughly $78,000 a year, with the real range running from about $19.83/hr (10th percentile) to $73.90/hr (90th percentile). Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
- Do you need a degree to be a editor?
- The typical entry-level education is: Bachelor's degree. Overall preparation level: considerable preparation (Job Zone 4 of 5).
- What does a editor actually do all day?
- 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.
Wages: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS. Tasks & interests: O*NET. Career pathways shown in the app are draft archetypes — verify before relying on them. Trailhead is a free career guide for students — honest numbers, no hype.
Trailhead is operated by FLEXVermont LLC. It is intended for high-school students age 13 and older, and the educators and families who support them, and is not directed to children under 13. Trailhead is provided for general informational and educational purposes only. It does not offer professional, financial, or career advice, and its wage figures and pathways are estimates that may not fit your situation — they should not be relied on as the sole basis for any decision.
Trailhead is operated by FLEXVermont LLC. It is intended for high-school students age 13 and older, and the educators and families who support them, and is not directed to children under 13. Trailhead is provided for general informational and educational purposes only. It does not offer professional, financial, or career advice, and its wage figures and pathways are estimates that may not fit your situation — they should not be relied on as the sole basis for any decision.