Editors
Also called: Acquisitions Editor, Acute Editor, Advertising Editor, Art Editor, Assignment Editor, Book Editor, Business Editor, Communications Editor
Plan, coordinate, revise, or edit written material.
What editors do
Typical tasks
- Verify facts, dates, and statistics, using standard reference sources.
- Write text, such as headlines, stories, articles, editorials, or newsletters.
- Read copy or proof to detect and correct errors in spelling, punctuation, and syntax.
- Prepare, rewrite and edit copy to improve readability, or supervise others who do this work.
- Develop story or content ideas, considering reader or audience appeal.
- Allocate print space for story text, photos, and illustrations according to space parameters and copy significance, using knowledge of layout principles.
- Confer with management and editorial staff members regarding placement and emphasis of developing news stories.
- Oversee publication production, including artwork, layout, computer typesetting, and printing, ensuring adherence to deadlines and budget requirements.
- Supervise and coordinate work of reporters and other editors.
- Assign topics, events and stories to individual writers or reporters for coverage.
- Monitor news-gathering operations to ensure utilization of all news sources, such as press releases, telephone contacts, radio, television, wire services, and other reporters.
- Review and approve proofs submitted by composing room prior to publication production.
Typical path into the job (BLS)
Editors salary
The median annual wage for editors is $77,920 (BLS OEWS May 2025; BLS Employment Projections 2025–35, national). The lowest 10 percent earn less than $41,250 and the highest 10 percent earn more than $153,700. The mean annual wage is $90,060.
The mean hourly wage of $43.00 is 5.9× the federal minimum wage of $7.25. State minimums are higher in most large states. Minimum wage by state →
How does your pay compare with people your age?
Your numbers are not sent or stored. The comparison uses this occupation's BLS wage percentiles, adjusted for age with BLS median weekly earnings by age group (Q3 2026).
Pay by percentile
Annual wage percentiles from the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS). Percentiles are a good proxy for pay by experience.
Projected pay for Editors (3, 5 and 10 years)est.
Today $77,920 → in 3 years $83,200 → in 5 years $86,900 → in 10 years $96,900 (10-year range $83,300–$112,500). The model assumes pay growth of +2.2% per year.
What drives the annual growth rate
Projected pay = current pay × (1 + annual growth)^years. The annual growth rate starts from a base wage-growth rate and adds or subtracts labor demand (BLS projected employment growth), wage momentum and AI replacement risk for each occupation. Projections are not guarantees. How it is calculated →
Outlook score for Editors
Each component is a percentile rank among all occupations in the same country (0–100). Weights: labor demand 25, wage momentum / openings 15, pay level 15, AI resistance 25, aging workforce 10 (Japan only), entry barrier 10.
Will AI replace Editors? AI replacement risk
How AI is changing this job
A written analysis for this occupation is being prepared.
AI replacement risk compares the parts of a job that are easy to hand to AI or software (processing information, documentation, repetitive computer work) with the parts that are hard to automate (physical work, working closely with people, judgment in unpredictable settings), using O*NET work activities, work context, skills and knowledge. The result is a relative position among all occupations in the country, scaled to 0–100%. Methodology →
Labor demand for Editors
Employment projections are from the BLS Employment Projections program (2025–35). Annual openings include both new jobs and replacement of workers who leave the occupation.
The same job in Japan
| Editors United States | 図書編集者 Japan | 雑誌編集者 Japan | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median / average pay | $77,920 | ¥6.73M ≈ $42,808 | ¥6.73M ≈ $42,808 |
| Pay in 10 years (est.) | $96,900 | ¥6.60M | ¥6.64M |
| Outlook score | 42 | 28 | 27 |
| AI replacement risk | 68% High | 73% High | 71% High |
| Workers | 92K | — | — |
Matched by occupation (SOC code). Yen converted at 157.25 JPY/USD for reference; Japanese figures are averages, U.S. figures are medians, and the surveys define occupations differently.
Skills, education and requirements for Editors
Key skills
O*NET skill level ratings (0–7).
Key knowledge areas
What the work involves
Important abilities
Training before entry
Related work experience
Job Zone 4 — considerable preparation needed (O*NET)
Difficulty of entry: ★★★☆☆ Moderate (from education, training, experience and Job Zone)
How to become editors
A step-by-step guide for this occupation is being prepared. The education, training and experience data above show the typical path.
Career path and how to earn more as editors
Career-path guidance is being prepared. Pay by percentile is shown in the Pay section.