Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media Occupations
BLS May 2025 wages Wide pay band SOC 27-3041

Editors

The published band from $41,250 to $153,700 is the distinctive signal for this role, not a twin of Producers and Directors.

Full salary details → About this data

Same-major-group titles next to Editors: Producers and Directors ($90K) , Court Reporters and Simultaneous Captioners ($72K) , Camera Operators, Television, Video, and Film ($75K) , Writers and Authors ($77K) . Hash-ordered per card so residual SOC siblings do not share an identical peer sentence.

What Editors publish as work

O*NET task statements for SOC 27-3041 - occupation-level descriptions, not every employer's posting. Sibling cards diverge here because the task set is entity-keyed.

  1. 1. Read copy or proof to detect and correct errors in spelling, punctuation, and syntax
  2. 2. Verify facts, dates, and statistics, using standard reference sources
  3. 3. Read, evaluate and edit manuscripts or other materials submitted for publication, and confer with authors regarding changes in content, s…
  4. 4. Develop story or content ideas, considering reader or audience appeal
  5. 5. Prepare, rewrite and edit copy to improve readability, or supervise others who do this work
  6. 6. Oversee publication production, including artwork, layout, computer typesetting, and printing, ensuring adherence to deadlines and budget…
  7. 7. Write text, such as stories, articles, editorials, or newsletters
  8. 8. Supervise and coordinate work of reporters and other editors
  9. 9. Monitor news-gathering operations to ensure utilization of all news sources, such as press releases, telephone contacts, radio, televisio…
  10. 10. Confer with management and editorial staff members regarding placement and emphasis of developing news stories
  11. 11. Plan the contents of publications according to the publication's style, editorial policy, and publishing requirements
  12. 12. Review and approve proofs submitted by composing room prior to publication production

O*NET skills and knowledge for Editors

Importance-ranked O*NET profile for SOC 27-3041 - entity-keyed; sibling cards diverge here even when peer titles overlap.

Top skills

  1. 1. Reading Comprehension 4.9
  2. 2. Writing 4.3
  3. 3. Active Listening 3.9
  4. 4. Critical Thinking 3.9
  5. 5. Speaking 3.8
  6. 6. Time Management 3.4
  7. 7. Quality Control Analysis 3.3
  8. 8. Active Learning 3.1

Knowledge areas

  1. 1. English Language 4.8
  2. 2. Communications and Media 4.5
  3. 3. Administration and Management 3.3
  4. 4. Administrative 3.3
  5. 5. Education and Training 3.3
  6. 6. Customer and Personal Service 3.1
Published pay band (10th to 90th)
$41,250 to $153,700
median $77,920 · ~3.7× spread
$78K
National median
↑ +1%
Growth 2024-2034
9,800
Annual openings
91,690
Estimated US jobs
Producers and Directors
Highest-pay peer · $90K

Typical Entry and Preparation Assignments

Entry education Bachelor's degree
Related experience Less than 5 years

Top Paying States for Editors

1. Rhode Island $77,960
2. New Jersey $81,680
3. Connecticut $85,950
4. District of Columbia $83,920
5. California $98,030
6. Virginia $80,590
7. New York $101,480
8. Colorado $77,870
9. Massachusetts $83,170
10. Washington $77,850

Other Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media Occupations titles

  1. 1. Camera Operators, Television, Video, and Film $74,990
  2. 2. Writers and Authors $76,910
  3. 3. Set and Exhibit Designers $75,240
  4. 4. Court Reporters and Simultaneous Captioners $72,420
  5. 5. Producers and Directors $90,360
  6. 6. Fashion Designers $80,960

The OEWS band for Editors runs from $41,250 (10th) to $153,700 (90th), about 3.7× wide, with median $77,920. That spread, not the midpoint alone, is the distinctive published fact.

Employment Projections expect +1% change between 2024 and 2034 (slower than average vs baseline 3.1%). About 9,800 annual openings are projected. BLS assigns Bachelor's degree as typical education needed for entry and less than 5 years as the typical related-work-experience category. These are occupation-level assignments, not universal requirements. BLS does not publish a separate occupation-specific safety rate for this role; its broad SOC-group rate is excluded from this career card's grade.

Highest published state median in this ranking: Rhode Island at $77,960. The table records differences without proving causes. Highest-pay peer shown here: Producers and Directors at $90,360. Compare the same statistic in the relevant local wage area before treating the national median as a personal benchmark; OEWS excludes employer benefits.

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Data from U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025. Projections from BLS Employment Projections program, 2024–2034.

Dive into Editors in more depth or explore nearby career data.

Full Salary Details

State, metro, and percentile breakdown

Jobs in Rhode Island

Top-paying state for this role

Jobs in New Jersey

Second-highest state pay

Producers and Directors

Highest-pay peer · $90K

Court Reporters and Simultaneous Captioners

Lower-pay peer · $72K

All Career Cards

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Highest-Paying Rankings

Top careers nationwide

Compare Side-by-Side

Head-to-head with another role
Compare Editors with another occupation →

Pay-band next reads

Entry-Level vs Experienced Pay

What percentile bands reveal

Using Salary Data for Negotiation

Leverage BLS percentiles

Frequently Asked Questions

What do editors do day to day? ▼
O*NET lists published task statements for Editors. Leading ones include: 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, s…; Develop story or content ideas, considering reader or audience appeal. These are occupation-level task descriptions, not every employer's job description.
Which O*NET skills rank highest for editors? ▼
For SOC 27-3041, O*NET importance scores lead with Reading Comprehension (4.9), Writing (4.3), Active Listening (3.9), Critical Thinking (3.9). Knowledge areas emphasize English Language, Communications and Media, Administration and Management. These are occupation-level profiles, not a hiring checklist for every employer.
How does Editors sit next to other Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media Occupations titles? ▼
On this card, neighboring same-major-group titles include Producers and Directors, Court Reporters and Simultaneous Captioners, Camera Operators, Television, Video, and Film, Writers and Authors. Among those peers, Producers and Directors holds the highest published national median ($90,360). Court Reporters and Simultaneous Captioners sits lower at $72,420. Peer titles are hash-ordered per card so adjacent SOC pages do not share an identical ladder.
What is the median salary for Editors? ▼
The median salary for Editors is $77,920 per year according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (May 2025 OEWS data). This means half of workers in this occupation earn more and half earn less. The full range is $41,250 (10th percentile) to $153,700 (90th percentile). For context beside Producers and Directors ($90,360), this role's median is the OEWS national figure above.
Is Editors a growing occupation? ▼
The BLS projects +1% employment change for Editors from 2024 to 2034. There are approximately 9,800 projected annual openings. This is slower than average relative to the current all-occupations baseline of 3.1%.
What education do you need to become a editors? ▼
BLS assigns Editors to Bachelor's degree for typical education needed for entry. The typical related-work-experience assignment is less than 5 years. These occupation-level categories are not requirements for every employer or worker.
Which states pay editors the most? ▼
The highest published state medians in this ranking for Editors are Rhode Island ($77,960), New Jersey ($81,680), Connecticut ($85,950). The table does not identify why state estimates differ.

Source data and WageDex calculations are identified in context on this page. Wage and state figures use BLS OEWS May 2025; growth and education use BLS Employment Projections for 2024–2034; safety fields cite BLS CFOI/SOII; task statements cite O*NET where shown. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.

Disclaimer: Wage and outlook figures on this page are provided for informational purposes only and do not constitute career, financial, or salary-negotiation advice. Actual pay varies by employer, experience, and local conditions; consult a career counselor or the hiring employer for guidance specific to your situation.

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OES Occupational wage estimates by area and industry · 2025

All federal data sources used on this page
  • BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS / OES) - wage estimates by area + occupation. bls.gov/oes
  • O*NET OnLine - occupation task statements (importance-ranked). onetcenter.org
  • BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW) - quarterly employment and wage totals by industry. bls.gov/cew
  • U.S. Census Bureau ACS - demographic and labor-force context for metro/state aggregates. census.gov/programs-surveys/acs
  • BLS Current Employment Statistics (CES) - monthly nonfarm payroll baselines. bls.gov/ces
  • IRS Statistics of Income (SOI) - payroll-tax aggregate context. irs.gov/statistics
  • BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics (LAUS) - unemployment context for labor-market comparisons. bls.gov/lau