Arts, Design, Media & Sports
Editors
Also called: Acquisitions Editor, Assignment Editor, Business Editor, Features Editor
US median pay
$77,920
per year, 2025
Job growth 2025–35
-1.1%
declining
Openings a year (US)
7,900
105,000 employed
Typical entry education
Bachelor's degree
Preparation 4/5 · Considerable preparation
What this job is
Plan, coordinate, revise, or edit written material. May review proposals and drafts for possible publication.
What they do day to day
- 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.
Skills and knowledge that matter most
Skills
- Time Management3.4/5
- Judgment and Decision Making3.2/5
- Complex Problem Solving3.2/5
- Social Perceptiveness3.1/5
- Negotiation3.1/5
- Management of Personnel Resources3.1/5
- Systems Analysis3.0/5
- Quality Control Analysis3.0/5
Knowledge
- English Language4.8/5
- Communications and Media4.8/5
- Customer and Personal Service3.9/5
- Design3.8/5
- Administration and Management3.6/5
- Computers and Electronics3.3/5
Importance rated by people working in the job (1 = not important, 5 = extremely important).
Education and preparation
Preparation level 4 of 5 — Considerable preparation. Usually a bachelor's degree and several years of related experience.
Typical entry education (BLS): Bachelor's degree, plus less than 5 years of related work experience.
Who this job suits
Mostly Artistic
Creating, designing and self-expression
Conventional
Organising data, details and procedures
Enterprising
Leading, persuading and starting things
Based on the Holland (RIASEC) interest profile for this occupation.