Editors
Editors (SOC 27-3041) earn a median $77,920 a year ($37.46 an hour) in the United States, with 91,690 employed as of May 2025; the highest-paying state is New York.
What editors do
Editors plan, coordinate, revise, or edit written material, and may review proposals and drafts for possible publication. They read copy or proofs to detect and correct errors in spelling, punctuation, and syntax, verify facts, dates, and statistics using standard reference sources, and read, evaluate, and edit manuscripts or other submitted materials. They develop story or content ideas with an eye to what readers or audiences will like, rewrite and edit copy to make it more readable or supervise others who do, and write text such as stories, articles, editorials, or newsletters. Some oversee publication production, including artwork, layout, computer typesetting, and printing, and supervise and coordinate the work of reporters and other editors. Alternate titles such as acquisitions editor, assignment editor, book editor, and business editor show how roles are divided by content or function. Writers who produce the original text are counted in a separate occupation.
Typical entry: According to O*NET, the most commonly reported level of education for this occupation is a bachelor's degree.
Also called: Acquisitions Editor, Acute Editor, Advertising Editor, Art Editor, Assignment Editor.
National wage percentiles, May 2025
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||
| United States | Hourly | $19.83 | $27.55 | $37.46 | $51.01 | $73.90 | $43.30 | 91,690 |
| Annual | $41,250 | $57,300 | $77,920 | $106,100 | $153,700 | $90,060 | ||
Employment per 1,000 jobs and the location quotient are area measures; they appear in the state and metro tables below. To see what a wage in this range leaves after tax, use FastCalc's take-home pay calculator.
Where editors earn and work most
Five highest-paying states
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| New York | Hourly | $27.84 | $36.92 | $48.79 | $67.46 | $86.24 | $56.13 | 16,800 | 1.74 | 2.94 |
| Annual | $57,910 | $76,790 | $101,480 | $140,320 | $179,370 | $116,740 | ||||
| California | Hourly | $25.25 | $34.18 | $47.13 | $65.78 | $83.46 | $53.75 | 14,830 | 0.81 | 1.38 |
| Annual | $52,510 | $71,090 | $98,030 | $136,820 | $173,590 | $111,810 | ||||
| Connecticut | Hourly | $22.61 | $29.40 | $41.32 | $59.32 | $69.87 | $45.95 | 1,050 | 0.62 | 1.05 |
| Annual | $47,020 | $61,160 | $85,950 | $123,380 | $145,340 | $95,580 | ||||
| District of Columbia | Hourly | $30.98 | $37.21 | $40.35 | $62.67 | $81.95 | $52.54 | 3,310 | 4.71 | 7.99 |
| Annual | $64,440 | $77,400 | $83,920 | $130,360 | $170,460 | $109,290 | ||||
| Massachusetts | Hourly | $22.75 | $29.56 | $39.99 | $49.82 | $65.56 | $43.15 | 3,100 | 0.85 | 1.44 |
| Annual | $47,320 | $61,490 | $83,170 | $103,620 | $136,360 | $89,740 | ||||
Five states with the most jobs
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| New York | Hourly | $27.84 | $36.92 | $48.79 | $67.46 | $86.24 | $56.13 | 16,800 | 1.74 | 2.94 |
| Annual | $57,910 | $76,790 | $101,480 | $140,320 | $179,370 | $116,740 | ||||
| California | Hourly | $25.25 | $34.18 | $47.13 | $65.78 | $83.46 | $53.75 | 14,830 | 0.81 | 1.38 |
| Annual | $52,510 | $71,090 | $98,030 | $136,820 | $173,590 | $111,810 | ||||
| Texas | Hourly | $13.96 | $14.40 | $22.09 | $35.17 | $50.69 | $27.55 | 6,460 | 0.46 | 0.78 |
| Annual | $29,040 | $29,950 | $45,950 | $73,160 | $105,440 | $57,300 | ||||
| Illinois | Hourly | $22.31 | $29.99 | $36.57 | $48.44 | $51.85 | $38.76 | 4,560 | 0.75 | 1.27 |
| Annual | $46,410 | $62,370 | $76,060 | $100,750 | $107,850 | $80,620 | ||||
| Florida | Hourly | $20.79 | $23.02 | $35.55 | $46.03 | $58.36 | $37.20 | 3,790 | 0.38 | 0.65 |
| Annual | $43,230 | $47,880 | $73,950 | $95,740 | $121,380 | $77,370 | ||||
Five highest-paying metropolitan areas
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | Hourly | $27.93 | $40.00 | $56.53 | $68.86 | $88.96 | $57.95 | 560 | 0.49 | 0.83 |
| Annual | $58,080 | $83,200 | $117,580 | $143,240 | $185,040 | $120,530 | ||||
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | Hourly | $29.56 | $37.84 | $49.49 | $63.83 | $83.65 | $55.07 | 2,040 | 0.86 | 1.46 |
| Annual | $61,480 | $78,700 | $102,940 | $132,770 | $173,990 | $114,540 | ||||
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | Hourly | $28.46 | $37.38 | $49.09 | $67.65 | $86.73 | $57.29 | 16,600 | 1.75 | 2.97 |
| Annual | $59,200 | $77,750 | $102,120 | $140,720 | $180,390 | $119,160 | ||||
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | Hourly | $26.71 | $34.72 | $48.10 | $78.29 | $85.33 | $57.36 | 8,830 | 1.41 | 2.39 |
| Annual | $55,570 | $72,210 | $100,050 | $162,840 | $177,490 | $119,300 | ||||
| New Haven, CT | Hourly | $28.85 | $40.26 | $47.38 | $52.75 | $65.61 | $47.80 | 110 | 0.40 | 0.68 |
| Annual | $60,010 | $83,740 | $98,550 | $109,720 | $136,460 | $99,420 | ||||
Five metropolitan areas with the most jobs
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | Hourly | $28.46 | $37.38 | $49.09 | $67.65 | $86.73 | $57.29 | 16,600 | 1.75 | 2.97 |
| Annual | $59,200 | $77,750 | $102,120 | $140,720 | $180,390 | $119,160 | ||||
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | Hourly | $26.71 | $34.72 | $48.10 | $78.29 | $85.33 | $57.36 | 8,830 | 1.41 | 2.39 |
| Annual | $55,570 | $72,210 | $100,050 | $162,840 | $177,490 | $119,300 | ||||
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | Hourly | $27.30 | $37.03 | $40.77 | $61.35 | $81.68 | $50.17 | 5,470 | 1.74 | 2.96 |
| Annual | $56,780 | $77,020 | $84,800 | $127,610 | $169,900 | $104,350 | ||||
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | Hourly | $20.66 | $29.14 | $38.64 | $47.64 | $57.47 | $38.95 | 2,520 | 0.56 | 0.95 |
| Annual | $42,980 | $60,600 | $80,380 | $99,080 | $119,530 | $81,020 | ||||
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | Hourly | $25.56 | $31.01 | $41.54 | $51.52 | $67.47 | $45.38 | 2,480 | 0.92 | 1.56 |
| Annual | $53,170 | $64,510 | $86,410 | $107,150 | $140,330 | $94,380 | ||||
Top industries employing editors
Newspaper, Periodical, Book, and Directory Publishers employ 36.5% of editors nationally (33,490 jobs) at a median $73,570 a year ($35.37 an hour), followed by Motion Picture and Video Industries (8.2%) and Media Streaming Distribution Services, Social Networks, and Other Media Networks and Content Providers (7.7%).
| Industry | Employment | Share of occupation | Median annual | Median hourly |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Newspaper, Periodical, Book, and Directory Publishers NAICS 513100 | 33,490 | 36.5% | $73,570 | $35.37 |
| Motion Picture and Video Industries NAICS 512100 | 7,540 | 8.2% | $103,320 | $49.68 |
| Media Streaming Distribution Services, Social Networks, and Other Media Networks and Content Providers NAICS 516200 | 7,040 | 7.7% | $86,470 | $41.57 |
| Computer Systems Design and Related Services NAICS 541500 | 4,440 | 4.8% | $30,500 | $14.66 |
| Advertising, Public Relations, and Related Services NAICS 541800 | 3,890 | 4.2% | $80,780 | $38.84 |
Share is the industry's employment over the occupation's national employment (91,690). Industries whose employment BLS withheld are not ranked.
Published medians, May 2021 to May 2025
BLS published a median annual wage of $63,350 for editors in May 2021 and $77,920 in May 2025, with employment of 88,780 and 91,690.
| Release | Median annual | Median hourly | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 2021 | $63,350 | $30.46 | 88,780 |
| May 2022 | $73,080 | $35.14 | 101,430 |
| May 2023 | $75,020 | $36.07 | 95,700 |
| May 2024 | $75,260 | $36.18 | 95,480 |
| May 2025 | $77,920 | $37.46 | 91,690 |
BLS does not design OEWS as a time series: each release pools three years of samples, and occupational classifications, area definitions and estimation methods change between releases, so a difference between two releases is not a measure of change over time. The figures are shown as published, side by side, and nothing is computed from them. See how often OEWS is updated.
Every state, by median wage
51 states and DC publish a row for this occupation. A linked state has its own page with the within-state metro table and comparison; the others appear here only.
| Rank | State | Median hourly | Median annual | 10th pct (annual) | 90th pct (annual) | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | New York profile | $48.79 | $101,480 | $57,910 | $179,370 | 16,800 | 1.74 | 2.94 |
| 2 | California profile | $47.13 | $98,030 | $52,510 | $173,590 | 14,830 | 0.81 | 1.38 |
| 3 | Connecticut profile | $41.32 | $85,950 | $47,020 | $145,340 | 1,050 | 0.62 | 1.05 |
| 4 | District of Columbia profile | $40.35 | $83,920 | $64,440 | $170,460 | 3,310 | 4.71 | 7.99 |
| 5 | Massachusetts profile | $39.99 | $83,170 | $47,320 | $136,360 | 3,100 | 0.85 | 1.44 |
| 6 | New Jersey profile | $39.27 | $81,680 | $53,150 | $138,610 | 2,120 | 0.50 | 0.84 |
| 7 | Virginia profile | $38.74 | $80,590 | $45,760 | $144,810 | 2,720 | 0.66 | 1.12 |
| 8 | Rhode Island profile | $37.48 | $77,960 | $50,900 | $102,890 | 340 | 0.67 | 1.14 |
| 9 | Colorado profile | $37.44 | $77,870 | $44,570 | $115,940 | 1,830 | 0.64 | 1.08 |
| 10 | Washington profile | $37.43 | $77,850 | $50,320 | $128,630 | 1,860 | 0.52 | 0.89 |
| 11 | Georgia profile | $36.85 | $76,650 | $46,080 | $124,000 | 1,920 | 0.39 | 0.67 |
| 12 | Illinois profile | $36.57 | $76,060 | $46,410 | $107,850 | 4,560 | 0.75 | 1.27 |
| 13 | Maryland profile | $36.32 | $75,550 | $46,740 | $124,990 | 1,850 | 0.67 | 1.13 |
| 14 | Delaware profile | $36.07 | $75,020 | $41,770 | $106,420 | 170 | 0.36 | 0.61 |
| 15 | Florida profile | $35.55 | $73,950 | $43,230 | $121,380 | 3,790 | 0.38 | 0.65 |
| 16 | North Carolina profile | $35.45 | $73,740 | $44,050 | $103,990 | 1,870 | 0.38 | 0.64 |
| 17 | Nevada profile | $34.86 | $72,510 | $42,520 | $104,370 | ** | ** | ** |
| 18 | Ohio profile | $34.69 | $72,160 | $37,440 | $124,730 | 1,800 | 0.32 | 0.55 |
| 19 | Oregon profile | $34.39 | $71,540 | $44,660 | $111,390 | 1,110 | 0.57 | 0.96 |
| 20 | Vermont profile | $32.15 | $66,860 | $48,320 | $143,630 | 240 | 0.79 | 1.34 |
| 21 | New Hampshire profile | $31.98 | $66,510 | $47,870 | $113,570 | 250 | 0.37 | 0.62 |
| 22 | Utah profile | $31.27 | $65,040 | $40,470 | $119,680 | 590 | 0.34 | 0.57 |
| 23 | Wisconsin profile | $30.90 | $64,270 | $39,470 | $102,530 | 1,510 | 0.51 | 0.87 |
| 24 | New Mexico profile | $30.89 | $64,250 | $38,390 | $116,640 | 230 | 0.27 | 0.46 |
| 25 | Alaska profile | $30.59 | $63,630 | $43,030 | $106,250 | 60 | 0.19 | 0.33 |
| 26 | Pennsylvania profile | $30.51 | $63,460 | $37,240 | $114,560 | 3,240 | 0.53 | 0.91 |
| 27 | Alabama profile | $30.45 | $63,330 | $35,600 | $103,890 | 530 | 0.25 | 0.43 |
| 28 | Arizona profile | $30.33 | $63,090 | $42,360 | $109,090 | 820 | 0.25 | 0.43 |
| 29 | Michigan profile | $30.33 | $63,090 | $33,230 | $99,980 | 1,690 | 0.39 | 0.65 |
| 30 | Minnesota profile | $30.12 | $62,650 | $43,370 | $102,270 | 1,970 | 0.67 | 1.13 |
| 31 | South Carolina profile | $29.81 | $62,000 | $39,380 | $119,660 | 500 | 0.22 | 0.36 |
| 32 | Kansas profile | $29.77 | $61,920 | $35,690 | $107,140 | 500 | 0.35 | 0.59 |
| 33 | Montana profile | $29.69 | $61,750 | $32,190 | $122,940 | 200 | 0.39 | 0.67 |
| 34 | Missouri profile | $29.62 | $61,620 | $36,060 | $104,680 | 880 | 0.30 | 0.51 |
| 35 | North Dakota profile | $29.10 | $60,520 | $30,660 | $92,930 | 200 | 0.46 | 0.79 |
| 36 | Tennessee profile | $28.63 | $59,550 | $37,600 | $105,010 | 1,390 | 0.42 | 0.72 |
| 37 | Kentucky profile | $28.57 | $59,430 | $39,040 | $149,990 | 490 | 0.24 | 0.41 |
| 38 | Louisiana profile | $28.30 | $58,860 | $36,680 | $97,740 | 330 | 0.17 | 0.29 |
| 39 | Iowa profile | $27.50 | $57,200 | $38,050 | $108,820 | 900 | 0.58 | 0.98 |
| 40 | South Dakota profile | $27.28 | $56,730 | $47,770 | $79,180 | 140 | 0.31 | 0.53 |
| 41 | West Virginia profile | $27.23 | $56,630 | $28,180 | $100,910 | 260 | 0.38 | 0.64 |
| 42 | Indiana profile | $27.14 | $56,440 | $30,860 | $99,380 | 830 | 0.26 | 0.44 |
| 43 | Hawaii profile | $26.48 | $55,070 | $32,930 | $107,200 | 100 | 0.16 | 0.27 |
| 44 | Mississippi profile | $26.14 | $54,380 | $28,440 | $83,200 | 290 | 0.25 | 0.43 |
| 45 | Oklahoma profile | $24.42 | $50,780 | $31,550 | $85,730 | 500 | 0.30 | 0.50 |
| 46 | Arkansas profile | $24.13 | $50,180 | $28,840 | $76,950 | 260 | 0.20 | 0.34 |
| 47 | Maine profile | $24.12 | $50,180 | $33,170 | $121,320 | 300 | 0.47 | 0.79 |
| 48 | Wyoming profile | $22.46 | $46,710 | $29,590 | $82,920 | 110 | 0.39 | 0.65 |
| 49 | Nebraska profile | $22.27 | $46,320 | $32,280 | $72,740 | 360 | 0.35 | 0.59 |
| 50 | Texas profile | $22.09 | $45,950 | $29,040 | $105,440 | 6,460 | 0.46 | 0.78 |
| – | Idaho profile | * | * | * | * | 230 | 0.27 | 0.46 |
Related occupations
Occupations in the same SOC broad group (27-3040), with their national median annual wage.
Part of Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media Occupations. Compare any area in the wage explorer.
Source and notes
Data: BLS OEWS May 2025, released 2026-05-15. Cross-industry estimates, all ownerships. BLS page: OEWS 27-3041 Editors.
*- Wage estimate not available.
**- Employment estimate not available.
- Annual wages assume 2,080 hours a year at the hourly rate; occupations BLS publishes on one basis only show an en dash (–) on the other.
- Employment is rounded to the nearest 10 by BLS. Where BLS withholds a cell, nothing is estimated in its place.
- Top industries: nat4d_M2025_dl.xlsx in oesm25in4.zip (BLS OEWS May 2025, national, 4-digit NAICS, cross-ownership). Employment is the industry's rounded total for this occupation; industries whose employment BLS withheld (**) are not ranked.
- Published medians: national_M2021_dl.xlsx to national_M2024_dl.xlsx in oesm21nat.zip to oesm24nat.zip (BLS OEWS May 2021 to May 2024, national, cross-industry, all ownerships) and the May 2025 spine. Each release is shown as published; nothing is computed between them.
Sources
- BLS Standard Occupational Classification 2018, definition of 27-3041, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- O*NET 30.1 Database, 27-3041.00, National Center for O*NET Development, USDOL/ETA (CC BY 4.0).
- OEWS May 2025 national industry-specific estimates, 4-digit NAICS (oesm25in4.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2021 national estimates (oesm21nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2022 national estimates (oesm22nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2023 national estimates (oesm23nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2024 national estimates (oesm24nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2025 national estimates (oesm25nat.zip), the site's data spine, US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
Includes information from O*NET 30.1 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration, used under the CC BY 4.0 license.
Description written 2026-10-17 in our own words from the sources above.