How to become an Editor
Official title: Editors
Also called: Acquisitions Editor, Assignment Editor, Business Editor, Features Editor, Legal Editor, Newspaper Copy Editor, Opinions Page Editor, Publishing Editor, Science Editor, Sports Editor
Plan, coordinate, revise, or edit written material. May review proposals and drafts for possible publication.
Main 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.
How to become one
Editors typically need a bachelor's degree in communications, journalism, or English, along with writing and proofreading experience.
Typical education to start: Bachelor's degree
Read the full guide from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
Ways in
- College: Business & Commerce degrees, Offered by 35 universities in the US
- College: Arts & Humanities degrees, Offered by 35 universities in the US
Pay · Outlook · AI and this job
- Median pay: $77,920 a year The middle half earn $57,300 to $106,100.
- About 105,000 people work in this job now, and about 103,800 are projected by 2035. (-1.1%)
- People already use generative AI for a good share of this work, which usually changes the job more than it replaces it. Microsoft Research rates its AI applicability as high.
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Questions people ask
How do I become an Editor?
Editors typically need a bachelor's degree in communications, journalism, or English, along with writing and proofreading experience.
How much does an Editor earn in the US?
Median full-time pay is $77,920 a year (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics). The middle half earn $57,300 to $106,100.
Is an Editor a growing career in the US?
Employment is projected to stay about the same by 2035: about 105,000 people now and 103,800 later (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics).
Do you need a degree to become an Editor?
Usually. 88% of people in this job hold a bachelor's degree or higher.
Will AI change the work of an Editor?
People already use generative AI for a good share of this work, which usually changes the job more than it replaces it. Microsoft Research rates its AI applicability as high.
Sources
- Microsoft Research: Working with AI: AI applicability by occupation (2025-12-22 (built on O*NET 29.0)), CC BY 4.0, retrieved 2026-10-03
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Employment Projections (2025-35 (released 2026-08-27)), Public domain (BLS), retrieved 2026-10-03
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Occupational Outlook Handbook (2025-35 edition (published 2026-08-27)), Public domain (BLS); photographs excluded, retrieved 2026-10-03
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (May 2025), Public domain (BLS), retrieved 2026-10-03
Updated 2026-10-03
This page includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.