Checked
Editors Salary
Editors earn a median $77,920 a year in the U.S., with 91,690 jobs (May 2025).
- Median wage
- $77,920 a year
- Employment
- 91,690
- Excludes self-employed
- Projected growth
- -1.1%
- 2025 to 2035
- Openings per year
- 7,900
- Average, including replacements
Pay range nationally
The middle half of workers earn between the 25th and 75th percentile (shaded)
- Median (50%)
- $77,920 · $37.46 an hour
- Mean (average)
- $90,060 · $43.30 an hour (estimate error ±1.3%)
- 10th percentile
- $41,250 · $19.83 an hour
- 25th percentile
- $57,300 · $27.55 an hour
- 75th percentile
- $106,100 · $51.01 an hour
- 90th percentile
- $153,700 · $73.90 an hour
- Employment
- 91,690 (estimate error ±1.7%)
What they do
Standard Occupational Classification definition
Plan, coordinate, revise, or edit written material. May review proposals and drafts for possible publication.
Job outlook
BLS Employment Projections, 2025 to 2035
- Jobs in 2025
- 105,000
- Projected for 2035
- 103,800
- Change
- -1,100 (-1.1%)
- Openings each year
- 7,900
- Typical education
- Bachelor's degree
- Work experience
- Less than 5 years
- On-the-job training
- None
- Self-employed
- 9.0%
Occupational Outlook Handbook (duties, how to become one, work environment)
Highest paying states
Median wage for this occupation
Swipe the table sideways to see more columns.
| # | State | Median wage | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | New York | $101,480 | 16,800 |
| 2 | California | $98,030 | 14,830 |
| 3 | Connecticut | $85,950 | 1,050 |
| 4 | District of Columbia | $83,920 | 3,310 |
| 5 | Massachusetts | $83,170 | 3,100 |
| 6 | New Jersey | $81,680 | 2,120 |
| 7 | Virginia | $80,590 | 2,720 |
| 8 | Rhode Island | $77,960 | 340 |
| 9 | Colorado | $77,870 | 1,830 |
| 10 | Washington | $77,850 | 1,860 |
States with the most jobs
Swipe the table sideways to see more columns.
| State | Employment | Median wage |
|---|---|---|
| New York | 16,800 | $101,480 |
| California | 14,830 | $98,030 |
| Texas | 6,460 | $45,950 |
| Illinois | 4,560 | $76,060 |
| Florida | 3,790 | $73,950 |
| District of Columbia | 3,310 | $83,920 |
| Pennsylvania | 3,240 | $63,460 |
| Massachusetts | 3,100 | $83,170 |
| Virginia | 2,720 | $80,590 |
| New Jersey | 2,120 | $81,680 |
Highest paying metro areas
Metro areas with at least 100 jobs in this occupation
Swipe the table sideways to see more columns.
| # | Metro area | Median wage | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $117,580 | 560 |
| 2 | San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $102,940 | 2,040 |
| 3 | New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $102,120 | 16,600 |
| 4 | Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $100,050 | 8,830 |
| 5 | New Haven, CT | $98,550 | 110 |
| 6 | Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury, CT | $88,610 | 340 |
| 7 | Waterbury-Shelton, CT | $87,150 | 230 |
| 8 | Trenton-Princeton, NJ | $86,870 | 150 |
| 9 | Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | $86,410 | 2,480 |
| 10 | Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | $84,800 | 5,470 |
| 11 | Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA | $81,330 | 110 |
| 12 | Boulder, CO | $81,090 | 220 |
Metro areas with the most jobs
Swipe the table sideways to see more columns.
| Metro area | Employment | Median wage |
|---|---|---|
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | 16,600 | $102,120 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | 8,830 | $100,050 |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | 5,470 | $84,800 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | 2,520 | $80,380 |
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | 2,480 | $86,410 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | 2,040 | $102,940 |
| Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX | 1,930 | $29,040 |
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | 1,690 | $74,530 |
| Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI | 1,390 | $63,430 |
| Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA | 1,380 | $77,680 |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | 1,380 | $79,660 |
| Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX | 1,140 | $52,600 |
Visa filings for this occupation
Wages employers offered on Department of Labor filings
- H-1B (FY 2026 through Q3)70 certified filingsMedian offered wage $87,220
- PERM green card (FY 2026 through Q3)23 certified filingsMedian offered wage $78,750
Editors pay by state
- Alabama
- Alaska
- Arizona
- Arkansas
- California
- Colorado
- Connecticut
- Delaware
- District of Columbia
- Florida
- Georgia
- Hawaii
- Idaho
- Illinois
- Indiana
- Iowa
- Kansas
- Kentucky
- Louisiana
- Maine
- Maryland
- Massachusetts
- Michigan
- Minnesota
- Mississippi
- Missouri
- Montana
- Nebraska
- Nevada
- New Hampshire
- New Jersey
- New Mexico
- New York
- North Carolina
- North Dakota
- Ohio
- Oklahoma
- Oregon
- Pennsylvania
- Puerto Rico
- Rhode Island
- South Carolina
- South Dakota
- Tennessee
- Texas
- Utah
- Vermont
- Virginia
- Washington
- West Virginia
- Wisconsin
- Wyoming
Related occupations
Frequently asked questions
- How much do editors make?
- The median wage for editors in the U.S. is $77,920 a year, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (May 2025). The middle half earn between $57,300 and $106,100.
- Which state pays editors the most?
- New York has the highest median wage for this occupation at $101,480 a year.
- What is the job outlook for editors?
- BLS projects employment to decline 1.1% from 2025 to 2035, with about 7,900 openings each year on average.
- What education do editors need?
- The typical entry-level education is: bachelor's degree.