How To Become An Editor, Freelance: What It Is and Career Path

What is an editor, freelance and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

3 min read

Quoted Expert

Bradley Shreve

A freelance editor edits videos, photos, or written content (articles, blogs, technical papers) on a freelance or contractual basis. As a freelancer, they may work with multiple clients at a time, but may also have only one client for a fixed period, depending on their preferences.

The duties of a freelance editor depend on what kind of content they edit. For instance, a freelance editor for articles proofreads clients' written content and applies edits however they see fit. On the other hand, a freelance photo editor edits photos based on the client's specifications, which can involve retouching, photo manipulation, or restoration.

The educational background of a freelance editor also varies on what kind of jobs they do, although most clients deem experience more important than education. For instance, a photo editor may hold a degree in graphic design, while an article editor may be a graduate of a communications degree.

Similar to other freelancers, a freelance editor's salary varies greatly. Their freelancer rate depends on their expertise and experience, which can be anywhere between $10 to $100 per hour, on average.

What general advice would you give to an Editor, Freelance?

Bradley Shreve

Editor, Tribal College Journal

Be flexible. An undergraduate degree in history offers a solid liberal arts background, but not a skill set that is finely tuned for most jobs. Think outside the box, and understand that the job you land probably won't be in the history profession.

ScoreEditor, FreelanceUS Average

Salary

5.3

Avg. Salary $67,947

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability Level

6.7

Growth Rate -5%

Growth Rate 0.3%

Diversity

6.8

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.27%

Asian 7.07%

Black or African American 3.50%

Hispanic or Latino 7.90%

Unknown 4.56%

White 76.71%

Gender

female 58.68%

male 41.32%

Age - 43

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 43

Stress Level

6.7

Stress level is high

7.1 - high

Complexity Level

9.0

Complexity Level is advanced

7 - challenging

Work Life Balance

4.3

Work Life balance is poor

6.4 - fair

Key steps to become an editor, freelance

Explore editor, freelance education requirements

Most common editor, freelance degrees

Bachelor's

76.3 %

Master's

13.4 %

Associate

5.4 %

Start to develop specific editor, freelance skills

Skills	Percentages
Music Videos	14.19%
Web Content	8.71%
Fiction	5.85%
Track Changes	4.66%
Promotional Videos	4.20%

Complete relevant editor, freelance training and internships

Accountants spend an average of 6-12 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New editors, freelance learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as an editor, freelance based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real editor, freelance resumes.

Research editor, freelance duties and responsibilities

Manage social media pages such as Facebook and Pinterest to promote.
Communicate with transportation managers, administrators, equipment operators and others for fulfillment of copy to achieve editorial goals.
Review promotional materials to ensure that legal and FDA requirements are meet.
Perform editing services for manuscripts submit for publication; editing fiction and non-fiction submissions.

Prepare your editor, freelance resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your editor, freelance resume.

You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on an editor, freelance resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

Choose From 10+ Customizable Editor, Freelance Resume templates

Build a professional Editor, Freelance resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your Editor, Freelance resume.

Apply for editor, freelance jobs

Now it's time to start searching for an editor, freelance job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

Browse job boards for relevant postings
Consult your professional network
Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
Watch out for job scams

How do editors, freelance rate their job?

-/5

5 Stars

4 Stars

3 Stars

2 Stars

1 Star

Editor, Freelance reviews

A zippia user wrote a review on Jun 2020

Cons

people not providing accurate information

A zippia user wrote a review on Feb 2019

Pros

Being an editor allowed me to give shape to a story or point of view that I otherwise would not have had any say in. I got to create a vision and put my mark on the work.