Q: How long does it take to become an editor?

It takes around 4 to 6 years to become an editor. There is no one particular path towards becoming an editor. Nor are there any certification or licensure requirements to work as an editor.

Q: Do editors make good money?

Yes, editors make good money. An editor makes an average salary of $74,186 a year, ranging from $30,000 a year to as high as $233,000 a year. Factors such as years of experience, location, and the company.

Q: How much do beginner editors make?

A beginner editor makes between $31,000 to $42,000 a year. The top 10% of entry-level editors earn $50,000 a year. Factors such as location and company type impact how much an editor can make.

Q: Can an editor make 100k?

Yes, you can make $100,000 per year as an editor. While possible, it is unlikely to earn over $100k as an editor because even higher-paid positions do not typically earn more than $81,000 per year. The average annual salary for an editor is $52,535. For example, editors in Washington whose salaries are in the 90th percentile earn an average salary of $123,000.

Question 1

How do I start my career as an editor?

Accepted Answer

To start a career as an editor, you need to have some educational credentials and advanced writing skills. As a prospective editor, it is important to develop a strong understanding of writing and grammar skills and gain hands-on experience.

Question 2

How long does it take to become an editor?

Accepted Answer

It takes around 4 to 6 years to become an editor. There is no one particular path towards becoming an editor. Nor are there any certification or licensure requirements to work as an editor.

Question 3

How to become an editor without a degree

Accepted Answer

To become an editor without a degree, you need to have or develop the necessary skills in editing.

Editors need to have a strong eye for detail, a wealth of language and grammatical knowledge, and experience writing for themselves. If you do not possess all of these skills, you must develop them.

Question 4

What is an editor's job?

Accepted Answer

An editor's job is to check and correct texts before they are published. There are many types of editors hired to work in different environments.

For example, you will find various types of editing jobs at magazines, publishing houses for books, newspapers, and academic journals. Federal agencies and government entities often hire technical writers to produce their publications.

Question 5

What is the editor hierarchy?

Accepted Answer

The editor hierarchy consists of several levels of editors, including editorial assistants, assistant editors, associate editors, editors, and editors-in-chief or chief editors. Here is a closer look at each level of the editor hierarchy, starting at the bottom and ascending toward the highest position:

Question 6

What qualifications do I need to be an editor?

Accepted Answer

The qualifications needed to become an editor include educational credentials and work experience. There is no one particular path or specific certification or licensure requirements to work as an editor. On average, It takes around 4 to 6 years to become an editor.

Question 7

What is a good starting salary for an Editor?

Accepted Answer

A good starting salary for an editor is $33,000 in the United States. That puts you in the 10th percentile of annual income for an editor in the U.S., which is about what you would expect if you were new to the field. The average salary for editors is $52,535, but that normally requires some level of experience to achieve. Furthermore, a good starting salary for an editor can vary by state.

Question 8

Do editors make good money?

Accepted Answer

Yes, editors make good money. An editor makes an average salary of $74,186 a year, ranging from $30,000 a year to as high as $233,000 a year. Factors such as years of experience, location, and the company.

Question 9

How much do beginner editors make?

Accepted Answer

A beginner editor makes between $31,000 to $42,000 a year. The top 10% of entry-level editors earn $50,000 a year. Factors such as location and company type impact how much an editor can make.

Question 10

Can an editor make 100k?

Accepted Answer

Yes, you can make $100,000 per year as an editor. While possible, it is unlikely to earn over $100k as an editor because even higher-paid positions do not typically earn more than $81,000 per year. The average annual salary for an editor is $52,535. For example, editors in Washington whose salaries are in the 90th percentile earn an average salary of $123,000.

Question 11

How much do editors make?

Accepted Answer

Editors make $68,186 a year. However, this can vary greatly depending on location and the type of company. An editor, for example, can make as little as $30,000 a year and as high as $133,000 a year.

Question 12

Is it hard to get a job as an editor?

Accepted Answer

Yes, it can be hard to get an editor job. An editor is a critical reader and a lover of words whose job is to polish and refine a story or an article. Therefore an editor needs to have a college education, excellent writing skills, and a work portfolio.

Question 13

What percentage of Editors are female?

Accepted Answer

53.2% of editors are female in the United States. This is -3.4 percentage points lower than last year. Additionally, the percentage of female editors has decreased by -0.9 percentage points since 2010. That means there are a total of 43,000 female editors in the U.S. and 37,828 male editors in the United States. Note that Zippia's estimate accounts only for the 80,828 people with the specific job title of editor and doesn't include grouping similar job titles, or people with potentially similar credentialing.

Question 14

How do you write an editor job on a resume?

Accepted Answer

You write an editor job on a resume by highlighting your writing and editing experience, as well as your accomplishments and communication skills. The resume (from the profile summary to professional experience to skills section) focuses on telling a story about your journey thus far as an editor.

Question 15

Is editing a skill?

Accepted Answer

Yes, editing is a skill. Editing is not just one skill but something that encompasses numerous hard and soft skills. Editing can involve creative skills, human relations, and a precise set of methods.

Question 16

What does an editor do for their resume's experience section?

Accepted Answer

An editor describes notable achievements, professional experience, and other details that can help grab the hiring manager's attention for their resume's experience section. You want to make sure that you dot your i's and cross your t's to make a good impression as a detail-oriented professional.

Question 17

What skills are needed to be an editor?

Accepted Answer

The skills needed to be an editor include knowledge of grammar, knowledge of style, time management, attention to detail, writing skills, and an eye for quality and style.

As an editor, you need to understand how to make clear points. As such, editors must have skills related to an in-depth understanding of grammar. This includes subject-verb agreements, passive voice vs active voice, and punctuation use.

Question 18

Can editors work from home?

Accepted Answer

Yes, editors can work from home. The nature of an editor's work makes it highly suitable for remote work. Editors are responsible for proofreading and editing written content and can perform this work on their own computer and communicate with clients and colleagues via email, phone, or video conferencing.

Question 19

Editor vs. Proofreader

Accepted Answer

An editor is a literary professional who corrects a writer's work, while a proofreader is a professional who looks for grammatical, spelling, and punctuation mistakes in a writer's work.

Question 20

How to get a job as an editor

Accepted Answer

You should seek editing opportunities such as internships, university newspapers, or freelance to build your work portfolio and develop a strong editorial network in order to get a job as an editor.

Question 21

What is an editorial board?

Accepted Answer

An editorial board refers to a body of experts that must manage the content and overall editorial direction of a specific publication, like a magazine, newspaper, website, or academic journal.

An editorial board normally has a combination of senior editors, subject-specific experts, and other professionals with relevant expertise and knowledge. While certain editorial boards can have different duties than others, many have similar responsibilities and overall goals.

Frequently asked questions about editors

Questions About Becoming an Editor