How To Become A Features Editor: What It Is and Career Path

What is a features editor and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

3 min read

Quoted Expert

Bradley Shreve

Feature editors handle the feature article segment of client or business publications. The precise nature of the feature section varies due to the type of published content - articles in a woman's magazine can, for example, cover appearance or health problems, while those in a travel journal may contain luxurious or familial trips for professionals.

As a features editor, you will mainly work in an office alongside your editorial team, but you could be expected to travel for meetings, conferences, photoshoots, or interviews. Your job is more of a typical nine-to-five job; however, it depends on the publication you serve. Besides, you may need to work longer hours when you approach your deadlines.

A qualification in English or Journalism could help you succeed in this role, but it isn't always evident. For senior positions, a degree and experience in that magazine's subject matter would be beneficial.

As feature editors are usually experienced journalists or writers, their starting salary can be around $41,000 for more extensive publications.

What general advice would you give to a Features Editor?

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.

ScoreFeatures EditorUS Average

Salary

4.6

Avg. Salary $59,420

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 7.02%

Black or African American 3.48%

Hispanic or Latino 7.84%

Unknown 4.55%

White 76.84%

Gender

female 62.89%

male 37.11%

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 a features editor

Explore features editor education requirements

Most common features editor degrees

Bachelor's

83.5 %

Master's

7.7 %

Associate

4.7 %

Start to develop specific features editor skills

Skills	Percentages
Editorial Content	12.07%
Layout Design	8.56%
SEO	7.72%
Adobe Indesign	6.98%
Lifestyle	6.67%

Complete relevant features editor training and internships

Accountants spend an average of 6-12 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New features editors 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 a features editor based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real features editor resumes.

Research features editor duties and responsibilities

Manage SEO and Adwords, and social media content.
Film and edit all video content as well as managing the YouTube channel and social media feeds.
Manage weekly flash fiction competition.
Manage communication between editorial, photo, video and production departments.

Prepare your features editor resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your features editor 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 a features editor resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

Choose From 10+ Customizable Features Editor Resume templates

Build a professional Features Editor 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 Features Editor resume.

Apply for features editor jobs

Now it's time to start searching for a features editor 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 features editors rate their job?

-/5

5 Stars

4 Stars

3 Stars

2 Stars

1 Star

Features Editor reviews

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.