SOC 27-3041 · May 2025
Editor Salary
Editors in the US earn a median of $77,920 a year ($43.30 an hour on average), according to the BLS May 2025 wage survey. Average Editor pay climbed from $71,910 in 2019 to $90,060 in 2025, a +25.2% change in 6 years.
Median annual
$77,920
Half of all Editors in the United States earn more than this figure, half earn less. From the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics May 2025 release.
Wage trend
+25.2% since 2019 · +5.1% YoY
Hourly
$43.30
Job growth 2025-35
-1.1%
US workers
91,690
BLS series
Annual median wage for Editors in All Industries in the United States
Salary range
From entry to top decile
The 10th-to-90th percentile spread for Editors is $41,250 – $153,700.
Percentile distribution
USD · annual
10th
$41,250
25th
$57,300
Median
$77,920
75th
$106,100
90th
$153,700
Percentile bands
Where your pay would sit
Percentile bands
Annual wages at each point of the BLS distribution for Editors. Where you sit depends on experience, employer, location and credentials.
| Percentile | What it means | Annual wage |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | 10% earn less. Common for new entrants | $41,250 |
| 25th percentile | A quarter earn less | $57,300 |
| Median | Half earn more, half earn less | $77,920 |
| 75th percentile | A quarter earn more | $106,100 |
| 90th percentile | 10% earn more. Often senior or specialist staff | $153,700 |
Geography
Editor pay by state
Editors earn the most in New York ($101,480, +30% against the national median) and the least in Texas ($45,950). BLS publishes a May 2025 estimate for this occupation in 50 of 51 states and D.C.
National median
$77,920
Highest-paying states for editors
| State | Annual median | vs national | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|
| New York | $101,480 | +30% | 16,800 |
| California | $98,030 | +26% | 14,830 |
| Connecticut | $85,950 | +10% | 1,050 |
| D.C. | $83,920 | +8% | 3,310 |
| Massachusetts | $83,170 | +7% | 3,100 |
| New Jersey | $81,680 | +5% | 2,120 |
| Virginia | $80,590 | +3% | 2,720 |
| Rhode Island | $77,960 | +0% | 340 |
| Colorado | $77,870 | -0% | 1,830 |
| Washington | $77,850 | -0% | 1,860 |
All 50 states, highest to lowest
| State | Annual median | Employed |
|---|---|---|
| New York | $101,480 | 16,800 |
| California | $98,030 | 14,830 |
| Connecticut | $85,950 | 1,050 |
| D.C. | $83,920 | 3,310 |
| Massachusetts | $83,170 | 3,100 |
| New Jersey | $81,680 | 2,120 |
| Virginia | $80,590 | 2,720 |
| Rhode Island | $77,960 | 340 |
| Colorado | $77,870 | 1,830 |
| Washington | $77,850 | 1,860 |
| Georgia | $76,650 | 1,920 |
| Illinois | $76,060 | 4,560 |
| Maryland | $75,550 | 1,850 |
| Delaware | $75,020 | 170 |
| Florida | $73,950 | 3,790 |
| North Carolina | $73,740 | 1,870 |
| Nevada | $72,510 | – |
| Ohio | $72,160 | 1,800 |
| Oregon | $71,540 | 1,110 |
| Vermont | $66,860 | 240 |
| New Hampshire | $66,510 | 250 |
| Utah | $65,040 | 590 |
| Wisconsin | $64,270 | 1,510 |
| New Mexico | $64,250 | 230 |
| Alaska | $63,630 | 60 |
| Pennsylvania | $63,460 | 3,240 |
| Alabama | $63,330 | 530 |
| Michigan | $63,090 | 1,690 |
| Arizona | $63,090 | 820 |
| Minnesota | $62,650 | 1,970 |
| South Carolina | $62,000 | 500 |
| Kansas | $61,920 | 500 |
| Montana | $61,750 | 200 |
| Missouri | $61,620 | 880 |
| North Dakota | $60,520 | 200 |
| Tennessee | $59,550 | 1,390 |
| Kentucky | $59,430 | 490 |
| Louisiana | $58,860 | 330 |
| Iowa | $57,200 | 900 |
| South Dakota | $56,730 | 140 |
| West Virginia | $56,630 | 260 |
| Indiana | $56,440 | 830 |
| Hawaii | $55,070 | 100 |
| Mississippi | $54,380 | 290 |
| Oklahoma | $50,780 | 500 |
| Maine | $50,180 | 300 |
| Arkansas | $50,180 | 260 |
| Wyoming | $46,710 | 110 |
| Nebraska | $46,320 | 360 |
| Texas | $45,950 | 6,460 |
Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, state estimates, May 2025, all industries.
What affects this salary
Pay drivers for Editors
Editors (BLS SOC 27-3041) plan, review, and revise content for publication including books, magazines, websites, and corporate communications. Most editor roles require a bachelor's degree and several years of writing or editorial experience. Pay varies sharply by industry: finance, technology, and corporate-comms editors substantially exceed OEWS figures; print-publishing and freelance roles often fall below.
The 10th-to-90th percentile spread is $41,250 – $153,700. That gap reflects experience, certification, employer type, geographic cost of living, and shift differentials where applicable.
Geography matters. The best-paying states for this role are New York, California and Connecticut. Pay in New York runs 2.2 times the level in Texas, before any adjustment for cost of living.
Getting in. BLS lists the typical entry-level education as bachelor's degree, and projects about 7,900 openings a year over 2025-35. Employment is projected to shrink 1.1% over the same period, against 3.5% for all occupations.
Frequently asked
Questions readers ask
Frequently asked
What is the average Editor salary in the US?
How much does a Editor make an hour?
How much do Editors make at the low and high end?
Which state pays Editors the most?
Is the average Editor salary higher than the median?
Is Editor a growing career?
Open positions
Open Editor roles hiring now
Browse current Editor listings on Indeed and ZipRecruiter, filtered to your role.
Source & methodology
Wage and employment figures are from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) program, May 2025 release. Standard Occupational Classification: 27-3041. Figures represent the national median, mean, and percentile distribution across all employers and industries. Hourly equivalents assume a 2,080-hour work year. Job growth, annual openings and typical education are from the BLS Employment Projections program, 2025-35; see the Occupational Outlook Handbook entry. Read our methodology for details on how the data is sourced, transformed, and refreshed.