The average salary for an editor in the United States is around $77,920 per year.
Avg Salary
Editors earn an average yearly salary of $77,920.
Wages typically start from $41,250 and go up to $153,700.
29% above national average Updated in 2025
Editor earnings by seniority
90th percentile
Top-level editor earnings begin at:
$73.90 per hour
$153,700 per year
75th percentile
Senior-level editor earnings begin at:
$51.01 per hour
$106,100 per year
50th percentile
Mid-level editor earnings begin at:
$37.46 per hour
$77,920 per year
25th percentile
Junior-level editor earnings begin at:
$27.55 per hour
$57,300 per year
10th percentile
Starting level editor earnings begin at:
$19.83 per hour
$41,250 per year
Approximate values based on highest and lowest earning segments.
Editor salary by state
| State Name | Average Salary |
|---|---|
| California | $98,030 |
| Connecticut | $85,950 |
| District of Columbia | $83,920 |
| Massachusetts | $83,170 |
| New Jersey | $81,680 |
| Virginia | $80,590 |
| Rhode Island | $77,960 |
| Colorado | $77,870 |
| Washington | $77,850 |
| Georgia | $76,650 |
| Illinois | $76,060 |
| Maryland | $75,550 |
| Delaware | $75,020 |
| Florida | $73,950 |
| North Carolina | $73,740 |
| Nevada | $72,510 |
| Ohio | $72,160 |
| Oregon | $71,540 |
| Vermont | $66,860 |
| New Hampshire | $66,510 |
| Utah | $65,040 |
| Wisconsin | $64,270 |
| New Mexico | $64,250 |
| Alaska | $63,630 |
| Pennsylvania | $63,460 |
| Alabama | $63,330 |
| Arizona | $63,090 |
| Michigan | $63,090 |
| Minnesota | $62,650 |
| South Carolina | $62,000 |
| Kansas | $61,920 |
| Montana | $61,750 |
| Missouri | $61,620 |
| North Dakota | $60,520 |
| Tennessee | $59,550 |
| Kentucky | $59,430 |
| Louisiana | $58,860 |
| Iowa | $57,200 |
| South Dakota | $56,730 |
| West Virginia | $56,630 |
| Indiana | $56,440 |
| Hawaii | $55,070 |
| Mississippi | $54,380 |
| Oklahoma | $50,780 |
| Arkansas | $50,180 |
| Maine | $50,180 |
| Idaho | $48,233 |
| Wyoming | $46,710 |
| Nebraska | $46,320 |
| Texas | $45,950 |
| Puerto Rico | $37,630 |
| New York | $101,480 |
How do editor salaries compare to similar careers?
Editors earn about the same as related careers in the United States. On average, they make less than news anchors but more than proofreaders.
| Career | Median Salary |
|---|---|
| News anchor salary | $62K |
| Technical writer salary | $90K |
| Editor salary | $78K |
| Copywriter salary | $77K |
| Television writer salary | $77K |
| Author salary | $77K |
| Proofreader salary | $51K |
Source: CareerExplorer (Aggregated)