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The differences between assignment editors and editorial assistants can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 2-4 years to become an assignment editor, becoming an editorial assistant takes usually requires 1-2 years. Additionally, an assignment editor has an average salary of $48,582, which is higher than the $43,141 average annual salary of an editorial assistant.
The top three skills for an assignment editor include twitter, assignment desk and phone calls. The most important skills for an editorial assistant are fact check, fiction, and press releases.
| Assignment Editor | Editorial Assistant | |
| Yearly salary | $48,582 | $43,141 |
| Hourly rate | $23.36 | $20.74 |
| Growth rate | -5% | -8% |
| Number of jobs | 11,919 | 26,839 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 85% | Bachelor's Degree, 82% |
| Average age | 44 | 50 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 2 |
An assignment editor is responsible for handling and delegating tasks to news staff, identifying news sources, and developing accurate and efficient news articles for media and publishing companies. Assignment editors monitor situations for the public's awareness, requiring them to work at the office and conduct field investigations alternately. They also manage the scope and limitation of news coverage, finalizing scripts for television airings, and ensuring that all details are factual-based. An assignment editor should be highly communicative and organizational, as well as attentive, having the ability to finish newsworthy stories within strict deadlines.
An editorial assistant is primarily responsible for performing support-related tasks for an editor or editing staff. Most of the duties will be clerical such as writing content for print and media, answering calls and correspondence, responding to inquiries, running errands, and following directives from the editor. There are also instances when an editorial assistant must perform fact-checking or proofreading tasks, arrange appointments and travel documents, process paperwork, greet visitors, and even attend meetings and other work-related events.
Assignment editors and editorial assistants have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Assignment Editor | Editorial Assistant | |
| Average salary | $48,582 | $43,141 |
| Salary range | Between $31,000 And $74,000 | Between $35,000 And $53,000 |
| Highest paying City | New York, NY | Denver, CO |
| Highest paying state | New York | Colorado |
| Best paying company | The Washington Post | Columbia University in the City of New York |
| Best paying industry | Media | Government |
There are a few differences between an assignment editor and an editorial assistant in terms of educational background:
| Assignment Editor | Editorial Assistant | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 85% | Bachelor's Degree, 82% |
| Most common major | Communication | English |
| Most common college | Northwestern University | Massachusetts Institute of Technology |
Here are the differences between assignment editors' and editorial assistants' demographics:
| Assignment Editor | Editorial Assistant | |
| Average age | 44 | 50 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 48.9% Female, 51.1% | Male, 27.7% Female, 72.3% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 3.8% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 8.6% Asian, 6.3% White, 76.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% | Black or African American, 9.3% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 16.4% Asian, 3.8% White, 65.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7% |
| LGBT Percentage | 12% | 6% |