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The differences between assignment editors and journalists 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 a journalist takes usually requires 1-2 years. Additionally, a journalist has an average salary of $60,828, which is higher than the $48,582 average annual salary of an assignment editor.
The top three skills for an assignment editor include twitter, assignment desk and phone calls. The most important skills for a journalist are news stories, multimedia, and story development.
| Assignment Editor | Journalist | |
| Yearly salary | $48,582 | $60,828 |
| Hourly rate | $23.36 | $29.24 |
| Growth rate | -5% | -10% |
| Number of jobs | 11,919 | 11,488 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 85% | Bachelor's Degree, 74% |
| Average age | 44 | 40 |
| 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.
A journalist is responsible for creating written correspondence, covering various subjects as the management requires. This task involves a lot of research investigations, conducting interviews, and gathering reliable sources to verify the authenticity of data before releasing the articles on news portals and other social platforms. Journalists should have excellent communication skills, both written and oral, conveying information to the target audience with high accuracy and efficiency. They analyze opinions and testimonies, create eye-catching headlines, and ensure adherence to deadlines.
Assignment editors and journalists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Assignment Editor | Journalist | |
| Average salary | $48,582 | $60,828 |
| Salary range | Between $31,000 And $74,000 | Between $38,000 And $95,000 |
| Highest paying City | New York, NY | New York, NY |
| Highest paying state | New York | New York |
| Best paying company | The Washington Post | Bloomberg |
| Best paying industry | Media | Finance |
There are a few differences between an assignment editor and a journalist in terms of educational background:
| Assignment Editor | Journalist | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 85% | Bachelor's Degree, 74% |
| Most common major | Communication | Journalism |
| Most common college | Northwestern University | Massachusetts Institute of Technology |
Here are the differences between assignment editors' and journalists' demographics:
| Assignment Editor | Journalist | |
| Average age | 44 | 40 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 48.9% Female, 51.1% | Male, 46.6% Female, 53.4% |
| 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, 6.4% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 12.6% Asian, 9.6% White, 66.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% |
| LGBT Percentage | 12% | 10% |