What does a business editor do?
A business editor oversees the operations of the business news department of publication companies or similar establishments. Although their duties vary upon their place or company of employment, it usually includes taking on a managerial role wherein they must manage a group of business writers, delegate responsibilities, assign business events to reporters, set deadlines, and develop strategies to gain the public's interest. They also participate in writing news materials, proofreading articles, conducting interviews, and establishing guidelines. Moreover, a business editor maintains an open and transparent communication line with fellow editors for an efficient workflow.
Business editor responsibilities
Here are examples of responsibilities from real business editor resumes:
- Manage and create newsletter archives for NASA: http: //www.nasa.gov/centers/langley/home/index.html
- Cover international trade, foreign debt, decentralization and other business and economic issues for English edition of Brazilian business daily.
- Put together community orient newspaper with provide clips and write feature and cover stories.
- Copy editor, assistant editor, daily news reporter for top English-language daily in Mexico
Business editor skills and personality traits
We calculated that 18% of Business Editors are proficient in SEO, Editorial Content, and Real Estate. They’re also known for soft skills such as Creativity, Detail oriented, and Good judgment.
We break down the percentage of Business Editors that have these skills listed on their resume here:
- SEO, 18%
Utilize content management systems and SEO metadata to provide quality finished VOD products to both domestic and international customers.
- Editorial Content, 13%
Oversee all editorial content of GM Journal section of Radio World newspaper Assign, edit, write stories.
- Real Estate, 8%
Increased advertising revenue by expanding Real Estate and Fashion coverage with Advertisers consistently requesting placement in the business section.
- Business Topics, 8%
Co-produced, reported and completed live stand-up interviews about various business topics with our local NBC affiliate -- WECT-TV Channel 6.
- Press Releases, 7%
Selected press releases for in-depth follow-up and assisted in the production and electronic layout of the magazine.
- Edition, 6%
Covered international trade, foreign debt, decentralization and other business and economic issues for English edition of Brazilian business daily.
"seo," "editorial content," and "real estate" are among the most common skills that business editors use at work. You can find even more business editor responsibilities below, including:
Creativity. The most essential soft skill for a business editor to carry out their responsibilities is creativity. This skill is important for the role because "editors must be imaginative, curious, and knowledgeable in a broad range of topics." Additionally, a business editor resume shows how their duties depend on creativity: "edited contemporary fiction novella for content, spelling, and grammar worked with author to create strong creative and conceptual visions"
Detail oriented. Another essential skill to perform business editor duties is detail oriented. Business editors responsibilities require that "editors must be meticulous to ensure that material is error free and matches the style of a publication." Business editors also use detail oriented in their role according to a real resume snippet: "detailed editing of commercial real estate appraisal reports. "
Good judgment. This is an important skill for business editors to perform their duties. For an example of how business editor responsibilities depend on this skill, consider that "editors decide whether certain stories are ethical and whether there is enough evidence to publish them." This excerpt from a resume also shows how vital it is to everyday roles and responsibilities of a business editor: "directed strategy and editorial for national monthly magazine, analyzing trends and covering news affecting sporting goods retailers and manufacturers. ".
Writing skills. A big part of what business editors do relies on "writing skills." You can see how essential it is to business editor responsibilities because "editors ensure that all written content has correct grammar, punctuation, and syntax." Here's an example of how this skill is used from a resume that represents typical business editor tasks: "developed and led quarterly training sessions to successfully enhance skills of writing and editorial staff. "
Interpersonal skills. A commonly-found skill in business editor job descriptions, "interpersonal skills" is essential to what business editors do. Business editor responsibilities rely on this skill because "in working with writers, editors must have tact and the ability to guide and encourage them in their work." You can also see how business editor duties rely on interpersonal skills in this resume example: "coordinated interpersonal relations between editorial staff, artists, writers and judges. "
The three companies that hire the most business editors are:
- WarnerMedia
1 business editors jobs
- Forum Communications
1 business editors jobs
- Hearst1 business editors jobs
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Compare different business editors
Business editor vs. Editing internship
An editorial intern is responsible for assisting the editorial department of an organization with publishing various media and digital content. Editorial interns shadow tenured editorial staff on researching stories, validating information, writing captivating articles, interviewing target audiences, and screening submitted manuscripts. They also assist in planning promotional strategies and marketing campaigns, such as monitoring press releases, posting on social media platforms, and developing marketing materials. An editorial intern must have excellent organizational skills, most importantly, a fast-learner to understand complex tasks and perform assigned duties under minimal supervision.
These skill sets are where the common ground ends though. The responsibilities of a business editor are more likely to require skills like "english language," "seo," "editorial content," and "real estate." On the other hand, a job as an editing internship requires skills like "video footage," "photography," "youtube," and "adobe premiere pro." As you can see, what employees do in each career varies considerably.
Editing interns tend to reach lower levels of education than business editors. In fact, editing interns are 6.3% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 1.1% less likely to have a Doctoral Degree.Business editor vs. Editorial internship
An editorial intern is responsible for assisting the editorial team in publishing digital and media content, writing articles, and managing readers' reviews. Editorial interns must have excellent knowledge of the industry they work for, suggesting the latest trends and featured topics, taking notes of the tenured employees' advice and observations, and actively joining brainstorming sessions. An editorial intern must be detail-oriented and take constructive feedback as an opportunity to learn. It is also crucial to have outstanding communication and proofreading skills and keep all the materials confidential until release.
In addition to the difference in salary, there are some other key differences worth noting. For example, business editor responsibilities are more likely to require skills like "english language," "real estate," "business topics," and "edition." Meanwhile, an editorial internship has duties that require skills in areas such as "fact-check," "editorial intern," "instagram," and "administrative tasks." These differences highlight just how different the day-to-day in each role looks.
Editorial interns may earn a lower salary than business editors, but editorial interns earn the most pay in the media industry with an average salary of $33,508. On the other hand, business editors receive higher pay in the pharmaceutical industry, where they earn an average salary of $59,477.In general, editorial interns achieve lower levels of education than business editors. They're 6.1% less likely to obtain a Master's Degree while being 1.1% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.What technology do you think will become more important and prevalent for business editors in the next 3-5 years?
Bradley Shreve
Editor, Tribal College Journal
Business editor vs. Editor, freelance
An Editor, Freelance is responsible for reading content and correcting for errors in spelling, grammar, and punctuation. They work with writers to help their ideas and stories succeed.
There are many key differences between these two careers, including some of the skills required to perform responsibilities within each role. For example, a business editor is likely to be skilled in "english language," "editorial content," "real estate," and "business topics," while a typical editor, freelance is skilled in "music videos," "fiction," "track changes," and "promotional videos."
Editors, freelance typically earn similar educational levels compared to business editors. Specifically, they're 1.1% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree, and 1.1% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Business editor vs. Editor in chief
Types of business editor
Updated January 8, 2025
