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The differences between content writers and content editors can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 1-2 years to become a content writer, becoming a content editor takes usually requires 2-4 years. Additionally, a content editor has an average salary of $61,694, which is higher than the $58,918 average annual salary of a content writer.
The top three skills for a content writer include digital marketing, wordpress and web content. The most important skills for a content editor are digital content, web content, and digital marketing.
| Content Writer | Content Editor | |
| Yearly salary | $58,918 | $61,694 |
| Hourly rate | $28.33 | $29.66 |
| Growth rate | 4% | -5% |
| Number of jobs | 19,621 | 18,586 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 5 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 77% | Bachelor's Degree, 79% |
| Average age | 42 | 44 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 4 |
The job of content writers is to create the best possible written or visual content ranging from blog posts to press releases. They produce the content for various types of websites, including social networks, news aggregators, and e-commerce sites. The job of content writers is not limited to writing, but also ensuring that the content connects or is relevant to the website pages. They are expected to set the tone of the website and revise the content upon customers' or clients' requests. They are also responsible for assisting in the creation of style guides.
A content editor is an individual who is responsible for proof-reading articles written by content writers and write blog posts to promote the products and services of an organization. Content editors are responsible for producing monthly newsletters and optimize written pieces to increase user engagement. They need to interact with the consumers with the purpose of sourcing feedback on the content's impact actively. Content editors must also conduct business research on current trends to give the company an edge over the competition.
Content writers and content editors have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Content Writer | Content Editor | |
| Average salary | $58,918 | $61,694 |
| Salary range | Between $40,000 And $84,000 | Between $41,000 And $91,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | New York, NY |
| Highest paying state | California | New York |
| Best paying company | Cisco | Apple |
| Best paying industry | Finance | Technology |
There are a few differences between a content writer and a content editor in terms of educational background:
| Content Writer | Content Editor | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 77% | Bachelor's Degree, 79% |
| Most common major | English | English |
| Most common college | Massachusetts Institute of Technology | Northwestern University |
Here are the differences between content writers' and content editors' demographics:
| Content Writer | Content Editor | |
| Average age | 42 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 39.8% Female, 60.2% | Male, 43.5% Female, 56.5% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 6.0% Unknown, 5.6% Hispanic or Latino, 7.8% Asian, 5.0% White, 75.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% | Black or African American, 3.5% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 8.0% Asian, 7.1% White, 76.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% |
| LGBT Percentage | 16% | 12% |