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Contract editor vs copy editor

The differences between contract editors and copy editors can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both a contract editor and a copy editor. Additionally, a contract editor has an average salary of $70,192, which is higher than the $62,599 average annual salary of a copy editor.

The top three skills for a contract editor include promotional videos, SEO and english-language. The most important skills for a copy editor are proofreading, house style, and digital publishing.

Contract editor vs copy editor overview

Contract EditorCopy Editor
Yearly salary$70,192$62,599
Hourly rate$33.75$30.10
Growth rate-5%-5%
Number of jobs12,3604,866
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 69%Bachelor's Degree, 83%
Average age4444
Years of experience44

Contract editor vs copy editor salary

Contract editors and copy editors have different pay scales, as shown below.

Contract EditorCopy Editor
Average salary$70,192$62,599
Salary rangeBetween $38,000 And $127,000Between $39,000 And $98,000
Highest paying City-Washington, DC
Highest paying state-New Jersey
Best paying company-PayPal
Best paying industry-Finance

Differences between contract editor and copy editor education

There are a few differences between a contract editor and a copy editor in terms of educational background:

Contract EditorCopy Editor
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 69%Bachelor's Degree, 83%
Most common majorEnglishEnglish
Most common collegeNorthwestern UniversityNorthwestern University

Contract editor vs copy editor demographics

Here are the differences between contract editors' and copy editors' demographics:

Contract EditorCopy Editor
Average age4444
Gender ratioMale, 37.9% Female, 62.1%Male, 39.2% Female, 60.8%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 3.6% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 8.2% Asian, 7.3% White, 76.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3%Black or African American, 3.6% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 8.2% Asian, 7.3% White, 76.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3%
LGBT Percentage12%12%

Differences between contract editor and copy editor duties and responsibilities

Contract editor example responsibilities.

  • Contract and manage editorial freelancers and full-service vendors for successful high school Spanish and Latin textbook and ancillary programs.
  • Position involve use of AtTask, SharePoint and Documentum CMS.
  • Perform proofreading and``oops-detection"on fiction manuscripts for independent authors.
  • Write, copyedit and revise scientific documents to produce highest quality of work.
  • Edit for all aspects of writing, but revise with a focus on APA and grammar.
  • Revise academic and professional biology manuscripts for an English-language professional editing service.
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Copy editor example responsibilities.

  • Manage copy editing and proofreading responsibilities of weekly business newspaper and special supplements.
  • Collaborate with managing editor and editor-in-chief to develop and post news coverage and multimedia projects.
  • Supervise editorial services and manage workload for multiple complex projects offering professional development training for educators via online and classroom delivery.
  • Compile NHL, NBA, NFL, golf and college roundups, and laid out the scoreboard page.
  • Call upon to produce special pages for NHL and NBA previews.
  • Serve as lead copy editor for NASCAR, college football, college basketball and NFL sections.
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Contract editor vs copy editor skills

Common contract editor skills
  • Promotional Videos, 17%
  • SEO, 13%
  • English-Language, 8%
  • Web Content, 7%
  • CMS, 5%
  • Content Edits, 5%
Common copy editor skills
  • Proofreading, 12%
  • House Style, 8%
  • Digital Publishing, 6%
  • Fact Check, 6%
  • SEO, 5%
  • Web Content, 5%

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