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The differences between copy editors and assistant 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 copy editor and an assistant editor. Additionally, a copy editor has an average salary of $62,599, which is higher than the $52,284 average annual salary of an assistant editor.
The top three skills for a copy editor include proofreading, house style and digital publishing. The most important skills for an assistant editor are editorial content, video footage, and web content.
| Copy Editor | Assistant Editor | |
| Yearly salary | $62,599 | $52,284 |
| Hourly rate | $30.10 | $25.14 |
| Growth rate | -5% | -5% |
| Number of jobs | 4,866 | 8,716 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 83% | Bachelor's Degree, 81% |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
The primary job of copy editors is to check for misspellings, incorrect punctuation, and consistency in typography, words, and style. They also act as fact-checkers, proofreaders, and project managers, overseeing the workflow and communicating with other departments. A copy editor's other duties and responsibilities include checking content for readability and compliance with editorial policies, rewriting text to improve readability and clarity, and arranging page layouts of articles, photos, and advertisements. Formal training is not required for this role, but copy editors generally have a firm grasp and love for the English language's proper usage.
An assistant editor is an individual responsible for assisting an editor-in-chief or editor-at-large of a newspaper, magazine, radio program, or website. Assistant editors hold meetings with staff and freelance writers to discuss new, fresh and original content for projects on a daily, weekly, or monthly basis. They review assignments handed in by writers or reporters for sense, accuracy, readability, and content. Assistant editors must also utilize new media applications such as Twitter and Facebook to draw attention to an article or cause.
Copy editors and assistant editors have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Copy Editor | Assistant Editor | |
| Average salary | $62,599 | $52,284 |
| Salary range | Between $39,000 And $98,000 | Between $34,000 And $78,000 |
| Highest paying City | Washington, DC | Huntington, NY |
| Highest paying state | New Jersey | New York |
| Best paying company | PayPal | Apple |
| Best paying industry | Finance | Media |
There are a few differences between a copy editor and an assistant editor in terms of educational background:
| Copy Editor | Assistant Editor | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 83% | Bachelor's Degree, 81% |
| Most common major | English | English |
| Most common college | Northwestern University | Northwestern University |
Here are the differences between copy editors' and assistant editors' demographics:
| Copy Editor | Assistant Editor | |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 39.2% Female, 60.8% | Male, 45.9% Female, 54.1% |
| Race ratio | 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% | Black or African American, 3.5% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 7.9% Asian, 7.0% White, 76.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% |
| LGBT Percentage | 12% | 12% |