How To Become A Copy Editor/Page Designer: What It Is and Career Path

What is a copy editor/page designer and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

Quoted expert

Catherine Wilbur

A copy editor is an essential part of the media and industrial world. Like an organ designed for checks and balance, the copy editor is a grammatical gatekeeper. A copy editor examines the grammar in a text, punctuation errors, and organization. Since data and information can be wrong, the validation of actual data falls on the copy editor. As a copy editor, you must be able to read and comprehend texts and reports. You must also be able to layout texts and grammatical demonstrations that are comprehensive for editorial policies. You will check typos, errant commas, incorrect sentences, and style to ensure clarity, readability, and correctness.

A degree in English language is the most preferred qualification for a copy editor. However, it is often dependent on the hirer. As such, other languages may be required. Regardless, a copy editor must have excellent control of grammar, spellings, punctuations, and formatting to ensure accuracy and understanding. You must also be able to pay attention to details and possess strong written and communication skills. The average salary of a copy editor is $48,669 annually.

What general advice would you give to a copy editor/page designer?

Catherine Wilbur

English Professor, Website

The best way to maximize salary earnings is to complete the highest level of education in your chosen field. The average salary for someone with a bachelor's degree in English is around $59,124 per year, while someone with a master's degree in English can expect to earn around $69,732 per year.

ScoreCopy Editor/Page DesignerUS Average

Salary

3.7

Avg. Salary $47,465

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

6.7

Growth rate -5%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

6.8

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.27%

Asian 5.65%

Black or African American 3.79%

Hispanic or Latino 8.70%

Unknown 4.66%

White 76.92%

Gender

female 48.44%

male 51.56%

Age - 43

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 43

Stress level

6.7

Stress level is high

7.1 - high

Complexity level

9.0

Complexity level is advanced

7 - challenging

Work life balance

4.3

Work life balance is poor

6.4 - fair

Key steps to become a copy editor/page designer

Explore copy editor/page designer education requirements

Most common copy editor/page designer degrees

Bachelor's

87.5 %

Associate

5.9 %

Master's

5.7 %

Start to develop specific copy editor/page designer skills

Skills	Percentages
Edit Stories	14.92%
Adobe Indesign	13.28%
Adobe Photoshop	6.03%
Newspapers	6.02%
Edit Copy	5.82%

Complete relevant copy editor/page designer training and internships

Accountants spend an average of 6-12 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New copy editor/page designers learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a copy editor/page designer based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real copy editor/page designer resumes.

Research copy editor/page designer duties and responsibilities

Collaborate with managing editor and editor-in-chief to develop and post news coverage and multimedia projects.
Implement SEO strategy to drive traffic on statesman.com.
Copy edit, proof stories and write headlines for news, metro and business sections.
Provide advancement services including grant writing, project development, copywriting, draft editing, donor correspondence and social media marketing.

Prepare your copy editor/page designer resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your copy editor/page designer resume.

You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a copy editor/page designer resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

Choose from 10+ customizable copy editor/page designer resume templates

Build a professional copy editor/page designer resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your copy editor/page designer resume.