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The differences between creative 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 creative writer, becoming a content editor takes usually requires 2-4 years. Additionally, a creative writer has an average salary of $73,095, which is higher than the $61,694 average annual salary of a content editor.
The top three skills for a creative writer include digital marketing, proofreading and email campaigns. The most important skills for a content editor are digital content, web content, and digital marketing.
| Creative Writer | Content Editor | |
| Yearly salary | $73,095 | $61,694 |
| Hourly rate | $35.14 | $29.66 |
| Growth rate | 4% | -5% |
| Number of jobs | 19,129 | 18,586 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 5 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 73% | Bachelor's Degree, 79% |
| Average age | 42 | 44 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 4 |
Creative writers are professionals who employ their imagination and discipline to convey new and interesting ideas to an audience in an engaging way, such as books, screenplays, and promotional marketing material. These writers must select a subject or theme for their writing projects while conducting research to obtain factual information and authentic detail for their content. They must review and submit their work for approval to meet the needs of their clients, publishers, or directors. Creative writers can also work for magazines, websites, and advertising or become a freelancer.
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.
Creative writers and content editors have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Creative Writer | Content Editor | |
| Average salary | $73,095 | $61,694 |
| Salary range | Between $46,000 And $114,000 | Between $41,000 And $91,000 |
| Highest paying City | Redwood City, CA | New York, NY |
| Highest paying state | California | New York |
| Best paying company | Apple | Apple |
| Best paying industry | Internet | Technology |
There are a few differences between a creative writer and a content editor in terms of educational background:
| Creative Writer | Content Editor | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 73% | Bachelor's Degree, 79% |
| Most common major | English | English |
| Most common college | Massachusetts Institute of Technology | Northwestern University |
Here are the differences between creative writers' and content editors' demographics:
| Creative Writer | Content Editor | |
| Average age | 42 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 45.8% Female, 54.2% | Male, 43.5% Female, 56.5% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 5.9% Unknown, 5.6% Hispanic or Latino, 7.6% Asian, 4.9% White, 75.6% 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% |