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Creative writer vs news editor

The differences between creative writers and news 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 news editor takes usually requires 2-4 years. Additionally, a creative writer has an average salary of $73,095, which is higher than the $53,822 average annual salary of a news editor.

The top three skills for a creative writer include digital marketing, proofreading and email campaigns. The most important skills for a news editor are news stories, news coverage, and instagram.

Creative writer vs news editor overview

Creative WriterNews Editor
Yearly salary$73,095$53,822
Hourly rate$35.14$25.88
Growth rate4%-5%
Number of jobs19,12912,484
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 73%Bachelor's Degree, 81%
Average age4244
Years of experience24

What does a creative writer do?

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.

What does a news editor do?

A News Editor reviews and changes the content of a publication provided by writers and other contributors. They generally work for newspapers, magazines, and websites.

Creative writer vs news editor salary

Creative writers and news editors have different pay scales, as shown below.

Creative WriterNews Editor
Average salary$73,095$53,822
Salary rangeBetween $46,000 And $114,000Between $35,000 And $81,000
Highest paying CityRedwood City, CANew York, NY
Highest paying stateCaliforniaNew York
Best paying companyAppleApple
Best paying industryInternetProfessional

Differences between creative writer and news editor education

There are a few differences between a creative writer and a news editor in terms of educational background:

Creative WriterNews Editor
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 73%Bachelor's Degree, 81%
Most common majorEnglishJournalism
Most common collegeMassachusetts Institute of TechnologyNorthwestern University

Creative writer vs news editor demographics

Here are the differences between creative writers' and news editors' demographics:

Creative WriterNews Editor
Average age4244
Gender ratioMale, 45.8% Female, 54.2%Male, 53.5% Female, 46.5%
Race ratioBlack 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, 3.6% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 8.2% Asian, 7.3% White, 76.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3%
LGBT Percentage16%12%

Differences between creative writer and news editor duties and responsibilities

Creative writer example responsibilities.

  • Manage the website, twitter, and facebook.
  • Manage publication review process, including technical and editorial review by in-house and outside reviewers.
  • Create and publish advertising copy, press releases, brochures and technical manuals.
  • Develop an eye for detail and proofreading.
  • Hire to write several papers for NIH fund grant projects.
  • Work with blogs, Wikipedia page management, and Youtube content.
  • Show more

News editor example responsibilities.

  • Manage the day-to-day production of the Olympics section as needed.
  • Manage online web CMS, updating metadata, optimizing SEO, editing HTML/CSS, and directing UX/UI updates.
  • Manage content on various CMS systems, including HTML coding and training numerous staff members on various CMS systems.
  • Maintain editorial calendar, manage freelance budget and coordinate with photo editor and designers to help ensure optimal presentation of stories.
  • Cover NFL playoffs and NCAA tournament games.
  • Cover UConn s 2014 NCAA tournament championship run on site.
  • Show more

Creative writer vs news editor skills

Common creative writer skills
  • Digital Marketing, 17%
  • Proofreading, 15%
  • Email Campaigns, 11%
  • Video Scripts, 6%
  • Web Content, 5%
  • Proofread, 4%
Common news editor skills
  • News Stories, 10%
  • News Coverage, 8%
  • Instagram, 8%
  • Twitter, 7%
  • SEO, 7%
  • Facebook, 7%

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