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Design editor vs copy editor

The differences between design 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 design editor and a copy editor. Additionally, a copy editor has an average salary of $62,599, which is higher than the $55,142 average annual salary of a design editor.

The top three skills for a design editor include layout design, adobe photoshop and adobe indesign. The most important skills for a copy editor are proofreading, house style, and digital publishing.

Design editor vs copy editor overview

Design EditorCopy Editor
Yearly salary$55,142$62,599
Hourly rate$26.51$30.10
Growth rate-5%-5%
Number of jobs45,5724,866
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 79%Bachelor's Degree, 83%
Average age4444
Years of experience44

Design editor vs copy editor salary

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

Design EditorCopy Editor
Average salary$55,142$62,599
Salary rangeBetween $37,000 And $81,000Between $39,000 And $98,000
Highest paying CityNew York, NYWashington, DC
Highest paying stateNew YorkNew Jersey
Best paying companyNordstromPayPal
Best paying industryEducationFinance

Differences between design editor and copy editor education

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

Design EditorCopy Editor
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 79%Bachelor's Degree, 83%
Most common majorGraphic DesignEnglish
Most common collegeNorthwestern UniversityNorthwestern University

Design editor vs copy editor demographics

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

Design EditorCopy Editor
Average age4444
Gender ratioMale, 49.4% Female, 50.6%Male, 39.2% Female, 60.8%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 3.6% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 8.1% 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 design editor and copy editor duties and responsibilities

Design editor example responsibilities.

  • Manage international man-made fiber market research/publishing company and supervise editorial content and sales of industry statistical journal.
  • Develop the web page by using HTML, CSS.
  • Produce viral video campaigns to boost SEO.
  • Design and create all graphics and animation.
  • Sketch and submit cartoon or animation for approval.
  • Serve as lead communicator for all CMS system updates/releases.
  • Show more

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.
  • Show more

Design editor vs copy editor skills

Common design editor skills
  • Layout Design, 14%
  • Adobe Photoshop, 10%
  • Adobe Indesign, 9%
  • Editorial Content, 8%
  • Video Production, 6%
  • Photography, 6%
Common copy editor skills
  • Proofreading, 12%
  • House Style, 8%
  • Digital Publishing, 6%
  • Fact Check, 6%
  • SEO, 5%
  • Web Content, 5%

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