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Editing internship vs staff writer

The differences between editing interns and staff writers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 2-4 years to become an editing internship, becoming a staff writer takes usually requires 1-2 years. Additionally, a staff writer has an average salary of $44,844, which is higher than the $35,035 average annual salary of an editing internship.

The top three skills for an editing internship include video footage, adobe photoshop and photography. The most important skills for a staff writer are feature stories, news stories, and event coverage.

Editing internship vs staff writer overview

Editing InternshipStaff Writer
Yearly salary$35,035$44,844
Hourly rate$16.84$21.56
Growth rate-5%6%
Number of jobs49,31580,547
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 79%Bachelor's Degree, 82%
Average age4446
Years of experience42

What does an editing internship do?

An editorial intern is responsible for assisting the editorial department of an organization with publishing various media and digital content. Editorial interns shadow tenured editorial staff on researching stories, validating information, writing captivating articles, interviewing target audiences, and screening submitted manuscripts. They also assist in planning promotional strategies and marketing campaigns, such as monitoring press releases, posting on social media platforms, and developing marketing materials. An editorial intern must have excellent organizational skills, most importantly, a fast-learner to understand complex tasks and perform assigned duties under minimal supervision.

What does a staff writer do?

A staff writer is an individual who works in the television (TV) or entertainment industry to provide standard content such as news reports, reviews, and features. Since writing content is important, staff writers must be able to collaborate and brainstorm ideas with other staff members in the production process. They must attend conferences, events, or seminars to meet other people in the industry. Staff writers must also possess knowledge in scriptwriting and an in-depth understanding of the entertainment industry.

Editing internship vs staff writer salary

Editing interns and staff writers have different pay scales, as shown below.

Editing InternshipStaff Writer
Average salary$35,035$44,844
Salary rangeBetween $27,000 And $44,000Between $29,000 And $68,000
Highest paying City-Washington, DC
Highest paying state-New Jersey
Best paying company-The New York Times Company
Best paying industry-Non Profits

Differences between editing internship and staff writer education

There are a few differences between an editing internship and a staff writer in terms of educational background:

Editing InternshipStaff Writer
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 79%Bachelor's Degree, 82%
Most common majorEnglishJournalism
Most common collegeNorthwestern UniversityMassachusetts Institute of Technology

Editing internship vs staff writer demographics

Here are the differences between editing interns' and staff writers' demographics:

Editing InternshipStaff Writer
Average age4446
Gender ratioMale, 47.8% Female, 52.2%Male, 49.2% Female, 50.8%
Race ratioBlack 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, 6.7% Unknown, 5.0% Hispanic or Latino, 7.9% Asian, 8.8% White, 71.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4%
LGBT Percentage12%11%

Differences between editing internship and staff writer duties and responsibilities

Editing internship example responsibilities.

  • Support editor-in-chief in managing a yearbook staff.
  • Develop SEO strategies to increase profitability and manage social media to spread brand awareness and bolster readership.
  • Edit social media posts for Instagram and Facebook.
  • Produce and edit video for the C1RCA Instagram feed.
  • Specialize in blogging, twitter, and Facebook networking.
  • Assist editor-in-chief in determining layout designs, deadlines, and content.
  • Show more

Staff writer example responsibilities.

  • Manage magazine's transition to a new CMS system.
  • Manage website by uploading and scheduling articles, fixing errors, proofreading, optimizing for SEO, and polishing content.
  • Manage arts and entertainment editorial calendar, assign stories to multiple freelancers and plan daily coverage.
  • Assist with copywriting, magazine and advertisement layout.
  • Research, verify facts and edit all contributor submissions.
  • Create unique columns commentating on the social state of hockey and the NHL.
  • Show more

Editing internship vs staff writer skills

Common editing internship skills
  • Video Footage, 28%
  • Adobe Photoshop, 7%
  • Photography, 4%
  • Press Releases, 3%
  • YouTube, 3%
  • Adobe Premiere Pro, 3%
Common staff writer skills
  • Feature Stories, 9%
  • News Stories, 8%
  • Event Coverage, 7%
  • News Articles, 7%
  • SEO, 6%
  • Photography, 6%

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