How To Become An Editor/Copy Writer: What It Is and Career Path

What is an editor/copy writer and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

2 min read

Quoted experts

Evan Schulte,

Gayle Rogers

There is more than meets the eye when it comes to being an editor/copy writer. For example, did you know that they make an average of $29.43 an hour? That's $61,220 a year! Between 2018 and 2028, the career is expected to grow 6% and produce 3,100 job opportunities across the U.S.

What general advice would you give to an editor/copy writer?

Evan Schulte

Assistant Professor, English as a Second Language, Colorado Mountain College

Graduating with a degree in English and Literature gives the graduate an excellent opportunity to teach online. I would recommend getting TEFL or TESOL certified. It is a great chance to gain teaching experience, and there is always the option to teach abroad when the pandemic lets up.

ScoreEditor/Copy WriterUS Average

Salary

4.8

Avg. Salary $61,220

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

4.8

Growth rate 6%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

4.8

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.35%

Asian 8.62%

Black or African American 6.50%

Hispanic or Latino 7.69%

Unknown 4.96%

White 71.87%

Gender

female 59.57%

male 40.43%

Age - 45

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 - 45

Stress level

4.8

Stress level is manageable

7.1 - high

Complexity level

8.2

Complexity level is challenging

7 - challenging

Work life balance

5.6

Work life balance is fair

6.4 - fair

Key steps to become an editor/copy writer

Explore editor/copy writer education requirements

Most common editor/copy writer degrees

Bachelor's

82.2 %

Master's

8.3 %

Associate

6.4 %

Start to develop specific editor/copy writer skills

Skills	Percentages
Web Content	22.69%
Press Releases	5.21%
Edit Copy	4.76%
SEO	4.36%
Feature Stories	4.12%

Complete relevant editor/copy writer training and internships

Accountants spend an average of 6-12 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New editor/copy writers 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 an editor/copy writer based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real editor/copy writer resumes.

Research editor/copy writer duties and responsibilities

Interview SMEs, write content, and manage publication of internal marketing book.
Manage editorial content of monthly print newsletter for health care professionals.
Develop, write and edit PowerPoint presentations, brochures, emails and various marketing pieces.
Edit and proofread printed and web materials, ranging from ads to product labels to instruction manuals.

Prepare your editor/copy writer resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your editor/copy writer 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 an editor/copy writer resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

Choose from 10+ customizable editor/copy writer resume templates

Build a professional editor/copy writer 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 editor/copy writer resume.