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Editorial assistant vs assistant

The differences between editorial assistants and assistants can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 1-2 years to become both an editorial assistant and an assistant. Additionally, an editorial assistant has an average salary of $43,141, which is higher than the $37,363 average annual salary of an assistant.

The top three skills for an editorial assistant include fact check, fiction and press releases. The most important skills for an assistant are patients, customer service, and patient care.

Editorial assistant vs assistant overview

Editorial AssistantAssistant
Yearly salary$43,141$37,363
Hourly rate$20.74$17.96
Growth rate-8%-8%
Number of jobs26,839557,900
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 82%Bachelor's Degree, 49%
Average age5050
Years of experience22

What does an editorial assistant do?

An editorial assistant is primarily responsible for performing support-related tasks for an editor or editing staff. Most of the duties will be clerical such as writing content for print and media, answering calls and correspondence, responding to inquiries, running errands, and following directives from the editor. There are also instances when an editorial assistant must perform fact-checking or proofreading tasks, arrange appointments and travel documents, process paperwork, greet visitors, and even attend meetings and other work-related events.

What does an assistant do?

An assistant intern is responsible for facilitating administrative and clerical tasks as assigned by the management. Assistant interns' duties include keeping records of meetings, receiving calls and handling customer inquiries, assisting on writing reports and data entry processing, cooperating and providing support for business events, and adhering to company policies and regulatory procedures. Successful assistant interns must have excellent time-management, multi-tasking, and communication skills. They must be a team player and fast-learner to handle various tasks in the corporate industry.

Editorial assistant vs assistant salary

Editorial assistants and assistants have different pay scales, as shown below.

Editorial AssistantAssistant
Average salary$43,141$37,363
Salary rangeBetween $35,000 And $53,000Between $16,000 And $82,000
Highest paying CityDenver, COBoston, MA
Highest paying stateColoradoMassachusetts
Best paying companyColumbia University in the City of New YorkLatham & Watkins
Best paying industryGovernmentEducation

Differences between editorial assistant and assistant education

There are a few differences between an editorial assistant and an assistant in terms of educational background:

Editorial AssistantAssistant
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 82%Bachelor's Degree, 49%
Most common majorEnglishBusiness
Most common collegeMassachusetts Institute of TechnologyWestern Carolina University

Editorial assistant vs assistant demographics

Here are the differences between editorial assistants' and assistants' demographics:

Editorial AssistantAssistant
Average age5050
Gender ratioMale, 27.7% Female, 72.3%Male, 40.7% Female, 59.3%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 9.3% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 16.4% Asian, 3.8% White, 65.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%Black or African American, 9.4% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 16.4% Asian, 3.8% White, 65.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%
LGBT Percentage6%6%

Differences between editorial assistant and assistant duties and responsibilities

Editorial assistant example responsibilities.

  • Manage social media content using Hootsuite.
  • Manage Instagram account and promote content on all social media pages.
  • Manage resources of more than 30 CNN bureaus around the world.
  • Produce content for a locally known lifestyle blog, edit, and manage social media accounts such as Pinterest and Google+.
  • Contribute through blogging, copy editing, participating in weekly editorial meetings, and managing social channels
  • Lead editorial oversight of web and television viewer-submit text, email and online messages according to company and industry guidelines.
  • Show more

Assistant example responsibilities.

  • Manage circulations, including educational textbooks and DVDS, video technology and supplies.
  • Manage branches providing information technology support, logistics, training and operational support.
  • Manage company's twitter account and communicate with multiple physical therapy providers around the country
  • Optimize productivity in prioritizing and managing special projects, PowerPoint presentations for classes, and proctore exams for undergraduate classes.
  • Assist in jewelry design and assembly, manage company Facebook page, participate in wholesale buying, and manage retail inventory
  • Manage and update company Facebook page with daily updates, finding/sharing relevant and interesting information, and encouraging fan engagement.
  • Show more

Editorial assistant vs assistant skills

Common editorial assistant skills
  • Fact Check, 7%
  • Fiction, 6%
  • Press Releases, 6%
  • Web Content, 5%
  • Editor-In-Chief, 5%
  • Twitter, 4%
Common assistant skills
  • Patients, 27%
  • Customer Service, 13%
  • Patient Care, 8%
  • CPR, 5%
  • Sales Floor, 5%
  • Scheduling Appointments, 3%

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