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The differences between editorial 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 editorial 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 $32,356 average annual salary of an editorial internship.
The top three skills for an editorial internship include fact-check, editorial intern and web content. The most important skills for a staff writer are feature stories, news stories, and event coverage.
| Editorial Internship | Staff Writer | |
| Yearly salary | $32,356 | $44,844 |
| Hourly rate | $15.56 | $21.56 |
| Growth rate | -5% | 6% |
| Number of jobs | 51,667 | 80,547 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 86% | Bachelor's Degree, 82% |
| Average age | 44 | 46 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 2 |
An editorial intern is responsible for assisting the editorial team in publishing digital and media content, writing articles, and managing readers' reviews. Editorial interns must have excellent knowledge of the industry they work for, suggesting the latest trends and featured topics, taking notes of the tenured employees' advice and observations, and actively joining brainstorming sessions. An editorial intern must be detail-oriented and take constructive feedback as an opportunity to learn. It is also crucial to have outstanding communication and proofreading skills and keep all the materials confidential until release.
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.
Editorial interns and staff writers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Editorial Internship | Staff Writer | |
| Average salary | $32,356 | $44,844 |
| Salary range | Between $26,000 And $39,000 | Between $29,000 And $68,000 |
| Highest paying City | Washington, DC | Washington, DC |
| Highest paying state | California | New Jersey |
| Best paying company | Oxford University Press | The New York Times Company |
| Best paying industry | Media | Non Profits |
There are a few differences between an editorial internship and a staff writer in terms of educational background:
| Editorial Internship | Staff Writer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 86% | Bachelor's Degree, 82% |
| Most common major | English | Journalism |
| Most common college | Northwestern University | Massachusetts Institute of Technology |
Here are the differences between editorial interns' and staff writers' demographics:
| Editorial Internship | Staff Writer | |
| Average age | 44 | 46 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 26.4% Female, 73.6% | Male, 49.2% Female, 50.8% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 3.6% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 8.1% Asian, 7.3% White, 76.2% 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 Percentage | 12% | 11% |