How To Become An Editorial Manager: What It Is and Career Path

What is an editorial manager and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

3 min read

Quoted Expert

Allison Harl Ph.D.

Editorial Managers control the flow of content. Whether it's written content, web content, or video content -- everything has to go through them before it gets approved for publication.

As the people in charge of proofreading and the quality control of content, Editorial Managers have to have an eye for detail. They also have to be strategic and analytic as they lead content calendars and marketing research. Project management skill is a must-have for any Editorial Manager if they want to keep their team on track. They also have to demonstrate excellent communication and writing skills that will allow them to present their brand and the company's message.

Editorial Managers make an average yearly salary of $73,000 in the United States. However, they get more lucrative opportunities as they become more experienced and establish themselves within their field. More specifically, states like New York, California, and Delaware have Editorial Managers who make $100,000 a year or more.

What general advice would you give to an Editorial Manager?

Allison Harl Ph.D.

Associate Professor of English English Program Coordinator, Ferrum College

Develop as many multimedia skills as possible. Writing in the 21st century is about visual rhetoric as well as just words on a page.

ScoreEditorial ManagerUS Average

Salary

5.7

Avg. Salary $72,725

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability Level

6.7

Growth Rate -5%

Growth Rate 0.3%

Diversity

6.8

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.27%

Asian 7.01%

Black or African American 3.48%

Hispanic or Latino 7.84%

Unknown 4.55%

White 76.85%

Gender

female 58.74%

male 41.26%

Age - 43

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 - 43

Stress Level

6.7

Stress level is high

7.1 - high

Complexity Level

9.0

Complexity Level is advanced

7 - challenging

Work Life Balance

4.3

Work Life balance is poor

6.4 - fair

Key steps to become an editorial manager

Explore editorial manager education requirements

Most common editorial manager degrees

Bachelor's

80.6 %

Master's

9.7 %

Associate

6.0 %

Start to develop specific editorial manager skills

Skills	Percentages
Proofreading	9.35%
Digital Content	6.46%
Proofread	5.66%
Content Marketing	5.28%
Editorial Guidelines	4.73%

Complete relevant editorial manager training and internships

Accountants spend an average of 6-12 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New editorial managers 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 editorial manager based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real editorial manager resumes.

Research editorial manager duties and responsibilities

Manage``FitBU"instagram and twitter accounts.
Work closely with freelancers and in-house editor to oversee brand voice across key marketing channels; manage proofreading and editing process.
Manage research and editorial staff for production of print and on-line database-driven publications in the commercial real estate industry.
Work follow by NYC taxi industry, NYC government, regulators & media.

Prepare your editorial manager resume

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

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