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Job outlook for editorial managers in the United States
Are editorial manager jobs in demand?
Editorial manager job and salary trends over time
Editorial manager jobs over time
Editorial manager job growth rate over time
| Year | # of jobs | % of population |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 671 | 0.00% |
| 2020 | 706 | 0.00% |
| 2019 | 725 | 0.00% |
| 2018 | 724 | 0.00% |
| 2017 | 732 | 0.00% |
Average editorial manager salary over time
Editorial manager salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $72,725 | $34.96 | +3.3% |
| 2024 | $70,396 | $33.84 | +3.2% |
| 2023 | $68,228 | $32.80 | +1.2% |
| 2022 | $67,414 | $32.41 | +2.7% |
| 2021 | $65,624 | $31.55 | +2.1% |
Editorial manager jobs by state
Most common states for editorial managers
| Rank | State | Population | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | District of Columbia | 693,972 | 32 | 5% |
| 2 | Virginia | 8,470,020 | 145 | 2% |
| 3 | Maryland | 6,052,177 | 95 | 2% |
| 4 | New York | 19,849,399 | 212 | 1% |
| 5 | Pennsylvania | 12,805,537 | 95 | 1% |
| 6 | Illinois | 12,802,023 | 80 | 1% |
| 7 | Massachusetts | 6,859,819 | 48 | 1% |
| 8 | Wisconsin | 5,795,483 | 41 | 1% |
| 9 | Tennessee | 6,715,984 | 38 | 1% |
| 10 | Indiana | 6,666,818 | 35 | 1% |
| 11 | Oregon | 4,142,776 | 24 | 1% |
| 12 | Connecticut | 3,588,184 | 22 | 1% |
| 13 | Utah | 3,101,833 | 20 | 1% |
| 14 | Delaware | 961,939 | 8 | 1% |
| 15 | New Hampshire | 1,342,795 | 7 | 1% |
| 16 | Rhode Island | 1,059,639 | 6 | 1% |
| 17 | Vermont | 623,657 | 4 | 1% |
| 18 | New Jersey | 9,005,644 | 45 | 0% |
| 19 | Washington | 7,405,743 | 28 | 0% |
| 20 | Minnesota | 5,576,606 | 17 | 0% |
Most common cities for editorial managers
| Rank | City | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl | Avg. salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Rockville | 1 | 1% | $76,938 |
| 2 | Chicago | 1 | 0% | $76,836 |
| 3 | New York | 1 | 0% | $85,818 |
Editorial Manager job outlook: Expert opinions
Our panel of editorial manager experts
Furman University
University of Wisconsin - Madison
American Society of Magazine Editors
California University of Pennsylvania
University of Minnesota
Bucknell University
University of Oregon
Independence Community College
University of California
Ferrum College
Professor Margaret Oakes
Professor of EnglishFurman University
English Language And Literature
What general advice would you give to an Editorial Manager?
Professor Margaret Oakes: Understand that you should be looking at a salary mid-career, not right now. And look at the possibility for promotion in your place of work - a small family business will not be able to or be interested in promoting you to a leadership position, so think about if you will need to move up or out.
What Editorial Manager skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Professor Margaret Oakes: The ability to read carefully and analytically. This is a skill that has declined in the past couple of decades as people obtain more information visually - but a visual presentation cannot carry the amount of detail that written language can, and carelessness in the use of language causes a world of problems in every area of human life (law, medicine, politics, etc.).
Will there be an enduring impact of the coronavirus pandemic on Editorial Managers?
Patricia Hastings: I think there will be some enduring impacts on graduating journalism students in a number of ways. Right now, there are some obstacles to negotiate. The first is the jobs situation. First, many newsrooms don't have internships right now, and so students can't get that extra experience that will ultimately help them land a job. I see seniors who have some, but not enough experience and they need that last push outside of the classroom and campus media. Without that, it makes job hunting more difficult. Of course, there are the economic issues. So many places have downsized their newsrooms and that is a problem. Graduates have to be nimble, too, in terms of having a good toolbox of skills. Now, if you want a job, go into TV news producing. You can't find enough people to fill what is out there. There are TV news reporting jobs out there as well. It comes down to networking and having a "reel" or examples of your work to show.
And then there are the impacts we don't know. Many staffers are working from home. Will jobs change so more reporters work from home? How do you balance that with the fact that reporters should be out covering stories? The pandemic is causing a rethink on the office of the future-space, risk and other areas that we can only guess at right now.
What general advice would you give to an Editorial Manager?
Sidney Holt: The biggest challenge facing editorial hopefuls is uncertainty. Magazines and websites were already experiencing unprecedented challenges as the consumption of media changed and publishers shifted from advertising-supported to reader-supported business models. The pandemic only accelerated those trends. For new graduates, that means fewer opportunities to work for established brands (and where those opportunities do exist, it means working remotely, at least for the foreseeable future, which in turn means fewer opportunities to enjoy the kind of one-on-one training that furthered the careers of previous generations of writers and editors).
That's the downside. The upside is that the skills and energy young journalists can bring to a media organization are especially valuable during a period of extraordinary change. But you have to be prepared to be resilient. Not only is "the gold watch after 50 years" gone; you have expect you won't be in any job very long, at least in the early years of your career.
What type of skills will young Editorial Managers need?
Dr. Christina Fisanick: College graduates in 2021 and beyond, need all of the skills that English programs have to offer: critical thinking, effective communication, creativity, and flexibility. New hires need to be able to adapt to workplace changes quickly and with aplomb, which requires critical thinking and problem solving and the ability to communicate those solutions to a diverse audience clearly and effectively. Those skills are refined and practiced regularly in English programs.
What general advice would you give to an Editorial Manager?
Thomas Reynolds: I think there will be a lasting impact of this pandemic on graduates. The nature of the field is that others in the industry (scientists, engineers, for ex.) often take on tech writing and communication tasks in tight economic conditions, or even just as a matter of a particular culture in a particular business. However, the field of technical communication has been predicted to have a strong future (see Bureau of Labor Statistics, which predicts growth in jobs in this field).
Technical writing and communication require that students are comfortable with technology and communication and that they adapt to changing situations. I think there are also opportunities for savvy graduates who can offer certain skills and experiences that are unique to the changing situation. This field has a long history of resilience for its graduates seeking jobs in tough circumstances.
Sarah Bell
Senior Associate Director, CounselingBucknell University
Center for Career Advancement
Will there be an enduring impact of the coronavirus pandemic on Editorial Managers?
Sarah Bell: It is hard to know for certain what the impact will be as the pandemic is a new experience; it is not finished, nor are its effects on the economy and employment. In our experience at Bucknell during the most recent downturns in the economy in 2001 and 2008, we saw that the negative effects on our graduate's job prospects did not endure. The graduates from those particular years have shared with us that the job search took longer than expected, and they needed to be more flexible, but they were able to eventually find work.
Cristina Calhoon
Senior Career Instructor, Undergraduate AdvisorUniversity of Oregon
Department of Classics
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for Editorial Managers to find work opportunities?
Cristina Calhoon: The skills that Classics graduates learn (good communication skills; careful, clear, and well-organized oral and written presentation; research, comparison, and analysis of ancient sources; linguistic proficiency in more than one language) make them flexible and adaptable. Graduate school is the goal of many of our graduates, who complete law and medical degrees in prestigious programs throughout the nation.
Some also do very well in business school, where the breadth of their academic background, the adaptability of their skills, and their analytical and communication proficiency make them highly competitive with respect to graduates from strictly pre-professional programs.
In addition to occupations in all levels of education, academic research, and archeology, some Classics graduates have also established careers in management, public relations, fundraising, administration, as well as a library, archival, and museum work, while some have also created opportunities for themselves in computer occupations, arts, and media.
Bridget Carson
Associate Professor of Developmental EnglishIndependence Community College
History
What general advice would you give to an Editorial Manager?
Bridget Carson: Show up. Listen and keep learning. Be a part of the broader community.
I know these seem simple, but they require time. It isn't just about the hours on the clock, although they are that for which you are paid. Go to the meet and greet. Chip into the water cooler fund. Join a softball league, a book club, or a game night. When somebody invites you to a company picnic - go. Join the volunteer opportunities in which the organization participates. Relationships need nurturing so that you can have empathy and resilience during difficult discussions within an organization or when it needs to pull together and get through something.
Our shiny new degrees are just the beginning of what we know. You'll be stepping into situations where people will need your fresh perspective, and you will need their experience. Keep reading, not just things in your content area. This isn't just a "respect your elders" or "know your place" statement. They don't know everything, and neither do you, but they've been there longer.
Be a visible part of the broader community. This is especially important if you choose to work in the Public Sector where people want to see their tax dollars pay people who are invested in their community. Go to the concerts in the park, the local community theater, the parades. Join some organization and chip in. Work the polls, join the park committee, be active in a philanthropic or faith community, show up for events celebrating local history. Support local businesses where you find them in alignment with your values.
Don't do any of this for the show. People can spot a fake-Esse quad videre: to be rather than to seem.
Catherine Nesci
Professor of French & Comparative Literature; Affiliate in Feminist StudiesUniversity of California
Department of French and Italian
Will there be an enduring impact of the coronavirus pandemic on Editorial Managers?
Catherine Nesci: I expect that the lack of resources (no interlibrary loans, no travel to conferences, no meeting with peers, fewer job opportunities) will have an enduring impact on graduate students.
What general advice would you give to an Editorial Manager?
Allison Harl Ph.D.: Develop as many multimedia skills as possible. Writing in the 21st century is about visual rhetoric as well as just words on a page.
Will there be an enduring impact of the coronavirus pandemic on Editorial Managers?
Allison Harl Ph.D.: Yes, but the pandemic's impact will create new and different opportunities, so graduates should keep their imaginations and options open.