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Editorial writer vs reporter

The differences between editorial writers and reporters 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 writer and a reporter. Additionally, an editorial writer has an average salary of $54,192, which is higher than the $46,667 average annual salary of a reporter.

The top three skills for an editorial writer include editorials, SEO and opinion pieces. The most important skills for a reporter are news stories, digital marketing, and facebook.

Editorial writer vs reporter overview

Editorial WriterReporter
Yearly salary$54,192$46,667
Hourly rate$26.05$22.44
Growth rate6%-10%
Number of jobs14,96511,179
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 80%Bachelor's Degree, 81%
Average age4640
Years of experience22

Editorial writer vs reporter salary

Editorial writers and reporters have different pay scales, as shown below.

Editorial WriterReporter
Average salary$54,192$46,667
Salary rangeBetween $38,000 And $77,000Between $29,000 And $73,000
Highest paying CityEdison, NJWashington, DC
Highest paying stateVirginiaNew Jersey
Best paying companyQualcommCiti
Best paying industry-Media

Differences between editorial writer and reporter education

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

Editorial WriterReporter
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 80%Bachelor's Degree, 81%
Most common majorEnglishJournalism
Most common collegeMassachusetts Institute of TechnologyMassachusetts Institute of Technology

Editorial writer vs reporter demographics

Here are the differences between editorial writers' and reporters' demographics:

Editorial WriterReporter
Average age4640
Gender ratioMale, 44.1% Female, 55.9%Male, 44.8% Female, 55.2%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 6.4% Unknown, 4.9% Hispanic or Latino, 7.6% Asian, 8.6% White, 72.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4%Black or African American, 6.4% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 12.7% Asian, 9.7% White, 66.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3%
LGBT Percentage11%10%

Differences between editorial writer and reporter duties and responsibilities

Editorial writer example responsibilities.

  • Manage website by uploading and scheduling articles, fixing errors, proofreading, optimizing for SEO, and polishing content.
  • Compose, edit and proofread copy for obituary and life celebration announcements.
  • Research, pitch ideas and write editorials daily, including a community award-winning editorial and recognition for a four-part editorial series.
  • Research and identify public-policy issues and craft the paper's editorial opinions.
  • Write and edit fiction and non-fiction text to accompany products release and distribute internationally.

Reporter example responsibilities.

  • Report to managing editor as member of editorial staff, contribute to newspaper editorials.
  • Edit and revise press releases and submissions; proofread large amount of copy.
  • Use social media (i.e Twitter, Facebook) to relay 'trouble-spots' to local drivers.
  • Cover NFL, MLB, NBA, NASCAR and general sports news events for as Dallas-based free-lance reporter.
  • Report and write for metro, arts, lifestyle, real estate, and regional sections of major daily newspaper.
  • Cover local government, environmental issues and write features in addition to photography and pagination for twice-weekly newspaper.
  • Show more

Editorial writer vs reporter skills

Common editorial writer skills
  • Editorials, 36%
  • SEO, 8%
  • Opinion Pieces, 7%
  • Editorial Content, 6%
  • Blog Posts, 5%
  • Press Releases, 4%
Common reporter skills
  • News Stories, 12%
  • Digital Marketing, 10%
  • Facebook, 6%
  • Twitter, 6%
  • Photography, 5%
  • Feature Stories, 4%

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