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Editorial writer vs staff writer

The differences between editorial writers and staff writers 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 staff writer. Additionally, an editorial writer has an average salary of $54,192, which is higher than the $44,844 average annual salary of a staff writer.

The top three skills for an editorial writer include editorials, SEO and opinion pieces. The most important skills for a staff writer are feature stories, news stories, and event coverage.

Editorial writer vs staff writer overview

Editorial WriterStaff Writer
Yearly salary$54,192$44,844
Hourly rate$26.05$21.56
Growth rate6%6%
Number of jobs14,96580,547
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 80%Bachelor's Degree, 82%
Average age4646
Years of experience22

Editorial writer vs staff writer salary

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

Editorial WriterStaff Writer
Average salary$54,192$44,844
Salary rangeBetween $38,000 And $77,000Between $29,000 And $68,000
Highest paying CityEdison, NJWashington, DC
Highest paying stateVirginiaNew Jersey
Best paying companyQualcommThe New York Times Company
Best paying industry-Non Profits

Differences between editorial writer and staff writer education

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

Editorial WriterStaff Writer
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 80%Bachelor's Degree, 82%
Most common majorEnglishJournalism
Most common collegeMassachusetts Institute of TechnologyMassachusetts Institute of Technology

Editorial writer vs staff writer demographics

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

Editorial WriterStaff Writer
Average age4646
Gender ratioMale, 44.1% Female, 55.9%Male, 49.2% Female, 50.8%
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, 6.7% Unknown, 5.0% Hispanic or Latino, 7.9% Asian, 8.8% White, 71.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4%
LGBT Percentage11%11%

Differences between editorial writer and staff writer 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.

Staff writer example responsibilities.

  • Manage magazine's transition to a new CMS system.
  • Manage website by uploading and scheduling articles, fixing errors, proofreading, optimizing for SEO, and polishing content.
  • Manage arts and entertainment editorial calendar, assign stories to multiple freelancers and plan daily coverage.
  • Assist with copywriting, magazine and advertisement layout.
  • Research, verify facts and edit all contributor submissions.
  • Create unique columns commentating on the social state of hockey and the NHL.
  • Show more

Editorial writer vs staff writer skills

Common editorial writer skills
  • Editorials, 36%
  • SEO, 8%
  • Opinion Pieces, 7%
  • Editorial Content, 6%
  • Blog Posts, 5%
  • Press Releases, 4%
Common staff writer skills
  • Feature Stories, 9%
  • News Stories, 8%
  • Event Coverage, 7%
  • News Articles, 7%
  • SEO, 6%
  • Photography, 6%

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