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The differences between features editors and assistant editors can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both a features editor and an assistant editor. Additionally, a features editor has an average salary of $59,420, which is higher than the $52,284 average annual salary of an assistant editor.
The top three skills for a features editor include editorial content, layout design and SEO. The most important skills for an assistant editor are editorial content, video footage, and web content.
| Features Editor | Assistant Editor | |
| Yearly salary | $59,420 | $52,284 |
| Hourly rate | $28.57 | $25.14 |
| Growth rate | -5% | -5% |
| Number of jobs | 11,748 | 8,716 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 83% | Bachelor's Degree, 81% |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
A features editor's duty is to oversee and delegate the articles in the feature section of newspapers, magazines, and other digital publications to writers. Their job also includes pitching suitable articles from freelancers and making sure that the articles made for their publication are informative, on topic, and well-written. Also, the features editor must be detail-oriented and meticulous to ensure that every article is error-free and creative since they are the ones who supervise and decide whether the stories are ethical and factual enough before publishing.
An assistant editor is an individual responsible for assisting an editor-in-chief or editor-at-large of a newspaper, magazine, radio program, or website. Assistant editors hold meetings with staff and freelance writers to discuss new, fresh and original content for projects on a daily, weekly, or monthly basis. They review assignments handed in by writers or reporters for sense, accuracy, readability, and content. Assistant editors must also utilize new media applications such as Twitter and Facebook to draw attention to an article or cause.
Features editors and assistant editors have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Features Editor | Assistant Editor | |
| Average salary | $59,420 | $52,284 |
| Salary range | Between $36,000 And $96,000 | Between $34,000 And $78,000 |
| Highest paying City | New York, NY | Huntington, NY |
| Highest paying state | New York | New York |
| Best paying company | Roku | Apple |
| Best paying industry | Non Profits | Media |
There are a few differences between a features editor and an assistant editor in terms of educational background:
| Features Editor | Assistant Editor | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 83% | Bachelor's Degree, 81% |
| Most common major | Journalism | English |
| Most common college | Northwestern University | Northwestern University |
Here are the differences between features editors' and assistant editors' demographics:
| Features Editor | Assistant Editor | |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 37.1% Female, 62.9% | Male, 45.9% Female, 54.1% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 3.5% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 7.8% Asian, 7.0% White, 76.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% | Black or African American, 3.5% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 7.9% Asian, 7.0% White, 76.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% |
| LGBT Percentage | 12% | 12% |