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The differences between features editors and feature writers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 2-4 years to become a features editor, becoming a feature writer takes usually requires 1-2 years. Additionally, a features editor has an average salary of $59,420, which is higher than the $35,590 average annual salary of a feature writer.
The top three skills for a features editor include editorial content, layout design and SEO. The most important skills for a feature writer are web content, feature stories, and lifestyle.
| Features Editor | Feature Writer | |
| Yearly salary | $59,420 | $35,590 |
| Hourly rate | $28.57 | $17.11 |
| Growth rate | -5% | 6% |
| Number of jobs | 11,748 | 10,279 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 83% | Bachelor's Degree, 81% |
| Average age | 44 | 46 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 2 |
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.
A feature writer is someone who writes real-time news, telling it with a mix of narrative and proper news writing. They can choose from a variety of topics and styles. They have a wide vocabulary to give a big impact. They also use idiomatic expressions and figures of speech to compel readers into reading and digging for more information based on what they wrote. However, despite making these stories and features colorful, that doesn't permit any feature writer to write any false narrative and must make sure that their articles are still factual and educational.
Features editors and feature writers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Features Editor | Feature Writer | |
| Average salary | $59,420 | $35,590 |
| Salary range | Between $36,000 And $96,000 | Between $24,000 And $51,000 |
| Highest paying City | New York, NY | - |
| Highest paying state | New York | - |
| Best paying company | Roku | - |
| Best paying industry | Non Profits | - |
There are a few differences between a features editor and a feature writer in terms of educational background:
| Features Editor | Feature Writer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 83% | Bachelor's Degree, 81% |
| Most common major | Journalism | Journalism |
| Most common college | Northwestern University | Massachusetts Institute of Technology |
Here are the differences between features editors' and feature writers' demographics:
| Features Editor | Feature Writer | |
| Average age | 44 | 46 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 37.1% Female, 62.9% | Male, 42.3% Female, 57.7% |
| 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, 6.7% Unknown, 5.0% Hispanic or Latino, 7.9% Asian, 8.8% White, 71.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% |
| LGBT Percentage | 12% | 11% |