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The differences between news writers and content editors can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 1-2 years to become a news writer, becoming a content editor takes usually requires 2-4 years. Additionally, a content editor has an average salary of $61,694, which is higher than the $45,129 average annual salary of a news writer.
The top three skills for a news writer include news articles, ABC and SEO. The most important skills for a content editor are digital content, web content, and digital marketing.
| News Writer | Content Editor | |
| Yearly salary | $45,129 | $61,694 |
| Hourly rate | $21.70 | $29.66 |
| Growth rate | -10% | -5% |
| Number of jobs | 17,010 | 18,586 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 5 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 81% | Bachelor's Degree, 79% |
| Average age | 40 | 44 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 4 |
A news writer is primarily responsible for producing informative written materials about current events, ensuring quality and accuracy. Their responsibilities typically revolve around conducting interviews, traveling to different locations, pursuing leads, researching public records, and submitting stories within the expected deadline and set format. Typically working for newspapers or web news platforms, a news writer must also review materials to fact-check and correct any errors, monitor the progress of events or cases, and coordinate with other staff.
A content editor is an individual who is responsible for proof-reading articles written by content writers and write blog posts to promote the products and services of an organization. Content editors are responsible for producing monthly newsletters and optimize written pieces to increase user engagement. They need to interact with the consumers with the purpose of sourcing feedback on the content's impact actively. Content editors must also conduct business research on current trends to give the company an edge over the competition.
News writers and content editors have different pay scales, as shown below.
| News Writer | Content Editor | |
| Average salary | $45,129 | $61,694 |
| Salary range | Between $31,000 And $64,000 | Between $41,000 And $91,000 |
| Highest paying City | New York, NY | New York, NY |
| Highest paying state | New York | New York |
| Best paying company | PitchBook Data | Apple |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Technology |
There are a few differences between a news writer and a content editor in terms of educational background:
| News Writer | Content Editor | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 81% | Bachelor's Degree, 79% |
| Most common major | Journalism | English |
| Most common college | Massachusetts Institute of Technology | Northwestern University |
Here are the differences between news writers' and content editors' demographics:
| News Writer | Content Editor | |
| Average age | 40 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 45.1% Female, 54.9% | Male, 43.5% Female, 56.5% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 6.2% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 12.3% Asian, 9.5% White, 67.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% | Black or African American, 3.5% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 8.0% Asian, 7.1% White, 76.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% |
| LGBT Percentage | 10% | 12% |