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The differences between news writers and 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 an editor takes usually requires 2-4 years. Additionally, an editor has an average salary of $52,107, 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 an editor are web content, video content, and SEO.
| News Writer | Editor | |
| Yearly salary | $45,129 | $52,107 |
| Hourly rate | $21.70 | $25.05 |
| Growth rate | -10% | -5% |
| Number of jobs | 17,010 | 15,115 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 81% | Bachelor's Degree, 77% |
| 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.
An editor is the one responsible for polishing and refining a story, article, and any material for publication in newspapers, magazines, books, or websites. Editors have the power to either accept or reject a material as they need to ensure that every manuscript which will be offered for publishing is at the best version as it can be. There are several types of editors, from copy editors, books to managing editors, but they have few skills in common, like strong writing skills, good judgment, and leadership abilities to help guide the whole editorial team. Most of them work in the office, but it is quite becoming more regular for them to work remotely.
News writers and editors have different pay scales, as shown below.
| News Writer | Editor | |
| Average salary | $45,129 | $52,107 |
| Salary range | Between $31,000 And $64,000 | Between $34,000 And $78,000 |
| Highest paying City | New York, NY | Washington, DC |
| Highest paying state | New York | New York |
| Best paying company | PitchBook Data | Microsoft |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Technology |
There are a few differences between a news writer and an editor in terms of educational background:
| News Writer | Editor | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 81% | Bachelor's Degree, 77% |
| Most common major | Journalism | English |
| Most common college | Massachusetts Institute of Technology | Northwestern University |
Here are the differences between news writers' and editors' demographics:
| News Writer | Editor | |
| Average age | 40 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 45.1% Female, 54.9% | Male, 46.4% Female, 53.6% |
| 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, 3.6% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 8.2% Asian, 7.3% White, 76.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% |
| LGBT Percentage | 10% | 12% |