1. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
In-State Tuition
$54,568
Enrollment
8,451
What is a Newspaper Copy Editor?
There is more than meets the eye when it comes to being a newspaper copy editor. For example, did you know that they make an average of $25.0 an hour? That's $51,992 a year! Between 2018 and 2028, the career is expected to grow -3% and produce -3,400 job opportunities across the U.S.
What Does a Newspaper Copy Editor Do
There are certain skills that many newspaper copy editors have in order to accomplish their responsibilities. By taking a look through resumes, we were able to narrow down the most common skills for a person in this position. We discovered that a lot of resumes listed creativity, detail oriented and good judgment.
How To Become a Newspaper Copy Editor
If you're interested in becoming a newspaper copy editor, one of the first things to consider is how much education you need. We've determined that 87.8% of newspaper copy editors have a bachelor's degree. In terms of higher education levels, we found that 5.4% of newspaper copy editors have master's degrees. Even though most newspaper copy editors have a college degree, it's impossible to become one with only a high school degree or GED.
Newspaper Copy Editor Career Paths
In addition to switching up your job search, it might prove helpful to look at a career path for your specific job. Now, what's a career path you ask? Well, it's practically a map that shows how you might advance from one job title to another. Our career paths are especially detailed with salary changes. So, for example, if you started out with the role of editor you might progress to a role such as technical writer eventually. Later on in your career, you could end up with the title senior technical writer.
Average Salary for a Newspaper Copy Editor
Newspaper Copy Editors in America make an average salary of $51,992 per year or $25 per hour. The top 10 percent makes over $83,000 per year, while the bottom 10 percent under $32,000 per year.
Average Newspaper Copy Editor Salary
$51,992 Yearly$25.00 hourly
What Am I Worth?
Roles and Types of Newspaper Copy Editor
There are several types of newspaper copy editor, including:
Editor
Role:
Not a lot of people enjoy writing. So what's the opposite of writing? Editing. If you don't enjoy writing, maybe you will enjoy editing other people's mistakes. Maybe that red pen will become your best friend.
Essentially editors plan, review and revise content before it is released for publication. While most editors work in an office, there are a lot of remote opportunities for editors so maybe you could make your couch your home office.
- Average Salary: $52,107
- Degree: Bachelor's Degree
Writer And Editor
Role:
When you think of a writer and editor, you might think those job titles are interchangeable. I mean after all, if you write something it's probably a good idea to edit it, too. That's just good sense. So really being a writer and editor isn't much different from being just a writer.
Now, what you'll be writing and editing will depend on what company you work for and what industry you decide to become a part of. Maybe you decide you're interested in the medical field or even science, there are writer and editor jobs for that. Or maybe you really like writing and editing articles about fashion.
The sky is the limit for a writer and editor. You'll be able to find a job, no problem, for whatever you're most passionate about. Not many people can say that about their careers so you should consider yourself lucky.
- Average Salary: $61,482
- Degree: Bachelor's Degree
Managing Editor
Role:
A managing editor is a senior executive in a publications management team who reports directly to the editor-in-chief. They typically oversee the day-to-day operations of a publication or website. Their duties include curating content ideas, planning, assigning and editing content, planning production schedules, and ensuring that all activities are on track with the production schedules. You will also be required to supervise the editorial staff, including freelancers. You will typically be expected to edit and supervise everything that goes on in your publication except for advertisements and sponsorships in some instances. Your responsibilities also include the recruitment, promotion, and firing of staff members.
Your most important skills are majorly creativity, attention to detail, and good judgment. You are also expected to be skilled in editorial staffing, content marketing, web content, layout, SEO, and other skills. Managing editors commonly study journalism, English, or communication. The average annual salary is $72,000.
- Average Salary: $89,060
- Degree: Bachelor's Degree
States With The Most Newspaper Copy Editor Jobs
Number Of Newspaper Copy Editor Jobs By State
| Rank | State | Number of Jobs | Average Salary |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | New York | 448 | $68,404 |
| 2 | California | 233 | $66,489 |
| 3 | Virginia | 112 | $60,666 |
| 4 | Texas | 92 | $50,574 |
| 5 | Florida | 84 | $44,360 |
| 6 | Massachusetts | 74 | $56,021 |
| 7 | Pennsylvania | 64 | $57,123 |
| 8 | Illinois | 62 | $56,272 |
| 9 | Maryland | 52 | $60,138 |
| 10 | Oregon | 52 | $40,304 |
| 11 | North Carolina | 48 | $47,201 |
| 12 | Washington | 44 | $51,571 |
| 13 | New Jersey | 43 | $60,085 |
| 14 | Connecticut | 38 | $70,138 |
| 15 | Georgia | 34 | $48,662 |
| 16 | Ohio | 30 | $50,888 |
| 17 | Michigan | 29 | $51,708 |
| 18 | Wisconsin | 29 | $43,017 |
| 19 | Indiana | 28 | $40,059 |
| 20 | Colorado | 26 | $47,667 |
| 21 | Missouri | 25 | $34,076 |
| 22 | Tennessee | 24 | $46,602 |
| 23 | Utah | 21 | $47,851 |
| 24 | Arizona | 19 | $49,316 |
| 25 | Alabama | 16 | $44,910 |
| 26 | Iowa | 15 | $44,866 |
| 27 | Minnesota | 14 | $55,937 |
| 28 | Nevada | 13 | $52,719 |
| 29 | Idaho | 13 | $40,944 |
| 30 | South Carolina | 13 | $45,048 |
| 31 | New Mexico | 11 | $51,346 |
| 32 | Kentucky | 11 | $49,989 |
| 33 | Alaska | 10 | $33,644 |
| 34 | Delaware | 9 | $56,505 |
| 35 | Hawaii | 9 | $55,264 |
| 36 | Arkansas | 9 | $46,806 |
| 37 | New Hampshire | 8 | $62,207 |
| 38 | Louisiana | 8 | $38,445 |
| 39 | Oklahoma | 7 | $48,689 |
| 40 | Kansas | 6 | $35,742 |
| 41 | West Virginia | 5 | $56,090 |
| 42 | Nebraska | 5 | $31,459 |
| 43 | Wyoming | 4 | $46,746 |
| 44 | Vermont | 4 | $49,311 |
| 45 | Maine | 4 | $48,359 |
| 46 | North Dakota | 3 | $53,668 |
| 47 | Mississippi | 3 | $32,752 |
| 48 | Montana | 2 | $35,603 |
| 49 | Rhode Island | 1 | $53,104 |
| 50 | South Dakota | 1 | $35,960 |
Top Colleges for Newspaper Copy Editors
2. New York University
New York, NY • Private
In-State Tuition
$51,828
Enrollment
26,339
3. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-State Tuition
$56,225
Enrollment
19,548
4. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
In-State Tuition
$51,354
Enrollment
7,083
5. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities
Minneapolis, MN • Private
In-State Tuition
$14,760
Enrollment
31,451
6. Washington University in St Louis
Saint Louis, MO • Private
In-State Tuition
$53,399
Enrollment
7,356
7. Pennsylvania State University
University Park, PA • Private
In-State Tuition
$18,454
Enrollment
40,108
8. University of Texas at Austin
Austin, TX • Private
In-State Tuition
$10,610
Enrollment
40,329
9. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
In-State Tuition
$50,420
Enrollment
7,582
10. San Diego State University
San Diego, CA • Private
In-State Tuition
$7,488
Enrollment
30,018
Top Skills For a Newspaper Copy Editor
The skills section on your resume can be almost as important as the experience section, so you want it to be an accurate portrayal of what you can do. Luckily, we've found all of the skills you'll need so even if you don't have these skills yet, you know what you need to work on. Out of all the resumes we looked through, 44.3% of newspaper copy editors listed proofread on their resume, but soft skills such as creativity and detail oriented are important as well.
Choose From 10+ Customizable Newspaper Copy Editor Resume templates
Zippia allows you to choose from different easy-to-use Newspaper Copy Editor templates, and provides you with expert advice. Using the templates, you can rest assured that the structure and format of your Newspaper Copy Editor resume is top notch. Choose a template with the colors, fonts & text sizes that are appropriate for your industry.
Newspaper Copy Editor diversity
Newspaper Copy Editor Gender Distribution
Female
61%
Male
39%
After extensive research and analysis, Zippia's data science team found that:
- Among newspaper copy editors, 60.8% of them are women, while 39.2% are men.
- The most common race/ethnicity among newspaper copy editors is White, which makes up 76.5% of all newspaper copy editors.
- The most common foreign language among newspaper copy editors is Spanish at 25.0%.
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How Do Newspaper Copy Editors Rate Their Jobs?
Top Newspaper Copy Editor Employers
Most Common Employers For Newspaper Copy Editor
| Rank | Company | Average Salary | Hourly Rate | Job Openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Morning Call | $80,461 | $38.68 | 1 |
| 2 | Elauwit Connection | $68,954 | $33.15 | 1 |
| 3 | Kean University | $64,096 | $30.82 | 1 |
| 4 | Monmouth University | $62,456 | $30.03 | 1 |
| 5 | Dickinson College | $59,093 | $28.41 | 1 |
| 6 | Gannett | $57,682 | $27.73 | 3 |
| 7 | Records | $52,962 | $25.46 | 1 |
| 8 | Lariat Services, Inc | $51,449 | $24.74 | 1 |
| 9 | CommonLit | $49,458 | $23.78 | 1 |
| 10 | Citizen Advocates Inc | $48,918 | $23.52 | 1 |