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The differences between production assistant/editors and copy 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 production assistant/editor and a copy editor. Additionally, a copy editor has an average salary of $62,599, which is higher than the $50,759 average annual salary of a production assistant/editor.
The top three skills for a production assistant/editor include adobe photoshop, photography and audio board. The most important skills for a copy editor are proofreading, house style, and digital publishing.
| Production Assistant/Editor | Copy Editor | |
| Yearly salary | $50,759 | $62,599 |
| Hourly rate | $24.40 | $30.10 |
| Growth rate | -5% | -5% |
| Number of jobs | 61,509 | 4,866 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 77% | Bachelor's Degree, 83% |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
Production assistants/editors are individuals with skills in communication, adaptability, organization, and administration. They also possess a healthy dose of enthusiasm and perseverance and the ability to work well under pressure. This career choice calls for assisting directors of film and television in collecting and organizing elements needed to edit the film, and overseeing the various lists and instructions needed for putting the film into its final form.
The primary job of copy editors is to check for misspellings, incorrect punctuation, and consistency in typography, words, and style. They also act as fact-checkers, proofreaders, and project managers, overseeing the workflow and communicating with other departments. A copy editor's other duties and responsibilities include checking content for readability and compliance with editorial policies, rewriting text to improve readability and clarity, and arranging page layouts of articles, photos, and advertisements. Formal training is not required for this role, but copy editors generally have a firm grasp and love for the English language's proper usage.
Production assistant/editors and copy editors have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Production Assistant/Editor | Copy Editor | |
| Average salary | $50,759 | $62,599 |
| Salary range | Between $34,000 And $74,000 | Between $39,000 And $98,000 |
| Highest paying City | - | Washington, DC |
| Highest paying state | - | New Jersey |
| Best paying company | - | PayPal |
| Best paying industry | - | Finance |
There are a few differences between a production assistant/editor and a copy editor in terms of educational background:
| Production Assistant/Editor | Copy Editor | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 77% | Bachelor's Degree, 83% |
| Most common major | Photography | English |
| Most common college | Northwestern University | Northwestern University |
Here are the differences between production assistant/editors' and copy editors' demographics:
| Production Assistant/Editor | Copy Editor | |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 48.1% Female, 51.9% | Male, 39.2% Female, 60.8% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 3.6% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 8.2% Asian, 7.3% White, 76.1% 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 | 12% | 12% |