Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
Managing editor salary
Average managing editor salary
$89,060
Understanding the Managing Editor Salary
The average salary for a Managing Editor is around $89,060 per year. This figure can vary significantly based on factors such as geographic location, industry, and years of experience. For instance, managing editors working in major metropolitan areas often command higher salaries due to increased demand and cost of living adjustments.
In addition to salary, managing editors can benefit from a variety of roles across multiple sectors, including digital media, print publishing, and corporate communications. The highest paying industries for managing editors typically include advertising and publishing.
To maximize earning potential, consider pursuing advanced degrees or specialized training in areas like digital content strategy or editorial management. Such qualifications can open doors to more lucrative positions and leadership roles within organizations.
State-Specific Salary Insights
The highest paying states for managing editors include California, New York, and Massachusetts, where salaries can exceed $100,000 in some cases. Understanding regional salary differences can better inform your job search.
Let Zippia find your next managing editor job
Let Zippia find your next managing editor job
Where can a Managing Editor earn more?
Managing editor salary estimates from across the web
Average managing editor salary by state
The average managing editor salary in Connecticut, New Jersey, and New Hampshire are the highest in the U.S. The lowest average managing editor salary states are Missouri, Mississippi, and South Dakota.
- State view
- County view
Highest paying states for managing editors
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | District of Columbia | $120,273 | $57.82 |
| 2 | New York | $104,587 | $50.28 |
| 3 | Connecticut | $109,690 | $52.74 |
| 4 | New Jersey | $106,230 | $51.07 |
| 5 | Massachusetts | $102,282 | $49.17 |
| 6 | Illinois | $93,219 | $44.82 |
| 7 | Virginia | $91,752 | $44.11 |
| 8 | New Hampshire | $105,802 | $50.87 |
| 9 | California | $94,633 | $45.50 |
| 10 | Vermont | $86,760 | $41.71 |
| 11 | West Virginia | $89,282 | $42.92 |
| 12 | Maryland | $90,458 | $43.49 |
| 13 | Maine | $85,221 | $40.97 |
| 14 | Rhode Island | $85,409 | $41.06 |
| 15 | Nevada | $82,789 | $39.80 |
| 16 | North Dakota | $79,724 | $38.33 |
| 17 | Michigan | $81,758 | $39.31 |
| 18 | Georgia | $81,617 | $39.24 |
| 19 | New Mexico | $80,537 | $38.72 |
| 20 | Kentucky | $83,787 | $40.28 |
| 21 | Pennsylvania | $80,854 | $38.87 |
| 22 | Washington | $79,156 | $38.06 |
| 23 | North Carolina | $79,447 | $38.20 |
| 24 | Delaware | $84,376 | $40.57 |
| 25 | Oregon | $71,225 | $34.24 |
| 26 | Oklahoma | $78,281 | $37.64 |
| 27 | Tennessee | $78,865 | $37.92 |
| 28 | Arkansas | $76,723 | $36.89 |
| 29 | Hawaii | $75,733 | $36.41 |
| 30 | Arizona | $77,486 | $37.25 |
| 31 | Minnesota | $76,893 | $36.97 |
| 32 | Wyoming | $64,493 | $31.01 |
| 33 | Texas | $69,507 | $33.42 |
| 34 | Colorado | $73,421 | $35.30 |
| 35 | Florida | $72,576 | $34.89 |
| 36 | Idaho | $69,684 | $33.50 |
| 37 | South Carolina | $76,385 | $36.72 |
| 38 | Ohio | $71,461 | $34.36 |
| 39 | Alabama | $74,183 | $35.66 |
| 40 | Wisconsin | $69,283 | $33.31 |
| 41 | Utah | $55,551 | $26.71 |
| 42 | Missouri | $55,452 | $26.66 |
| 43 | Alaska | $45,160 | $21.71 |
| 44 | Indiana | $65,594 | $31.54 |
| 45 | Kansas | $56,747 | $27.28 |
| 46 | Louisiana | $62,343 | $29.97 |
| 47 | Nebraska | $47,522 | $22.85 |
| 48 | Iowa | $55,610 | $26.74 |
| 49 | Montana | $46,621 | $22.41 |
| 50 | South Dakota | $52,402 | $25.19 |
| 51 | Mississippi | $53,676 | $25.81 |
Highest paying cities for managing editors
The highest-paying cities for managing editors are Washington, DC, Atlantic City, NJ, and New York, NY.
| Rank | City | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Washington, DC | $120,582 | $57.97 |
| 2 | Atlantic City, NJ | $106,475 | $51.19 |
| 3 | New York, NY | $104,886 | $50.43 |
| 4 | Boston, MA | $102,216 | $49.14 |
| 5 | San Francisco, CA | $101,369 | $48.74 |
| 6 | Chicago, IL | $93,762 | $45.08 |
| 7 | Arlington, VA | $92,361 | $44.40 |
| 8 | Baltimore, MD | $90,688 | $43.60 |
| 9 | Atlanta, GA | $81,607 | $39.23 |
| 10 | Philadelphia, PA | $81,418 | $39.14 |
| 11 | Durham, NC | $81,021 | $38.95 |
| 12 | Kalamazoo, MI | $80,338 | $38.62 |
| 13 | Seattle, WA | $79,797 | $38.36 |
| 14 | Rochester, MN | $78,026 | $37.51 |
| 15 | Tampa, FL | $73,453 | $35.31 |
| 16 | Denver, CO | $73,238 | $35.21 |
| 17 | Cleveland, OH | $72,291 | $34.76 |
| 18 | San Antonio, TX | $70,195 | $33.75 |
| 19 | Portland, OR | $69,786 | $33.55 |
| 20 | San Juan, PR | $57,826 | $27.80 |
Managing editor salary details
A managing editor's salary ranges from $59,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $132,000 at the 90th percentile.
What is a managing editor's salary?
| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $132,000 | $11,000 | $63 |
| 75th Percentile | $109,000 | $9,083 | $52 |
| Average | $89,060 | $7,422 | $43 |
| 25th Percentile | $72,000 | $6,000 | $35 |
| 10th Percentile | $59,000 | $4,917 | $28 |
Highest paying managing editor jobs
The highest paying types of managing editors are senior editor, senior writer, and proposal writer.
| Job title | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Technical Writer | $65,329 | $5,444 | $31.41 | 75,090 |
| Proposal Writer | $68,706 | $5,725 | $33.03 | 18,125 |
| Editorial Internship | $32,356 | $2,696 | $15.56 | 51,667 |
| Staff Writer | $44,844 | $3,737 | $21.56 | 80,547 |
| Content Writer | $58,918 | $4,910 | $28.33 | 19,621 |
| Technical Writer And Editor | $65,088 | $5,424 | $31.29 | 78,617 |
How would you rate the starting salaries for managing editors, as well as the prospects for salary advancement?
Paul Mitchell Ph.D.
Coordinator of Recruitment and Retention, University of Nevada - Reno
Top companies hiring managing editors now:
Which companies pay managing editors the most?
Managing editor salaries at Federal Reserve Bank and Earthjustice are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average managing editor salary at companies like Federal Reserve and Yahoo are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Federal Reserve Bank | $137,055 | $65.89 |
| 2 | Earthjustice | $134,835 | $64.82 |
| 3 | Federal Reserve | $128,782 | $61.91 |
| 4 | Yahoo | $122,904 | $59.09 |
| 5 | Penske Media | $121,691 | $58.51 |
| 6 | The Walt Disney Company | $121,486 | $58.41 |
| 7 | Cleveland Clinic | $121,316 | $58.33 |
| 8 | WebMD | $118,793 | $57.11 |
| 9 | Cengage Learning | $117,302 | $56.40 |
| 10 | American Physical Society | $117,096 | $56.30 |
| 11 | The Washington Post | $115,071 | $55.32 |
| 12 | American Chemical Society | $114,576 | $55.08 |
| 13 | Meyer Sound | $114,421 | $55.01 |
| 14 | ViacomCBS | $112,032 | $53.86 |
| 15 | AXIOS HR | $111,780 | $53.74 |
| 16 | SAGE Publishing | $111,614 | $53.66 |
| 17 | Access Intelligence | $111,524 | $53.62 |
| 18 | Oxford University Press | $110,221 | $52.99 |
| 19 | Informa Plc | $108,070 | $51.96 |
| 20 | Momentive | $105,756 | $50.84 |
Wage gap by gender, race and education
Managing Editor salary by industry
The average managing editor salary varies across industries:
- The average managing editor salary in the media industry is $79,077, the highest of any industry.
- The average managing editor salary in the finance industry is $76,060.
- Managing editors in the transportation industry earn an average salary of $69,443, the lowest of any industry.
Highest paying industries for managing editors
| Rank | Industry | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Media | $79,077 | $38.02 |
| 2 | Education | $76,060 | $36.57 |
| 3 | Manufacturing | $72,463 | $34.84 |
| 4 | Non Profits | $71,680 | $34.46 |
| 5 | Transportation | $69,443 | $33.39 |
High paying managing editor jobs
Managing editor salary trends
The average managing editor salary has risen by $15,480 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average managing editor earned $73,580 annually, but today, they earn $89,060 a year. That works out to a 11% change in pay for managing editors over the last decade.
Compare managing editor salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Average managing editor salary over time
Compare managing editor salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
Managing editor salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $89,100 | $42.82 | +3.2% |
| 2024 | $86,200 | $41.45 | +3.1% |
| 2023 | $83,600 | $40.17 | +1.2% |
| 2022 | $82,600 | $39.69 | +2.7% |
| 2021 | $80,400 | $38.64 | +2.1% |
Recently added managing editor salaries
| Company | Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The University of Chicago | Managing Editor, Promarket | Chicago, IL | 06/30/2025 | $75,000 |
| Adams Communications Co | Managing Editor-SO MN (Flexible) | Owatonna, MN | 06/28/2025 | $60,000 |
| Hypebeast | Managing Editor, Hypebeast Print | Los Angeles, CA | 06/24/2025 | $90,000 |
| Hypebeast | Managing Editor, Hypebeast Print | New York, NY | 06/24/2025 | $90,000 |
| Buzzfeed | Managing Editor, Streaming | Los Angeles, CA | 06/13/2025 | $100,000 |
| LMI | Content Management and Intelligence Editor-Ts/Sci With Polygraph Required | McLean, VA | 06/12/2025 | $125,460 |
| Hearst | Executive Managing Editor, Harper's Bazaar | New York, NY | 06/11/2025 | $175,000 |
| Western New York Public Broadcasting Association | Managing Editor | Buffalo, NY | 06/01/2025 | $58,000 |
| Cure | Managing Editor | New York, NY | 05/28/2025 | $150,000 |
| Springernature | Commissioning Editor, Collections Management and Acquisitions | New York, NY | 05/17/2025 | $68,000 |
Managing editor salary FAQs
Search for managing editor jobs