Post job

Story editor salary

Average story editor salary

$52,975

$25.47 hourly rate

Entry-level story editor salary
$32,000 yearly salary
Updated December 15, 2025

Average Story Editor Salary

The average salary for a story editor stands at $52,975 annually, equating to approximately $25 per hour. This figure can fluctuate based on various factors, including geographic location, years of experience, and the specific industry. For instance, story editors in major metropolitan areas often earn more due to a higher cost of living.

Salary by State

Understanding salary ranges by state is crucial for job seekers. States like California and New York typically offer higher salaries for story editors, reflecting their large media markets and competitive job environments. For example, in California, the average salary can exceed $60,000 annually.

Career Opportunities

Story editors can find roles in diverse settings, including publishing houses, television networks, and online media platforms. By gaining experience and expanding your skill set, you can not only increase your earning potential but also open doors to higher-level editorial positions.

On this page
Story editor salary by: 

Let Zippia find your next story editor job

Floating question marks illustration

Let Zippia find your next story editor job

Floating question marks illustration

Where can a Story Editor earn more?

Compare salary by location
Vs
90k
70k
50k
30k
Columbus, OH$75,084
Torrance, CA$59,714
Compare salary by company
Vs
116k
96k
76k
56k
36k
16k
The New York Times Company$98,631
automätik$45,907

Story editor salary estimates from across the web

Based on the latest salary information compiled by Zippia, Glassdoor and Comparably, the average salary for a story editor typically falls between $52,975 and $76,331.
zippia
$52,975yearly
glassdoor[1]
$76,331yearly
comparably[2]
$72,943yearly

Average story editor salary by state

The highest-paying states for story editors are New York, Connecticut, and California. The lowest average story editor salary states are Alaska, Montana, and South Dakota.

  • State view
  • County view
Average salary:

Highest paying states for story editors

RankStateAvg. salaryHourly rate
1New York$74,760$35.94
2Connecticut$65,988$31.73
3California$61,197$29.42
4Virginia$56,579$27.20
5Washington$55,279$26.58
6District of Columbia$59,676$28.69
7New Hampshire$61,171$29.41
8Maryland$54,919$26.40
9Illinois$54,634$26.27
10North Dakota$53,313$25.63
11Pennsylvania$52,363$25.17
12West Virginia$52,900$25.43
13Nevada$52,090$25.04
14New Mexico$52,108$25.05
15New Jersey$55,233$26.55
16Texas$50,897$24.47
17Massachusetts$51,718$24.86
18Minnesota$54,515$26.21
19Wyoming$47,342$22.76
20Georgia$50,464$24.26
21Oklahoma$50,596$24.32
22Utah$48,683$23.41
23Michigan$49,240$23.67
24Arkansas$48,887$23.50
25Vermont$48,453$23.29
26Rhode Island$50,701$24.38
27Colorado$49,071$23.59
28Kentucky$49,690$23.89
29Tennessee$48,392$23.27
30Delaware$51,443$24.73
31Arizona$50,223$24.15
32North Carolina$46,521$22.37
33Hawaii$52,418$25.20
34Ohio$48,193$23.17
35Oregon$41,882$20.14
36Florida$44,082$21.19
37Iowa$44,755$21.52
38South Carolina$46,242$22.23
39Alabama$46,248$22.23
40Maine$46,922$22.56
41Wisconsin$41,585$19.99
42Idaho$41,536$19.97
43Alaska$36,615$17.60
44Missouri$34,883$16.77
45Montana$36,076$17.34
46Nebraska$31,906$15.34
47Indiana$38,886$18.70
48Kansas$36,772$17.68
49Louisiana$38,374$18.45
50South Dakota$35,651$17.14
51Mississippi$33,384$16.05

Highest paying cities for story editors

The highest-paying cities for story editors are New York, NY, Burbank, CA, and Beverly Hills, CA.

RankCityAvg. salaryHourly rate
1New York, NY$75,084$36.10
2Burbank, CA$59,999$28.85
3Beverly Hills, CA$59,956$28.82
4Santa Monica, CA$59,946$28.82
5Los Angeles, CA$59,908$28.80
6Culver City, CA$59,889$28.79
7Torrance, CA$59,714$28.71

Story editor salary details

A story editor's salary ranges from $32,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $86,000 at the 90th percentile.

Average story editor salary graph
Average story editor salary graph, trends, and summary

What is a story editor's salary?

PercentileAnnual salaryMonthly salaryHourly rate
90th Percentile$86,000$7,167$41
75th Percentile$68,000$5,667$33
Average$52,975$4,415$25
25th Percentile$41,000$3,417$20
10th Percentile$32,000$2,667$15

Highest paying story editor jobs

The highest paying types of story editors are senior editor, managing editor, and editor, freelance.

Job titleAnnual salaryMonthly salaryHourly rateJob openings
Editing Internship$35,035$2,920$16.8449,315
Editorial Internship$32,356$2,696$15.5651,667
Editor, Freelance$67,947$5,662$32.678,608
Editor/Director$53,599$4,467$25.779,107
Technical Editor$61,717$5,143$29.6778,423
Managing Editor$89,060$7,422$42.8216,781

Which companies pay story editors the most?

Story editor salaries at The New York Times Company and Snap are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average story editor salary at companies like Motion Theory and Condé Nast are highly competitive.

RankCompanyAverage salaryHourly rate
1The New York Times Company$98,631$47.42
2Snap$61,562$29.60
3Motion Theory$49,010$23.56
4Condé Nast$48,877$23.50
5Untitled$48,876$23.50
6Black Bear Realty Inc$47,965$23.06
7Concorde$46,202$22.21
8BBC Worldwide Transportation$46,008$22.12
9automätik$45,907$22.07

Wage gap by gender, race and education

$53,000$52,600$52,200$51,800$51,400$51,000
MaleFemale

Story editor salary trends

The average story editor salary has risen by $9,208 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average story editor earned $43,767 annually, but today, they earn $52,975 a year. That works out to a 11% change in pay for story editors over the last decade.

Compare story editor salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.

Average story editor salary over time

Compare story editor salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.

Story editor salary by year

YearAvg. salaryHourly rate% Change
2026$53,000$25.47+3.2%
2025$51,300$24.65+3.1%
2024$49,700$23.89+1.2%
2023$49,100$23.61+2.7%
2022$47,800$22.98+2.1%

Recently added story editor salaries

CompanyJobLocationDate addedSalary
Cornell UniversityManaging Story Editor-Center for Conservation MediaIthaca, NY06/14/2025$95,162
Industrial Light & MagicStory EditorFine, NY05/27/2025$82,000
The Walt Disney CompanyStory EditorNew York, NY05/15/2025$82,000
Will Packer Media LLCStory EditorLos Angeles, CA02/14/2025$80,000
The New York Times CompanyStory EditorNew York, NY01/12/2025$122,529
Andrew Wommack MinistriesGTN Story Editor IIWoodland Park, CO12/07/2024$43,138
The New York Times CompanyStory EditorNew York, NY12/04/2024$122,529
The New York Times CompanyStory Editor, GraphicsNew York, NY10/24/2024$140,000
Andrew Wommack Ministries Inc.GTN Story Editor IIWoodland Park, CO10/22/2024$43,138
The New York Times CompanyStory Editor, GraphicsNew York, NY04/04/2024$140,000

Story editor salary FAQs

Search for story editor jobs

Browse arts, entertainment, sports, and media jobs