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What is a staff editor and how to become one
Staff editors work under the supervision of chief editors, selecting, editing, and writing content for various types of printed or online media. They revise material and make sure the different articles and segments complement each other in an engaging way. They come up with ideas for topics and headlines and decide which piece of submitted writing meets the expected quality.
Working as a staff editor, you will have to be okay with performing under pressure. As deadlines approach, tension will rise, but you will have to make sure everything is delivered for publishing on time. It will be your job to make sure the texts are grammatically correct and well written, correcting and re-writing bits whenever necessary. You will reference sources and give advice for writers to improve their work.
A degree in literature or linguistics or another area of human studies is typically expected of people aspiring to work as editors. Excellent writing and language skills are a must, as well as attention to detail, great organization skills, and an ability to prioritize tasks. And when a deadline is approaching, you will have to give it everything you have, no questions asked. Working as an editor is not only an exciting and creatively fulfilling job but also one that earns you $101,400 a year on average.
What general advice would you give to a staff editor?
Bradley Shreve
Editor, Tribal College Journal
Avg. Salary $110,850
Avg. Salary $59,228
Growth rate -5%
Growth rate 0.3%
American Indian and Alaska Native 0.27%
Asian 7.03%
Black or African American 3.49%
Hispanic or Latino 7.85%
Unknown 4.55%
White 76.81%
Genderfemale 49.78%
male 50.22%
Age - 43American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%
Asian 7.00%
Black or African American 14.00%
Hispanic or Latino 19.00%
White 57.00%
Genderfemale 47.00%
male 53.00%
Age - 43Stress level is high
7.1 - high
Complexity level is advanced
7 - challenging
Work life balance is poor
6.4 - fair
Staff editor career paths
Key steps to become a staff editor
Explore staff editor education requirements
Start to develop specific staff editor skills
Skills Percentages Art Directors 28.90% SEO 9.81% HTML 8.86% CMS 6.43% Web Content 6.13% Complete relevant staff editor training and internships
Accountants spend an average of 6-12 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New staff editors learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a staff editor based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real staff editor resumes.Research staff editor duties and responsibilities
- Manage campaign performance through data analysis and reporting, with actionable takeaways per designate KPI.
- Read through and rate short fiction, creative non-fiction, and poetry submissions from students.
- Leverage meticulous attention to detail in technical editing and proofreading all content from project inception to completion.
- Analyze FrameMaker source document and provide feedback to XML architects to improve accuracy of conversion.
Prepare your staff editor resume
When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your staff editor resume.
You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a staff editor resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.
Choose from 10+ customizable staff editor resume templates
Build a professional staff editor resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your staff editor resume.
Apply for staff editor jobs
Now it's time to start searching for a staff editor job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:
- Browse job boards for relevant postings
- Consult your professional network
- Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
- Watch out for job scams
How did you land your first staff editor job
Are you a staff editor?
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Average staff editor salary
The average staff editor salary in the United States is $110,850 per year or $53 per hour. Staff editor salaries range between $75,000 and $161,000 per year.
What am I worth?
How do staff editors rate their job?
Staff editor reviews
Research on Future computers , countries , foods , culture , doctors and singers.
Being creative, making your own hours, attending city council meetings, getting to know the mayor and members of the city council and writing about accused felons on trial.
It offers a less stressful environment to work with and it broadens the knowledge.
It gets boring when you are doing it long enough.
Updated January 8, 2025
