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The differences between staff writers and assistant editors can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 1-2 years to become a staff writer, becoming an assistant editor takes usually requires 2-4 years. Additionally, an assistant editor has an average salary of $52,284, which is higher than the $44,844 average annual salary of a staff writer.
The top three skills for a staff writer include feature stories, news stories and event coverage. The most important skills for an assistant editor are editorial content, video footage, and web content.
| Staff Writer | Assistant Editor | |
| Yearly salary | $44,844 | $52,284 |
| Hourly rate | $21.56 | $25.14 |
| Growth rate | 6% | -5% |
| Number of jobs | 80,547 | 8,716 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 82% | Bachelor's Degree, 81% |
| Average age | 46 | 44 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 4 |
A staff writer is an individual who works in the television (TV) or entertainment industry to provide standard content such as news reports, reviews, and features. Since writing content is important, staff writers must be able to collaborate and brainstorm ideas with other staff members in the production process. They must attend conferences, events, or seminars to meet other people in the industry. Staff writers must also possess knowledge in scriptwriting and an in-depth understanding of the entertainment industry.
An assistant editor is an individual responsible for assisting an editor-in-chief or editor-at-large of a newspaper, magazine, radio program, or website. Assistant editors hold meetings with staff and freelance writers to discuss new, fresh and original content for projects on a daily, weekly, or monthly basis. They review assignments handed in by writers or reporters for sense, accuracy, readability, and content. Assistant editors must also utilize new media applications such as Twitter and Facebook to draw attention to an article or cause.
Staff writers and assistant editors have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Staff Writer | Assistant Editor | |
| Average salary | $44,844 | $52,284 |
| Salary range | Between $29,000 And $68,000 | Between $34,000 And $78,000 |
| Highest paying City | Washington, DC | Huntington, NY |
| Highest paying state | New Jersey | New York |
| Best paying company | The New York Times Company | Apple |
| Best paying industry | Non Profits | Media |
There are a few differences between a staff writer and an assistant editor in terms of educational background:
| Staff Writer | Assistant Editor | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 82% | Bachelor's Degree, 81% |
| Most common major | Journalism | English |
| Most common college | Massachusetts Institute of Technology | Northwestern University |
Here are the differences between staff writers' and assistant editors' demographics:
| Staff Writer | Assistant Editor | |
| Average age | 46 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 49.2% Female, 50.8% | Male, 45.9% Female, 54.1% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 6.7% Unknown, 5.0% Hispanic or Latino, 7.9% Asian, 8.8% White, 71.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% | Black or African American, 3.5% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 7.9% Asian, 7.0% White, 76.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% |
| LGBT Percentage | 11% | 12% |