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Staff writer vs news editor

The differences between staff writers and news 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 a news editor takes usually requires 2-4 years. Additionally, a news editor has an average salary of $53,822, 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 a news editor are news stories, news coverage, and instagram.

Staff writer vs news editor overview

Staff WriterNews Editor
Yearly salary$44,844$53,822
Hourly rate$21.56$25.88
Growth rate6%-5%
Number of jobs80,54712,484
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 82%Bachelor's Degree, 81%
Average age4644
Years of experience24

What does a staff writer do?

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.

What does a news editor do?

A News Editor reviews and changes the content of a publication provided by writers and other contributors. They generally work for newspapers, magazines, and websites.

Staff writer vs news editor salary

Staff writers and news editors have different pay scales, as shown below.

Staff WriterNews Editor
Average salary$44,844$53,822
Salary rangeBetween $29,000 And $68,000Between $35,000 And $81,000
Highest paying CityWashington, DCNew York, NY
Highest paying stateNew JerseyNew York
Best paying companyThe New York Times CompanyApple
Best paying industryNon ProfitsProfessional

Differences between staff writer and news editor education

There are a few differences between a staff writer and a news editor in terms of educational background:

Staff WriterNews Editor
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 82%Bachelor's Degree, 81%
Most common majorJournalismJournalism
Most common collegeMassachusetts Institute of TechnologyNorthwestern University

Staff writer vs news editor demographics

Here are the differences between staff writers' and news editors' demographics:

Staff WriterNews Editor
Average age4644
Gender ratioMale, 49.2% Female, 50.8%Male, 53.5% Female, 46.5%
Race ratioBlack 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, 3.6% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 8.2% Asian, 7.3% White, 76.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3%
LGBT Percentage11%12%

Differences between staff writer and news editor duties and responsibilities

Staff writer example responsibilities.

  • Manage magazine's transition to a new CMS system.
  • Manage website by uploading and scheduling articles, fixing errors, proofreading, optimizing for SEO, and polishing content.
  • Manage arts and entertainment editorial calendar, assign stories to multiple freelancers and plan daily coverage.
  • Assist with copywriting, magazine and advertisement layout.
  • Research, verify facts and edit all contributor submissions.
  • Create unique columns commentating on the social state of hockey and the NHL.
  • Show more

News editor example responsibilities.

  • Manage the day-to-day production of the Olympics section as needed.
  • Manage online web CMS, updating metadata, optimizing SEO, editing HTML/CSS, and directing UX/UI updates.
  • Manage content on various CMS systems, including HTML coding and training numerous staff members on various CMS systems.
  • Maintain editorial calendar, manage freelance budget and coordinate with photo editor and designers to help ensure optimal presentation of stories.
  • Cover NFL playoffs and NCAA tournament games.
  • Cover UConn s 2014 NCAA tournament championship run on site.
  • Show more

Staff writer vs news editor skills

Common staff writer skills
  • Feature Stories, 9%
  • News Stories, 8%
  • Event Coverage, 7%
  • News Articles, 7%
  • SEO, 6%
  • Photography, 6%
Common news editor skills
  • News Stories, 10%
  • News Coverage, 8%
  • Instagram, 8%
  • Twitter, 7%
  • SEO, 7%
  • Facebook, 7%

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